Hello Auntie,
I hope you are doing well. I am a 17-year-old and I read your column every Sunday. Summer is here and, honestly, I was super excited at first. I had all these big plans, you know. But now, a few weeks in, and I’m starting to feel… well, a bit bored. Every day feels the same. I wake up, maybe watch some TV, scroll through my phone, and then the day just kind of… disappears.

My friends are all away on trips and there’s not much going on around here. I’ve already re-read all my favourite books and I’m running out of ideas for things to do. I wish I was somewhere new, but I don’t have any opportunity for going out. Can you suggest what should I do?
Frustrated with Vacations

Dear Frustrated with Vacations,
Oh dear, your letter gave me flashbacks, not to my own teenage years, but to the last time there were power outages and I sat there like a melting drama queen, wondering where my life was going.

First of all, let me congratulate you. You’re living through a rite of passage, called “Pakistani Summer Vacation Annoyance”, and it hits harder than the Fatah missile. Lol.  

‘How Can I Get More Out of My Vacation?’

Enough warmongering. Now listen, you probably had grand plans, maybe to discover your hidden talent, become a poet, learn guitar, start a YouTube channel, fall in love (even if only with a character in a novel), but the only thing that has happened is that you have developed a PhD-level expertise in doomscrolling and

re-watching the drama Meem se Muhabbat. And you know what? That’s okay, but only if it is for three days. Not three months.

So, if you’re stuck at home, that means you’ve got Wi-Fi, running water (hopefully, especially if you live in Karachi) and a brain that’s still young and spongy enough to absorb new things (unlike mine, which now retains only my CNIC number). So, here’s your summer survival guide according to Auntie:

You could start a mini project such as making a fake travel diary. Write about your ‘trip’ to Italy. Describe the yummy gelato, the annoying tourists in the hotel room next to yours and the gondola ride that changed everything. Do it even if you’ve never left your neighbourhood. It’s creative. It’s fun. And a great way to escape.

You could also do something bizarre and old-school, such as learning to crochet or cross stitch. Or you could write letters to your future self. Work on creating your family tree. Interview your dadi or nani [paternal and maternal grandmothers]. Start a podcast with a friend who is around. You never know what can go viral these days.

Another thing you could do is to volunteer. Even if it’s just helping a younger brother or sister or raising funds for a charity. You will have something to do and look forward to. You will also have a strange sense of contentment from helping others.

You could also get together with siblings, cousins or neighbours to act out scenes from your favourite novel. If you can’t find people who want to act, cast your stuffed toys. But if you can, force your cousin to be the side character and your parents, khala and phuppo [aunts] to be the audience. Go full Hania Aamir in the drama Kabhi Mein Kabhi Tum. The stage is yours.

Summer doesn’t always have to be a foreign trip or full of “contentment”. The best stories are made in quiet corners, on slow days, with ceiling fans spinning above.

Use this time to be bored creatively.

Disclaimer: If you or someone you know is in crisis and/or feeling suicidal, please go to your nearest emergency room and seek medical help immediately.

Auntie will not reply privately to any query. Please send concise queries to: auntieagni@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, May 18th, 2025