Quinton's is one of the many patios you can enjoy during the summer. It's probably less crowded then, too. Photo by Kelsey Kennedy

Mid-Missouri heat can be a drag, especially if you live in an apartment where the air conditioner just can’t keep up. Luckily, Columbia has a lot to offer, despite people’s constant complaints of boredom. Coming from a small town, at least one teacher offered me this sage advice: Places aren’t boring, you’re boring. So get off the couch and enjoy everything that Columbia has instead of focusing on what it doesn’t.

1) Less people

Okay, this isn’t a thing, but it’s a small blessing brought about by the decreased number of college students in the summer. Less crowds, less traffic — I miss my absent friends but let’s be realistic, this is a pretty decent trade-off.

2) So many options for ice cream

Or frozen yogurt. Or frozen custard. Whatever delightful, ice cold treat you desire, there’s somewhere that specializes in it, or you can always just go the grocery store route because we have plenty of those, too.

3) Free outdoor events

These aren’t exclusively held in the summer months, but what better time to take advantage of them? There’s movies, music, art and probably a ton of other stuff that doesn’t even fit on my radar. The Vox calendar is a good place to start looking, though.

4) All of the restaurant patios and rooftops

If you don’t have time to enjoy the outside during the peak pool hours, or if you’re just avoiding the hottest hours of the day, then spend some time outside with a cool drink and a good meal. And guess what — Vox has a guide for that, too.

5) Air conditioned gyms

If you can actually exercise in the hottest days of the Missouri summer, you wow me. When I see glistening runners and cyclists on days when it’s too hot for me to roll down the windows in my car, I cringe and am amazed all at the same time. But for the rest of us, an indoor gym with some nice AC is the way to go. And though gyms aren’t some super-special secret that Columbia holds, we still have quite the variety, which is nice for those who want to make an effort to be healthy but just can’t take the heat.

Bonus best thing: Trails

If you can stand the heat, Columbia has a ton of trails for a change of city scenery. Pick your favorite, or use them all to switch things up.