9 Things You May Do on Vacation for Free

    Vacation may be boring if there is nothing you have to do. For most of my summer vacations,  I've spent all morning sleeping, being soaked all night on the Internet , and just eating any time I want. I don't want you to do this routine as well because this was the reason why I became overweight.

    Who said that summer vacations means being unproductive? It may seem fun for now to just lay in your bed all day but someday you will be asking: why don't I have good memories of my past vacations? Even though you're in a break, days in your life still pass. Would you like to waste these weeks/months of your life. Of course not!

       But... the problem is not everyone has the luxury to go to concerts, to travel, or to go shopping. Don't worry! There are still fun things you may do without spending  money, there really are. That is as well one thing most people have forgotten: being happy without money. There is no need for extravagant earthly goods to live a significant life. So try these things out to have a better and memorable summer this year for free.

1. BINGE WATCH

     You may have waited until vacation to start/continue watching the series on Netflix, and episodes of K-Drama and Anime during school days. This may probably the time to have chillax day. This will also serve as a treat for your perseverance in studying throughout the year. Check those shows you've been wanting to watch on your list. Binge watch but still make sure to sleep on time and try other things. Insomnia and eye bags are not something you would like when classes resume. Enjoy watching!

(What I was watching here is Let's Fight Ghost which is a great K-drama. Park Bong Pal is so cute argghhh and so sweet. He doesn't mind being alone and be thought as a weirdo. Anyways, just sharing. You might be curious.)

2.READ BOOKS

      If you're a book worm like me, this is the best time to read the books in your shelf which were not touched for quite time. Novels are best to read if you have nothing important to do which will let you roam into the world of the characters. Go to your local library to rent some books or go to a book store, buy one or two (or many as you want). Non fiction books are also great to learn and develop things. People say that lessons in life are learned through experience and not through books. Somehow I find it the other way around. Books had huge impact on me as my principles in life are mostly derived from them. Also, I hate it when people are criticizing someone for being bookish or book smart. I admire people who dedicate time to read because not everyone is trying to improve their literacy. Book worms represent!

3. DE-CLUTTER

    For sure your room has been very messy and all your school stuffs are piled up. It's time to clean your room, rearrange your things, and let go of the unnecessary materials. Start organizing your pens which are now all mixed together. Keep the binders that you will no longer use. Tidy up your computer: delete files you no longer need, or back-up files for future references. Organize your clothes, make-up, shoes, just everything.

    Don't you just want to feel cozy in a tidy room? Being clutter-free helps in clearing the mind. It simply just feels less stressful when everything is organized. Well, this is also the moment you're waiting for to make those saved pins on Pinterest turn into real projects. Time to achieve that #roomgoals.

4. EXERCISE

   Due to stress from academics,  for sure you have gained wait as you were eating unhealthy food and drinking too much caffeine to keep you awake (stress eating sucks). Why not try to do simple work outs at home to shed some sweat and weight. There are lots of workout videos on YouTube that you may try. Some of them also does not require equipment such as weights or dumb bell. Spending around 45 minutes of exercise a day can keep you healthy and physically fit. Studies have also shown that exercise helps in decreasing stress level. It also helps in keeping focus when doing something. Other than that, exercise has more benefits. This is something probably most  people neglect as they focus to much on studying/working. Healthy body, healthy mind.

5. PLAY SPORTS

    This is related to the one before this. To keep being physically fit, your body needs to be kept active. Playing sports will make you sweat and have fun at the same time. Whether it's basketball, volleyball, tennis, or swimming, for sure it is a great thing to spend your time with. If you do not know how to play sports, well, you may try learning now. It will feel good to go outside with your friends to play a sport. Time will pass without you noticing it and most especially, you did not spend money but unless you made a bet with them. Sports also develops sportsmanship and discipline which are also relevant in your life as a student. Losing to an opponent and accepting it may help you to cope with future failures in life. On the other hand, wins will also teach you to be grateful but still humble in the times triumph. Sports is actually more beneficial than what you think.

5. COOK

     Several times I have been told that I am such a great eater but not a good cook. I have always loved food but I never had the chance to cook except for the mandatory cooking classes I had in high school. Vacation can be the time to learn to cook. Start looking for recipes on the internet, or scan through the cook books you have at home, or you may even ask your mom/grandmother to teach you family recipes. Then, look for available ingredients in your fridge. Explore, experiment, but be careful, too. You would not like to food poison yourself or the people who will taste your cooking.

   Eating healthy and having a balanced diet is something everybody should keep in mind, too. Also, being able to cook is very important as one day you'll be living on your own, not having your mom to cook for you. Practice now and be prepared later on. I am sure you don't want to choke from eating too much take-out  and fast food when that time comes.

6. BE CREATIVE 

    Whether you are fond of photography, painting, drawing, sculpting, crafting, singing, dancing, modeling, writing, just anything you do as a creative person. This is a great time to enhance your skills and share it with other people. Gather your materials and release those ideas in your head. After all there is no harm in trying as it may not come as you expect it to be. You can always repeat and re-try. Other people also cannot judge your work since it is your own. Art is not based on the opinions of others rather on the emotions of the artist. People will always have different opinions about artworks, just keep your head above water. Another thing is, artworks can be sold at a good price, a great way to extra cash while on vacation. Who would not  like to have a "work" wherein you can do what you love, right? 

7. LEARN A LANGUAGE

    Lots of schools offer foreign languages in other countries. But in our country, commonly, English is the only foreign language we study (most of us are already fluent with it as it is mandatory subject from Kindergarten). It is definitely a plus if you know foreign language. It will help you, too if you're traveling on a certain country. It will also be easier to watch foreign shown without bothering reading the subtitles. There are apps you may use to study languages, they are fun, too. Duolingo, memrise, and lingo deer are the suggested apps by people on Studying Amino. You might want to try them, too. There are also free online classes you can take to learn a new language.

     For other students who are already taking foreign language classes, you can still improve by keeping on studying your notes from school. Foreign language or even your mother tongue may be easily forgotten when it is not being used. Refresh your memory every now with the vocabulary and grammar. Also practice by having conversation with a native speaker of the language you are studying. Don't get frustrated if you will not be fluent after the vacation, language takes time to learn. It may even take years.

8. STUDY FOR AN ENTRANCE EXAM/SAT/ACT

     Although it is vacation, incoming high school seniors (or sometimes even juniors) have to study and prepare for College Admission Test. Grab the opportunity to work on your dream college/university. It may seem dreadful to prepare while you are in vacation but it will be helpful as days pass by quickly. You do not want to be shocked when it is already the month of the test and you are totally unprepared. Cramming is not the best option for this. It will also be harder for you to study while the classes are ongoing as you have juggle the lessons you have to study from the classes you are taking and the lessons for the entrance exam. Spending at least 1-2 hours a day for at least three months is better than seven hours a day for one month. Grab your books, worksheets, and work on them. Khan Academy is also a great resource to study for SAT on your own pace. It both has lectures and practice tests which also have explanations why your answer was right or wrong. Indeed a great help.

9. BLOG

   Maybe there are people who likes writing. Vacation is a great time to improve this skill. You may start blogging by having your own website. You may start using a free website domain like Word Press or blogger like I did. If not, you may also try tumblr, Instagram (studygram), or even Amino. Share what you think and feel, or even things that might help others.

       I actually like the feeling that people are reading my blogs even they are very few. Seeing that they are coming from different parts of the world inspire me to write more. I hope that one day I will have more readers in this blog. Definitely not for monetary purposes, I just would like to help people. You reading this blog, would you mind commenting what do you think of my blogs? Thanks.

     Basically you can do anything to kill your time. But make sure you're not only having fun but being productive as well. Always remember that it does not need money to live a worthy life. You just have to have this feeling of contentment. Life would still be fun as long as you enjoy the small things around you.

Be happy, everyone 💜.