Summer. A time where laziness is essential and fun is constantly on the mind. Some summers are not as productive as others, but all summers are important.

For me, this is my most important summer yet. I’m going on three separate trips and I am super excited. Two of the trips are going to be overseas and the other is here in the great state of Texas.

One of the main reasons for my travels is because of my cultural background: I am half Iraqi, a quarter Filipino and a quarter French. My love of different cultures came from the different cultures in me. Another reason is to build stronger relationships with the people that I know and make new ones with the people I meet.

My first trip this summer is going to Ireland July 11-19. This trip is through the school and I get to go with 41 great peers and six adults. We are departing the US and are ending up in Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland. We plan to go to the Leprechaun Museum and walk around enjoying the sites that Dublin has to offer. I don’t know all of the details, but we plan to be in Dublin for about two days. I do know that we’ll travel the country side and watch a sheepdog demonstration from this old man who still practices sheep herding with his dogs.

Right after I come off of the plane I‘ll have some time to shake off the jet lag before I go to church camp in Hunt, Texas on July 24-29. Whenever we (the students and group leaders) go, we never know what’s going to happen. My youth pastors believe in the rare method of interactive teaching: where the students make our own choices based off of the situation they throw us in for the week. With various sports played throughout the week and late night Bible studies, it’s a fun time and definitely worth the lack of sleep.

Finally, for my last adventure, I’m going to Japan on August 3-17. My father hasn’t seen his brother in 45-plus years, and my sister and I are huge Japanese manga fans. We arrive when a festival or holiday is taking place, so it will be amazing to see a Japanese celebration in person.

I am looking forward to seeing my uncle more that seeing what Japan has to offer. The history and culture is important but to me, family is the priority.

2016 will take the honorary title of the “best summer of my life.”

But I know I still have my whole life ahead of me. Still, it’s going to be hard to top this adventure-packed June, July and August.

Laziness will not be essential but fun will definitely be on my mind.