LIFE

Picture this: It's finally summer! Time for sleeping in and chilling out. You're *so* ready to turn up the volume on your fave beachy playlist and soak up the sunshine with your squad all day—until you realize that your best friends are off to sleepaway camp, bae is going on their annual family vacay and your older sister is super busy with her internship. You just might be flying solo for most of the summer. So, what do you do now?

One word: hobbies. Seriously, this is the *perfect* time to pick up that passion you've been wanting to try...but never have the time to during the school year. We've got you covered with a few good places to start. Read on for four hobbies you'll sooo want to start this summer.

Make summer reading fun

@bookswithtaylork

When you hear summer reading, you might think of those yearly assignments that are usually required by your school. The good news? You can put your own spin on some summer reading that you'll actually enjoy. Whether you're already a huge bookworm or you rarely pick up a book outside of your English class, it's never a bad idea to start reading for fun. You can even track everything you read on a platform like Goodreads or StoryGraph to keep you motivated. Or, if you're feeling especially inspired, you could start a book-themed social media account to share your thoughts on what you've been reading—and connect with other people who are doing the same thing! Buddy reads are another great way to get started. Grab a friend, pick a book and get ready for your own mini book club experience.

Design your own jewelry 

@capitalcitybeads

Maybe it's the dainty necklace you got for your birthday or the friendship bracelet you literally never take off. No matter your taste in accessories, everyone needs that something special to add the finishing touch to their outfit. So, why not design your own? There are *tons* of great jewelry-making kits and books online to check out before fully jumping in. Maybe you'll make some pieces for your besties...or turn your craft into a business project and start selling your creations. Either way, this expressive (and v. relaxing) hobby will def add some glitz and glamour to your summer. 

Learn a new language

School might be out for the summer, but that doesn't mean you have to stop learning new things. Learning a new language has a huge variety of benefits that range from strengthening your appreciation for different cultures and improving the way your brain functions to giving you a leg up in your future academic and career pursuits. And, better yet, it's super easy to get started. Free services like Duolingo will give you lesson plans *and* goals to meet, and tuning into movies or TV shows in other languages can teach you all about everyday conversational phrases. With some hard work and plenty of practice, you'll be multilingual before you know it. Not convinced yet? Here's why you should *so* learn a new language!

Get moving

Whether you played a sport during the school year and or you're just struggling to find the motivation to go to the gym, take it from us: it's time to make fitness fab. Summer break is *always* a great opportunity to spice up your workout routine. Sign up for a spin class at the cool new studio nearby or throw on your suit and swim some laps at the pool. If you're feeling stuck on what to do, you can even use YouTube to find new workouts. There are so many amaze ways to add excitement to exercising. Need more ideas? Check out these 5 unique workouts!

Need some more summer inspo? Check out these posts:
🍉 7 habits for a happy summer
🍉 12 summer photo ideas for Instagram (plus cute captions!)
🍉 School's out: 5 cute summer planner ideas
🍉 Your step-by-step guide to the perfect summer staycation

Try out any of these hobbies? Show us on Insta @girlslifemag!

GIFs via GIPHY | Slider via @emilynels8

by Samara Smukler | 7/2/2022