As I close my eyes, taking a brief break from the amassing piles of homework in front of me, summer hopes fill my head. I find myself heading out the door, noticing how the grass is greener and the flowers brighter. I take a deep breath in—the air smells fresher. At last I can  enjoy the first day in months where I don’t have a list of school tasks spiraling around my head. 

I imagine myself walking in the hot summer sun, finally not thinking about my next English ICW or hundredth History paper due in a few days. As I freely stroll down my front porch steps, I see my neighbor, Juliet, planting new flowers in the yard. It’s a near miracle when my mind doesn’t immediately think of Romeo and Juliet or the Agricultural Revolution. I count down the days until I can open Spotify to play my Summer 2024 playlist, instead of my Jazz study playlist. Soon, my laptop will no longer be filled with JSTOR articles or my many unopened Outlook emails. Even on a visit to a Jersey Mikes, I get stunned from the short line to get a sandwich—a sighting I hardly witness during Westridge lunchtime. 

While during the school year I would typically think of any excursion as an adventureful Odyssey, I can now leave Homer behind and begin imagining my summer plans: late night swims, sleeping in the car after a long day at the beach, and endless sleepovers. Rather than celebrating the weekend after a long 5-day week, I look forward to celebrating my best friend’s birthday in a couple weeks.

Finally the gloomy days are turning bright and cheerful, and soon I can soak up the sun, realizing all the deadlines, extra-curriculars, and stressful nights are behind me. It’s time for me to move into a stressless summer, without having to think about any more thoughts involving school.