Sue Russoniello
Today, July 25, falls right in the middle of summer. I’m sure we all have fond memories of summers past….running freely around the neighborhood, spending time at the swim club or beach, attending camp, taking family vacations, visiting with grandparents. As a child, the hot days didn’t bother us. We were happy to be outside playing. We’d rush through dinner so we could spend another hour or two playing outside before the street lights went on, living the carefree life of a child, enjoying our “summer friends”.
Alas, as we grow up, we spend more time working than playing. Most of you are probably working this summer, either at a summer job to earn money for school expenses, or at an internship to help you choose your career path. However, even for those of us who have full time jobs, summer seems to be less demanding, and just plain fun.
I hope whatever you’re doing, it’s enjoyable, and you also finding time to relax and play outside of work. There is great value to changing your routine. It helps your clear your head and regroup. It lets you try something new, see different people, read books you don’t have time for during the school year, look at life from a different perspective.
Since your summer is giving you different exposures than you get during the school year, take time to think about them. You’re probably experiencing things this summer that will help you decide what you want to do “when you grow up” – what did you like about this summer job? Is the type of organization you’re working with a good fit for you? Do you enjoy where you are living this summer? If some of these answers are “no”, they will still be helpful with your career decision process. It’s only going to last a few more weeks, so take advantage of all you can learn, the people you meet, and the change of pace from the school year. Even if you aren’t really enjoying it, it’ll be over soon, and you can learn some things about yourself and your goals.
We look forward to seeing you when school starts again. But in the meanwhile, we wish you all a happy, healthy, enjoyable summer.