Summer Bucket List
The sun is out and the soul has become restless. Here are twenty things I have cooked up for a summer full of fun. Grab your friends or hit the town solo. Just enjoy it while the responsibilities are few to none.
Have your dinner on a mountain-top: grab some friends, make caprese sandwiches, kombucha on ice, and strawberries dipped with dark chocolate (my most recent menu). Reward an easy hike, with a light dinner watching the sunset— one of my favorite ways to spend a summer evening.
Go ice cream hopping: I like to do this in the fall with coffee shops. I will hit up three to four coffee shops in a day trying out new seasonal drinks— its completely excessive and a little ridiculous but so much fun! The summer version? Hit up different ice cream shops for local flavors, or if you’re’ lucky you might have a shop that lets you do flights!
Road-trip: choose a city and hit the road— my go to’s for weekends or a week (from Asheville) are: Nashville, Knoxville, Greenville, Charlotte, Atlanta, Charleston, Athens, etc. Between the playlists, snacks, and adventures in the city, you’re guaranteed to have a good time— and the pictures to prove it.
Have a photoshoot: choose a scenic backdrop— mural on the wall or a field of flowers, and practice your point and shoot.
Get lost in a book shop: spend some time doing something quiet— like reading! Get lost in an air-conditioned book store, and visit another world without breaking the bank.
Watch a movie outside: set up the projector, grab some pillows, bake some cookies, and have a movie marathon underneath the stars.
Travel abroad: while you have the abundant free time, why not go on a cultural exchange and meet new people?
Breakfast picnic in a garden: pack a fun breakfast bar for some time with the plants in a botanical garden or flower field- as long as you’re not allergic to pollen you might have a good time. Iced coffee, french pastries, and fresh fruit. You’ll be good to go.
Be a tourist: dive deep into your own community and explore new places you have never been before. Don’t forget to bring a camera to capture the journey.
Give back: spend some of your free time by giving back to a community project or social justice program. You’ll feel good by doing good!
Get involved: use this time to know more about public policy and organizing. Register to vote, attend town hall meetings, and learn more about current events.
Start adulting: learn how to do those grown-up things, or at least start finally doing them— like scheduling doctors’ appointments and building a resume.
Build an epic playlist: create the music paradise of your dreams so that you will always have it to: drive to, run to, dance to, etc.
Throw a tea party: who said tea was only for the chilly weather? grab your friends, play dress up, and throw a party that would make your 12-year-old self proud— pretty teacups and cookies to match.
Grow something: get your hands dirty and try growing something to eat or something to simply put in a vase. You won’t be disappointed.
Go somewhere and be a stranger: go someplace new, where no one knows you, and be the person you have always wanted to be. Make some memories that won’t travel back home with you. Kiss a stranger, sing karaoke, read a poem aloud at a slam, etc.
Try and journal: let the inner voice in your head out onto a page and let go of all judgment.
Take a social media break: whether it be a day or a week or a month, turn off your phone and see the world in front of you.
Learn something new: a new language, a new recipe, a skate trip, etc. Add some new skills to your toolbox.
Have fun! It’s your summer, so make the most of it. What are you trying to get done this summer?
cover photo belongs to me