[quote]By Nikki Roberts (Online Writer)                                                                    Photo by Nikki Roberts[/quote]

As the 2014-15 school year came to end, I wrote an article that consisted of my own ideas and tips on how to make your summer vacation as exciting and rewarding as possible. At the end of May, I wrote that the main ingredients for a great summer were to keep an open mind and to use a little creativity when it came to making summer vacation plans.

I can truthfully say that although this summer seemed to me to be one of the shortest yet, it yielded many memorable moments. I took a few short trips to Indiana, California, and Iowa, but when I think about what I accomplished this summer, some of the most rewarding memories were the ones closer to home. All it took was tweaking my usual summer plans in order to create something much more special. Instead of grabbing dinner at Chipotle or another fast food chain, my friends and I coordinated barbeques, and my boyfriend and I packed a sunset picnic for dinner. Meeting on Saturday mornings for basketball games with my friends, extreme water gun and balloon fights, afternoons of kayaking, and trips to Starved Rock were all unforgettable times, and I didn’t even have to leave the state.

However, the most exciting, adrenaline filled moments were the ones that were unplanned.  Reflecting upon my own experiences, it seems that there was one important element I forgot in my original article, which made my summer one to remember: spontaneity.

Sporadically throughout the week, my friends and I would collectively throw $20 into one of our cars in order to make the round trip drive to Chicago. While cruising along Lake Shore Drive or watching the stars from the beach, it felt as though the entire city was at our disposal. Some days I’d just get into my car and drive, and would end up at a new bookstore, record store, or a new park or forest preserve to explore. These spur of the moment trips were exciting, and put me in an electrifying, carefree mood.

Keeping a mindset that allowed for me to turn impulsive, thrilling fantasies into realities was no doubt a key factor in enjoying an eventful summer. Although it is a bit ironic to plan on being spontaneous, freeing yourself from having limits or expectations is always a great way to create meaningful experiences in any given situation. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing about how I spent my break; a little creativity and keeping an open mind truly went a long way.