For a long period in my life, I despised/hated the summer because most of my summers were spent cooped up in the house, not having much fun. When I made attempts to have fun, something will always happen where it made me want to stay in the house even more. As it got closer to the beginning of Summer 2019, I had a feeling it would be one of those summers.
I was heading into Summer 2019 trying to recover from one of the worst semesters of my college career. My grades were terrible, I was dealing with a roommate situation that I desperately wanted to get out of, and I was in the worst shape of my life. Even though I looked happy most of the time, deep down I was not happy at all. I had little to no hope that things would possibly get better, or that I could bounce back from my terrible semester.
About a week has passed in May since I've been home from college for the summer, and rapper Megan Thee Stallion released her mixtape, "Fever". After listening to the very first song, "Realer", I was blown away by how bold Megan was about everything, from her sex appeal to her overall persona.
Then in a blink of an eye, there was an influx of memes and tweets all over social media about "Hot Girl Summer." What started as Megan making statements like "real hot girl s**t" in her songs soon became a cultural shift. Women everywhere were now calling themselves hot girls and were starting to declare Summer 2019 a "Hot Girl Summer", a summer where they'll be living their best life unapologetically.
I was truly inspired by what I saw. It was such a great feeling to see all these women come together and decide to empower themselves and take control of their life. This summer was the first summer in my 20's. I knew something had to change, so I sat myself down and asked myself this question:
"Are you going to sit there and let life pass by or are you gonna do something about it?"
At the flip of a switch, everything started to change.
Within the first week of being home for the summer, I got a part-time job offer at one of the local restaurants in town. Within the first month, I accepted an internship offer with Cover The Spread 365, a company that falls into my career field (sports journalism). I was already shocked when I got an interview one day after I applied; then when I was offered the internship position, I was ecstatic.
Between working my part-time job and internship, I began to start my weight loss journey. I started light, running at least an hour once a week in my neighborhood. Running once a week turned into 2-3 times a week, which then turned into running 3-4 miles a day, blasting Megan Thee Stallion and Young Nudy through my headphones.
May-August I was in my bag. Completely.
I was working, getting my body right, writing top-notch sports articles nearly every day, and getting closer to God. My mood got better day by day. The happiness that I felt for the first time was genuine.
Every day was a new adventure, where I was looking forward to working out, having ratchet fun time with my friends, and just making my next day even better than the previous day.
Summer 2019 was more than just a summer of grinding. Summer 2019 I was learning more about myself and started to face my fears. I finally learned how to drive (and realized that I'm pretty good at it), got into the dating scene (and realized that I can pull guys) and traveled as well.
2019 became the best year of my life just from my Hot Girl Summer. But that didn't mean that I couldn't live my Hot Girl Summer throughout the rest of 2019.
The fall semester of my junior year was the ultimate test to see if I can maintain the happiness and work ethic that I've developed in the summer. And too much of my surprise, I did. I continued to get my body right, excelled in my studies, and had tons of fun with my friends.
If this year didn't go as planned for you, or you feel defeated, understand that you will get through it. If you haven't, I encourage you to dedicate a period (3-6 months) in 2020 and in the next upcoming years where you do absolutely nothing but better yourself, heal yourself and work towards your goals.
Hot Girl Summer is more than just a song, statement or memes. It is absolutely nothing like a "Hoe Summer" or "T.H.O.T Summer" that many individuals (mostly men) has tried to make it seem like.
Hot Girl Summer is a mantra, a lifestyle that is meant for you to be YOU: being confident, living it up with your friends, not giving a damn about what anyone has to say. Hot Summer Girl not only has changed my life; it has also made me feel like a woman for the first time in my adult life.