In the words of my man Kenny Chesney, &uot;Summertime is finally here. The nights roll in.

Man, just like a long lost friend you ain’t seen in a while.

You can’t help but smile.&uot;

Summer has always been my favorite season. Ever since I was a little girl, I would count down the days until it finally arrived.

Just knowing it is the summertime makes me feel happy.

The bright sunshine and the clear blue skies make me smile.

Over the years, the summertime has come to have many meanings for me.

Summertime means having family vacations at the Outer Banks and my dad cooking seafood.

It means climbing the sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge.

Summertime means feeding those crazy squirrels that love Cheerios and live at 111 Clipper Court.

Summertime means having cookouts around the fire barrel and catching fireflies in a butterfly net just for the fun of it.

Summertime means chasing my siblings and cousins around the yard with water guns and getting soaked in the process.

Summertime means learning how to swim at the local pool.

Summertime means late night games of flashlight tag in my mama’s back yard.

Summertime means wearing my flip-flops and breaking out the big green bottle of aloe lotion because it is inevitable that I will get sunburned.

Summertime means that I actually have time to read for fun.

I can go to the library to get a stack of books to read, and I won’t feel guilty about it because I don’t have a eight page American Lit paper due the next day for class.

Summertime means a break from school.

In my three years of college, I have never taken summer classes.

Now, summer classes are certainly a good idea for some people.

However, to be honest, by the time May rolls around, I am ready to be out of school for a while.

I especially needed a break after this last semester.

For some reason it seemed to drag on, and on and on.

I am so relieved that for a few months I don’t have to worry about writing papers for Dr. James’ Shakespeare’s Comedies class.

Now, I am an English major.

I like literature, and I love to read.

But Shakespeare and I have never gotten along, so you can imagine how fun that class was.

As with all my other summers, this one will have special meaning, too.

This is the summer right before I enter &uot;the real world,&uot; as my friend Johnston calls it.

That’s right; I am officially a college senior.

Woo-hoo!

That means I have just two more semesters and 33 credits standing between me and my college degree.

Sometimes it seemed that this moment would never come.

Finally, all the effort and time I poured into my schoolwork will pay off.

I recently attended the graduation at Barton College, which is where I go to school.

The graduation was outside and the weather was gorgeous.

It was the perfect day and the ceremony went well.

However, all I could think about was that soon I would be the one wearing the cap and gown and walking across the stage to accept my diploma.

In fact, my friend Victoria looked at me and said, &uot;Meagan, can you believe that is going to be us next year?&uot;

No.

I can’t believe it.

Time goes by so fast and it seems that everything changes.

My baby brother Justin is 13, which is unbelievable to me.

Sadly, he is taller than I am.

My younger sister Brooks graduates high school this year.

Now, I am fairly young.

I am only 21-years-old.

But for some reason this makes me feel old.

I must admit that all of this talk about graduation and change makes me panic a little about what I will do in the future.

There is so much to think about.

Can I go to graduate school?

If so, where will I go?

Can I find a job after I graduate?

After my frenzy of worrying about the future, I realized that worry would not answer my questions and I should just enjoy this summer.

I know life is busy and time does go by fast, but I encourage everyone else to enjoy the summer as well.

Spend quality time with your families.

Sit in a hammock and enjoy the summer breeze.

Drink some lemonade and find shapes in the clouds.

Remember to take the time to enjoy the little things in life.