Spending your summer in a ghost town

Ah, summer in Chapel Hill. The weather is gorgeous, the leaves are green and there’s literally no one in town.

Spending a summer in the ghost town of Chapel Hill can be hard if you love the bustling crowd on Franklin Street that no longer exists. Spending a summer in Ghost Hill can be incredible if you like peace and quiet or short lines. It’s a rare gem to eat anywhere here without a wait, so please enjoy it.

That girl in your class who has been bragging about her summer internship since February is probably living it up, but at least you don’t have to see her anymore.

Taking a class? Your walk will be much less painful without the millions of students who seem to have set out to trample you.

You will still regularly trip on bricks because no earthly factor can possibly keep you from falling all the time.

The best part about taking summer classes is that you can focus on just one or two. Studying for one test on Polk Place is so much easier than studying for five in Davis during the regular school year.

There won’t be many other students around, so feel free to force people to be your friend. Try every restaurant on Franklin. They’re empty anyway.

Found a summer job? Having fewer people around means having less work to do. It also means getting less money in tips, but we’re trying to stay positive here, people.

If you just don’t want to go home, enjoy the freedom of a summer without responsibilities. You won’t get to have a summer like that after you graduate. Obligation-free fun doesn’t exist in the post-grad world.

Try to pick up a hobby. Make some hip jewelry or try a yoga class. Check out Carrboro or hang out in downtown Raleigh. Don’t go to Durham, obviously. We never go there.

Regardless of your excuse for staying in town this summer, you should see it as a blessing. Hopefully, your stress level will be much lower, which pairs perfectly well with the warm North Carolina summer weather and sunny skies.

You can take a dip in the pool behind Woollen Gym or go for a walk in Coker Arboretum.

You could also just binge-watch TV from your bed.

Maple View Farm is gorgeous, and nothing says summer like homemade waffle cones. You’ll find shorter waits again — another benefit of absolutely no one being around.

It’s not basketball season, but it is still the Southern Part of Heaven. You could be in Europe or New York City, but you’re here ... so focus your energy on making the best of what you’ve been given down here.