SA 2026 Secured, Unsure If I Should Grind or Live

I recently accepted a SA 2026 IB Analyst offer at a MM in my hometown (a Tier 3 city that's growing, with a group that's sweaty but has great culture, especially in the bullpen) from a non-target (public FL school). Assuming I receive a return offer, I'll be starting full-time in just about 2 years from now. If I don't receive a return, I will be re-recruiting. Either way, I have a rare window to make the most of this time, and I'm trying to decide how to spend it. I am genuinely at a crossroads between continuing to work or not. 

I know many of you will say this way of thinking is the right attitude to get ready for IB, while others will tell me to enjoy the latter half of college, see family, and travel. Here are the details outlining my situation:

1. I reclassed, so this coming year (Fall '25-Spring '26) is my "real" senior year, with Fall '26 being my last semester before graduating, and I won't even be on campus for it. 
2. I studied abroad the summer after my freshman year and was able to travel/see a lot of Europe.
3. My gf graduated a couple of months ago (Spring '25) and is starting FT in London in a few weeks. 
4. My current IB internship is remote and have been able to spend meaningful time with family this summer. 

Given all of this, there are a few options I am weighing:
1. Stay productive: Part-time or remote internship/analyst roles with boutiques, search funds, or possibly VC/PE with lean family offices (kind of a stretch), or possibly ER or market analysis roles. 
2. Content route (less likely): This isn't really me, but it's an option - creating a finance-focused content account to keep the banking part of the brain flowing/possibly make some $ on the side. 
3. AI focus: Use the time to learn AI tools and potentially build an AI-driven side-hustle (probably content automation). Considering it's "the future," I want to stay ahead of the curve, not only to understand it but also to ensure job security/learn how to utilize it effectively beyond knowing how to get preferred responses out of ChatGPT. If it generates side income, that's just a bonus. 
4. Chill: Take a real break (excluding the SA '26 internship), go stay a few months with my gf in London after my internship, spend time with family (even though I will still see them plenty during my internship and if I start FT in my hometown), and travel with a good friend who also reclassed. 

I am not feeling super burnt out from recruiting this cycle, and having recently traveled/spent time with family, I am leaning towards staying engaged. At the same time, every analyst I've ever spoken with has told me to enjoy the time I have before starting in IB because "you will never have time like it again." 

Has anyone else navigated a similar time gap? Curious to hear how others structured/would have structured their time if given this situation. How would you find a balance between career growth and life experiences? Anything helps.