Since I can't think of a new post...

So I was sitting around bored today when I realized that being bored during summer vacation was a problem I had attempted to tackle in an article I wrote for the Cerritos News. For lack of a better post, here's the article in its entirety. Enjoy--I actually thought this one was pretty good:

In Case You Run Out of Ideas…
By Eric Liang

Not knowing what to do during the summer seems almost illogical on the surface, the same way one might think it strange that someone doesn’t know what to eat at a familiar food court. But it’s not that big of a stretch: when it comes down to it, in both situations, the issue is not lack but rather excess. Year after year, as I attempt to make summer plans, the first thought in my mind is of where to start. A transcript of my typical thought process at such times would be similar to the following:

“The beach sounds good, haven’t been there in a while…then again I haven’t really gone to Six Flags before either…but both those places would be too hot and I wouldn’t enjoy it and that would defeat the purpose…maybe I should call some friends…never mind my phone’s across the room…alright back to sleep.”

Not exactly a recipe for success. Needless to say, I have a reputation for not doing much during my three months of bliss unless someone else plans it. I’m convinced that’s why guys have gal friends: they know how to plan things.

Enough of that. This being my last summer as a high school student, and quite possibly as a Californian, I’ve taken it upon myself to come up with a list of things to do during the summer. Blessed as we are with Californian suns, beaches, and youth culture, I have a feeling that if I were to stay in Chicago this time next year, I’d regret quite a bit. So here we go…

1. Go to the beach: Simple enough. I happen to love body boarding—or, for you more casual types, boogie boarding. Make sure you have friends, a lot of drinks, and food that doesn’t pick up sand easily (I know, it’s a narrow spectrum). But just lying in the sun would be awesome, too. Bring sunscreen, though—as a former student rep to the district’s legislative/policy committee, I’m supposed to remind you all of the dangers of UV ray exposure. So remember, rub it on. Generously.

2. Movies(!): I have only one thing to say about this point, and that is “The Dark Knight”. I can think of no better way to end a summer movie season that began with Iron Man and that included such anticipated releases as The Incredible Hulk, The X-Files: I Want to Believe, Kung-Fu Panda, and the one film I’m highly skeptical-yet-hopeful of, You Don’t Mess With the Zohan. Oh yeah, I’m supposed to mention Wall-E, the one movie I’m skeptical of and still don’t care about.

3. Eat a lot: Ironic, since I planned to be thin and fit before heading off to college. Northwestern is supposedly the fifth fittest college in America, so I figure I better work out over the summer. But eating is so much more fun, especially if you combine it with #2 and #4.

4. Be with friends: It would be sad to say that you get enough of them during the school year. Use the summer to do things with your friends you didn’t have the time for while tests and homework were piling up. I went to Cabazon with a particularly close-knit project group of mine in May. I like to think it’s a teaser for what’s to come. Plus, I’m quite adamant about this point, since I’ll be in Illinois in September and won’t be seeing my best friends for at least three months.

5. Get fit: I changed my mind—I now consider it possible to work out and have fun at the same time. I recommend running with music. iPod’s are lovely, aren’t they?

6. Throw a party for no particular reason: I hope the title says it all. But remember the second part of this suggestion. Don’t have a reason for it, just do it. Then again, I’m sure this would seem a lot more appealing if I actually did it. Remember, guys don’t do planning. It’s not in our genes, the same way sowing and flower arranging isn’t.

7. Start a summer romance: For no other reason than the fact that I’m a sucker for rom-coms. That’s short for “romantic comedies”, if you’re among the uninitiated. And who knows: it might not end with the summer.

So there you have it, my humble list of summer to-do’s. Remember, you only have about three months before all this becomes naturally and academically impossible. So choose wisely and have the time of your life.