What are you looking forward to this summer?

I saw "Room at the Top" the other weekend, and it made me sad for hours. It was about a young man from a working-class background, who wanted to make it big. There was nothing wrong about it, but some people looked down at him. They don't like a social climber. And their impression didn't change when he dated the daughter of a friend of his boss. She came from a high place. To make a long story short, he married this girl and he managed to make great strides in his career. But he found out that life at the top wasn't what he expected all along. It was hard to tell if he was lonely or saddened at how he changed.

I thought about the same thing, which amused my housemate. We were English majors, and this would be our final term. Unlike the previous summer, where we headed to the continent (to read more books and write about the works of authors whose first language wasn't English), the upcoming summer would provide us with lots of options. Our coursemates didn't want to waste their time, so they wanted to look for a job. A few haven't decided about further studies. I was curious to look through an old manuscript, which might be an original copy of a Medieval text, but I didn't want to study it. I might have a change of mind after five years, but I wanted a change of routine.

I was about to enter the English Department when I met an older student. He was in his final year during that time. He was helpful, even accommodating, and we managed to find the time to talk about other things. (Parties, and nothing else.) We kept in touch through e-mails, and I was surprised and amazed at his decision to pack his backpack and travel to the Far East. He found a job here and there, which helped him finance his travel. I thought he could be the next Alex Garland, which made me think about summer.

What will I look forward to that summer? I can only think of five things:

I must take a look at my CV. I couldn't recall when I composed my CV. It might have been moons ago, as I would still recall the examinations these last few months. My tutor advised me to pay attention to the skills I learned during the last few years. Alas, I didn't allot time for volunteering. (I wanted to have a good time, like anyone else.) I've been thinking of looking for one, a cause which I would feel strongly about. Backpacking would be out of the question, but I may reconsider it a few years from now.

I might read more books. I missed leisure reading, and this would be why I became a better writer. It was different from the books in the reading list, which forced me to procrastinate on many occasions. But those days were gone. My tutor didn't fancy the Fantasy genre, as she preferred the author to reveal his (or her) opinion loud and clear. I was intrigued, but I haven't decided what titles to look for.

I have to look for a job. I won't mind loafing for a few weeks, even less than a few months, but I might get my first big break.