Wazzup Pilipinas!
Adventure, sleepless nights, stress-free activities, swimming, workshops, movies and many more. These are just some of the things that usually comes out first in our mind when we hear the word "SUMMER". But for others, it's far different from what we usually think.
Some people believe that these things mentioned above are just stereotypical ways of describing what summer is all about because for them, summer is about doing what you ought to do - doing what you like and doing things you're comfortable with.
An example of people who believe in this idea are those who spend their summer productively. They study their lessons in advance and engage in different kinds of activities that can enhance their talents and skills. Another example are those people who just stay in their homes and watch movies, read books, play computer games, or just sleep all day long. They do things they think they are comfortable with or things that gives relaxation and peace of mind.
I think that I belong to these groups of people because I've spent my summer productively and I also made sure that I was able to relax and enjoy. I had fun all throughout the vacation even though I rarely go to malls, beaches and other places outside our municipality. I can say that I had fun because I followed my own way of having a well-spent summer by maintaining balance between productivity and pleasure.
My summer vacation was basically divided into two parts; the relaxing and the productive. The 1st half of my summer was the relaxing part. I just stayed at home most of the time, watching 3-5 movies each day and playing video games with my siblings and cousins.
But before this burden started, I was able to go out and have fun with my classmates last April 2, 2014 at Antipolo. We had our farewell and swimming party. This was one of my most unforgettable moments during the summer vacation because this was one of the rare incidences that I was able to join a party and mingle with other people. Another reason is that because I've spent this with some of the most important people in my life. I really enjoyed this day because we all had fun and we were able to forget all our problems even for a while. So after that day was the formal start of my unproductive but relaxing summer vacation in our house.
Days passed, and sadly, the 1st half of my summer was about to end together with the end of the Lenten Season. The 2nd half of my summer began after the holy week - the productive part of my summer.
Last April 22, 2014, I started to attend review classes for the upcoming UP and Ateneo admission tests. This was one of the highlights of my summer because this was the first time that I attended a class with a bunch of other students from different schools. I really felt nervous during my first weeks of review because I was the only student from our school who enrolled in that class.
But luckily, I was able to come out of my shell and show my confidence to my classmates. That's why I was able to gain friends from the review program. I also learned a lot from it and I had a lot of experiences - mostly solving difficulties in Math problems and a lot of group works and practice exercised in each subject. This review was really helpful for me because I was able to reflect on my strengths and weaknesses which may help me decide the course I should take for college.
Aside from the 16 sessions of review, I also considered this 2nd half of my summer productive because I was able to read 7 different books in two weeks. This was really a big accomplishment for me because I was able to develop speed in reading which I didn't really had before. I also think that this activity belongs to the productive part of my summer because this activity serves as a preparation for college. I am planning to take political science and this would really be helpful for the course because it requires skills like speedy and comprehensive reading.
I ended the 2nd half of my summer by spending my remaining days of freedom at Candelaria, Zambales last May 29, 2014. We stayed there for three days for a trip to Potipot island. This was actually my first and last visit at the beach for the summer vacation.
We were able to see and capture the beauty of the island - its clear waters, the sea creatures and resources and the captivating scenery. I really felt lucky that I was able to spend my last days of summer in this island because I was able to relax and release all the stress that I've experiences the past two months and I also was able to prepare myself for all the challenges and new experience the upcoming school year has at hand.
The summer vacation that I had was great because I was able to start and end it with a blast and I also was able to maintain the boundary between the relaxation that I deserve and the productivity that I need to accomplish.
Even though I wasn't able to visit a lot of places or hangout with my friends and family, I can say that my experiences this summer vacation is not boring but worthy to be proud of because I felt that I was satisfied with what I have experienced and I know that I've done all the things I like to do- especially those things that I was deprived of during the past school year.
I think that my experiences this summer can inspire a lot of people, especially those who think that their summer vacation was boring and not enjoyable compared to those who went to a lot of places and have spent their vacation with their friends.
These people should not be intimidated to the stereotype kind of summer but instead make their own ways of spending their summer worthwhile.
There are a lot of things that you can do to make your summer memorable just like being productive or staying at home and relax. Summer vacation is not all about all those adventurous things but it's all about satisfying and making yourself happy.
Contributed by by Raeya Genevieve C. Barsaga
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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