Once the first blissful week of sleeping in has passed, I always find college summer vacations a bit tough. 

Where are my friends? 

Why is there nothing to do after work except come home? 

And how in the world do people fill all that free time on evenings and weekends? 

After a few days of being bored out of my mind, I remember that I like reading. I rediscover old classics, pick up long-forgotten childhood favorites, and scour the shelves for unread volumes. 

Being separated from my college pals, I also make an effort to reconnect with hometown friends and meet new faces. I chat with visitors at local wineries or find connections with young adults who happen to be working in my obscure hometown over the summer. 

During summer, I always try to work some creative muscles as well that may have been weakened or lost in the heaviness of academics: sketching, designing letters, you name it. 

Today, I realized that all of these activities—these “favorite things” that tend to make my summers fun and rejuvenating—belonged to my summer internship. My “work.”

Reading submissions, writing pitches. 

Discovering random connections with my co-intern and meeting my wonderful employers.

Being allowed to spend hours on Canva designing graphics about books, playing with colors and shapes, like a 2-year-old with a box of markers. 

Thank you, Beaufort Books. What a summer. 

-BEAUtie Wooster, Summer 2023 Intern