During the school year, it’s easy to keep in touch with friends. You see each other nearly every day for months! But when summer break rolls around, it may become more difficult. Difficult, but not impossible. If you want to meet up with your friends, there are ways around most of the obstacles.
Starting with the most important thing, getting your friends interested. It’s summer, so you might still message back and forth with them every once in a while, send each other videos, but that’s not the same as meeting up. The first thing you have to do is communicate and show interest in meeting up. You might think that if no one else has mentioned it, they’re not interested either. That might be so, but the other possibility is that everyone is hesitant to show interest first, because no one else has. Pride or ego might be getting in the way, or maybe hesitation because no one wants to impede on how others spend their break. But you’ll never know which it is until you ask. If you reach out and everyone’s receptive and communicates, then you’ve done it! If they don’t seem all that interested or are busy, there are still ways to connect with other new people over the summer.
Okay, but what if the issue isn’t getting everyone interested? What if it’s transportation, or scheduling, or cost? Well, here’s some advice for each:
Transportation:
If you rely on others to get around, it can be tricky to get to places on your own. Luckily, there are possible ways around it.
Tagging along: If your parents are your usual ride, but have obligations (like work), try to plan around their commute. For instance, get dropped off at a friend’s house during your parents’ commute and get picked up when they’re coming back home.
Rideshare services: Things like Uber, Lyft, etc. Uber now has teen accounts, which allow parents/guardians to view the rides you’re taking.
Public transportation: Public transportation is usually accessible and cheap. If you’re under 18, there are discounted fares that make it even cheaper.
Biking or electric scootering: Biking or e-scootering is faster than walking, and sometimes faster than public transportation. Both can be a bit pricey to buy, but when it comes to bikes, there are donation programs that allow people to buy bikes for a cheaper cost/receive them for free. There are also bike rentals, which can be cheaper than buying outright.
Cost:
Public spaces: Public spaces like parks or libraries are always great options; you don’t have to buy anything, and you can always bring stuff along with you. For instance, board games, small gaming devices, etc.
Community centers: Community centers often have low-cost things to do as well, or put on community events. For instance, community pools often have open-pool hours, during which time you can swim to your heart’s content. There are also nights where movies are shown at public parks. Just take a look and you’ll be sure to find something!
Other events: There are also a lot of low-cost events hosted by various businesses/organizations. Everything from free BBQs to performances to themed events. There are lots of social media accounts dedicated to gathering and sharing info about local events, so go check them out!
Now- with all of that in mind, you can finally plan that hangout. Have fun!
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WRITTEN BY: Kris Sanders, Empowerteen Creative Writer Intern
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