It's the Final Countdown

Hey everyone! I have been enjoying my last few weeks of summer before I head up to Stanford University. Since school is just around the corner, it is important to get in any last minute summer adventures. Because all of my friends are traveling all over the country for college, we wanted to do some fun activities specific to California before everyone left. I've spent the last couple days of my summer doing some pretty exciting things!
One day, my friend and I drove to Los Angeles to hike to the top of the Hollywood Hills. This is a very popular hike in southern California because trail leads you to the Hollywood sign! Although it was a long way up, the view was amazing! Check out the pictures below to see our hike experience! It was so fun to spend time with my friend before she leaves for college, and hiking to the Hollywood sign is something we can only do in LA! It was a great end of summer adventure.

The beginning of the hike--see the sign in the background?

The Hollywood sign behind me

The view from the top!

There is the sign--success!

My other friends and I are obsessed with music, especially Taylor Swift. We thought the perfect end of summer experience would be to go see her live in concert! We even got to take a limo to the arena. It was an amazing concert and I loved being able to share my love for Taylor Swift tunes with my friends! We danced and belted the songs all night long. My voice was even gone in the morning! It was so fun to see one of my favorite artists live and if one of your favorite musical artists plays a concert near you I really recommend attending!

With the limo on the way to the concert

In the arena--there is the stage behind us!

However, summer isn't all just fun and games. Most people, like me, have a summer job to save up spending money for college. While work can be boring, I lucked out because I teach tennis at a summer camp for little kids. I guess my summer has more fun and games than I thought! I stretch with them, teach them how to hit a killer forehand, and even go in the pool with them to cool off since playing tennis all day and hot summer weather doesn't mix well. Finding a fun summer job that caters to your skills is the best way to earn money and fill in the long summer hours before school begins.

My fellow camp counselor and awesome campers

Starting off the day with some stretching

Don't want any injuries!

If you and your friends are leaving for college soon, or even just going back to school, having some last minute adventures is a great way end the summer right. Try to seek activities native to your hometown because it will make the experiences even more special. Have fun and let me know in the comments how you spent the end of your summer!

xoxo

Working Warriors

Hey everyone! Although school is a very important part of any American teen's life, there are many other things that students are involved in outside of the classroom. Many teenagers spend their time working a part time job. In the United States, once you are 16 you can legally work a certain amount of hours a week outside of school. Having a job is a exciting way that many teenagers increase their independence and resonsiblity. If you make your own money you can spend it any way you want! But having a job isn't always as easy and fun as it sounds. Working teenagers must balance their schedules with sports and homework and they might even miss out on events with their friends. However, I think that the positives of having a job outweigh the negatives, but you must find a balance that works for you! Since students have a lot of free time during summer vacation, its the perfect time to get a job. I worked as a tennis instructor over the summer, teaching little kids tennis. It was a win win for me, since I got payed to teach others about the sport I love.

My friends are working in numerous different fields. My friend Emily works in a clothing boutique called Heavenly Couture. She loves it because she is interested in fashion. However, it is stressful when she has to close up the shop late at night all by herself. She has to put the alarm on and lock all the doors and get out all in 60 seconds! It definitely took some practice. My other friend Tyler works in the movie theatre. He has basic duties like collecting tickets and serving popcorn, but he also gets cool perks like counting the amount of people in a movie theater and then getting to watch the movie for free after! It is the perfect incentive for a movie-lover. One of my friends, Molly, is a barista at Starbucks. I always go to her to make my favorite drinks and they are delicious! Whatever your interests are, or if you just want to make money and build your resume, there is a job out there for every teenager who wants one. Just make sure you have time for it! My friends have to make sure they manage their time wisely and plan all other extracurricular actives around their jobs. With a great job comes great responsibility!

Would you want to work in high school? Where would you want to work for your first job? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo