A clear blue sky devoid of clouds fills my vision. The waves crash against the shore of the pristine beach. Light reflects off of the crystal clear water, creating a scene straight off of a postcard. Birds lay floating on the water farther out to sea, rising and falling gently with the waves. Families enjoy the beautiful day. I see adults wading into deep waters, and kids creating castles and houses in the sand. I turn my attention back to the computer screen that has been my companion for the last few days. I stare at the pages full of text and wonder why I did this to myself. Why did I wait until the last minute to finish my assignment?

The last day of school is supposed to be good times all around. However already one thought consumes my mind- summer reading requirements. This summer, I said to myself, would be different. This summer, I would do my work early on and not have to deal with it later. I lay on my bed embroiled in a mental struggle about whether I should do the work now or later, and the effects of each choice. I know that the smart thing to do would be to do it and get it over with. Work hard now and enjoy the remainder of the summer without the work hanging over my head. I picture the essay as a band-aid that has to be ripped off fast to avoid pain. However, my mind then shifts to all the things I could be doing instead of writing. Things like hanging out with friends and avoiding the thought of school for as long as possible . In the end, I chose wrong. I decide that instead of doing the work now, I would put it off. I have all summer.

Fast forward a couple of weeks to the end of July. I have read one of the two books that I am required to read and write an essay on by the end of the summer. I thought to myself that I should just start the next one and be done. Once again, I decided to put it off. More time passes and now it is two weeks before school starts. Only now do I really begin to consider picking up the second book. Wednesday of that week I begin reading. The following Friday I got my wisdom teeth removed, which I had completely forgot was scheduled for the week before school starts. I start to panic slightly as I had not yet written my paper and I was not sure how I would be affected by the operation.

The next week is the week before school starts. I am on vacation at Virginia Beach, and I am only marginally closer to having the paper done. The painfully long drive to Virginia beach was filled with countless scenic views. As we traveled, we could tell where we are based on what we saw outside the window. We watched as rolling fields of crops turned into dense forest. Later the forest gave way to the gentle slopes of the Appalachian Mountains. When the mountains became less intense we knew we were closing in on our destination. During all this time I finished reading my book, but did not work on actually writing my paper. We get the outskirts of Virginia beach and  we can see the brightly colored houses that dotted the sides of the road. When we drove through the main strip of Virginia Beach, an  endless rows of shops filled up and down both sides of the street. Every shop was a mirror image of the one beside it advertising the same souvenirs and beachwear. The same chain ice cream shop repeated itself on every other block. Hotels and condos towered over the single story shops making them seem insignificant in comparison. By the time we reached our hotel on the other side of the strip I was enthralled by the city wanting to enjoy all it had to offer.

The thought of the paper I still have to complete weighs me down like a anchor tied to a boat. I sit down to finish writing it once and for all. For hours I slave away one sentence at a time. My fingers become exhausted with the repeated typing that I force them to do. My eyes can barely stay open as I wish for sleep. All the while the scene out my window keeps me moving at a snail's pace. When the sun reaches its lowest point, vibrant rays of light dance across the walls. The sun falls beyond the horizon and I put my hands down. I had finished.

I gained a lot from this experience, from time and stress management to missing out on opportunities and fun because of my choices. It is not worth the pain of having to franticly rush to finish assignments moments before they are due. Procrastination didn’t change the fact that the paper was due, it just drawed out the time I stressed about it. The things you justify putting off the work for don’t always turn out to be worth it in the long run. If I had acted differently my vacation would have been more enjoyable in many ways. I have learned my lesson not to draw out an assignment until the last minute...which is why i’m turning this paper in with two hours to spare.