No more mountains on the horizon. Nothing left to climb for the next few months. You’ve summited. That’s right, you’ve made the collegiate climb up presumptuous peaks, and now you can take a break, enjoy the view, and look forward to a valley of opportunity. The summer after senior year is a blessing, but it can also pose difficult questions. What should you be doing in this momentary eclipse between enormous formative events?

Sometimes, when faced with a surplus of options, it becomes all the more difficult to pick one. The post-high school break is nothing if not rife with choices, and the hardship lies in finding the proper path. A vacation abroad, maybe a backpacking trip across Europe to discover oneself. A domestic voyage throughout the country, watching baseball games in every major stadium. An internship at a prestigious research institution to further one’s career interests. If you can think of it, someone has probably already done it.

The first question to ask yourself is simple: do you want to take it easy or go all in? There’s a philosophical difference here that can make the choice easy. Plenty of students realize that this is the last summer to enjoy with family and friends. Beyond this lull in the proactive lifestyle are plenty of internships, research positions, and working opportunities that will eat up time in future summers and detract from that quintessential do-nothing attitude that lingers at the background of even the most dedicated student’s mind. In the moment when there are no absolutes, no requirements, no necessities, there is a rare opportunity to embrace that lingering thought, and enter, briefly, into a comatose state of relaxation. Hang around town, witness the burgeoning stage of summer blockbusters, pick up a part-time job at a McDonald’s to fill some time. Go day by day without plans, and simply live. That’s a fundamental summer option for graduating seniors.

Of course, many also choose to travel. The rationalization here lies hand in hand with the previous choice. When, in life, is there a better moment to leave things behind and find yourself on a trip abroad? We often define ourselves by our circumstances, so in those chance moments when one can remove themselves from their predefined area of life, there can be much to learn. Go alone if you can. Self-discovery is, after all, about the self, and when there’s a family to carry with you, the reminder of who you have been can cloud who you can be. In the hills of Scotland, the snow-capped peaks of the Netherlands, and the rolling meadows of France, look towards the horizon of inner peace and reflect without distraction, seeking a prescient peek into the future that you will shape or that will shape you. If successful, this will prove a valuable launching board for you four years into the future and beyond, from college to your career and beyond.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, one can choose to skip this rare chance at a pause in life. One can decide, actively and impulsively, to press the play button, a one-time switch that does not turn back off. They do so by finding internships or beginning school early, seeking to put themselves proactively into the grind in order for things to pay off in the future. For those who can afford to sacrifice the present for years down the road. This is a decision that requires a level of mental fortitude, a philosophically different mindset than the previous. Plenty of organizations offer summer programs for graduating seniors, though you may have to look harder than the rising senior. And, at this point, the programs you find will require more of you, demand a significant level of effort, and, in the end, likely pay you in both education and monetary sum.

No matter what it is you choose to do this next summer, make sure to settle down into a few months of blissful pursuit of happiness. Whether you do that tanning by the beach or immerse yourself in a research apprenticeship is up to you. This is a rare moment for us all. Cherish it, live it, and love it.