Our Ultimate Summer Bucket List

It’s almost summer here and this year I thought I’d do something a little different and create an ultimate summer bucket list. Joe and I always have high aspirations for our summers, but between work, life, and family obligations, we end up not doing as much as we had hoped. So my thinking is that if I write all of my ideas down and share them with the world, then it’s bound to happen, right?

Maybe not. But anyway, it’s worth a shot. I hope my little list inspires you to think about how you’d like to spend your summer as well.

1. Take more day (or weekend) trips. We just got back from our anniversary trip to the Shenandoah Valley in VA (that’s a picture of the gardens at Monticello up top), and all I can say is I need a vacation from my vacation. But it showed Joe and me that we really do need to get away more, whether if it’s just a day trip to the beach or a weekend trip to do the Kentucky Bourbon Trail (both of which are things we want to do soon).
2. Eat lots of ice cream. I think this one is pretty self-explanatory, but, just in case it’s not, ice cream is delicious. I want to eat it all the time. If you’re looking for inspiration, try my No Churn Lemon Meringue Ice Cream.
3. Move more. I think we could all agree that we need to be moving our bodies more, and think counts double for me. I hope that this summer I find an exercise routine that doesn’t kill me and is something I can stick with. I hate exercise, but it needs to be done.
4. Read. Read. Read. My TBR pile is overflowing right now, and I keep adding more to it…
5. Get outside and garden. Joe and I built a pretty sweet raised bed in our backyard this year and all I can say is, I now love gardening. Growing up, I would dread helping my mom outside in the backyard, but now, I want to be out there all the time pulling weeds and planting cool new plants. I’m obsessed. I hope that I can find time to be outside all the time.
6. Make new friends. It’s so hard to make new friends when you’re an adult. Or is that just for me? I’ve worked in the same office for more than 7 years, and we don’t get new people very often, so that’s out. Also, I’m incredibly introverted and find it hard to talk to people I don’t know. Will they think I’m too dorky? Will they think I’m annoying/dumb/etc…So often my anxiety wins and I don’t make much small talk with new people, but this year I’m going to push myself out of my comfort zone and actually try to make some friends. We do have some new neighbors across the street that seem to be a similar age to us, and I fully intend on going over there with a 6-pack and some brownies to welcome them to the neighborhood. We’ll see!
7. Finish writing something. I’ve been working on several pieces of writing for a while now (one a Regency-era romance novel, another a collection of memoir essays, and yet another a collection of short stories), and I’d love to just finish one of them. They’re all so different, but they’re all pieces that have really interested me. I have to pick one to focus on and just write as much as I can.
8. Eat all the cucumbers and tomatoes my body can handle. Enough said.
9. Blog more. I really love this little corner of the internet that I’ve created and I want to develop it more and bring you all the content that’s interesting and fresh. If you have any ideas on what you’d like to see me tackle next, please drop them in the comments!
10. Love. Why spread hate, when you could spread love instead? I’m going to focus my mental energy on things and people I love, instead of dwelling on things I can’t stand and/or I can’t change. Love always wins.

Is there anything else you think I should add to our ultimate summer bucket list? What will you be up to now that the days are longer and hotter? Let me know over on Instagram (@bookishkitchen #thebookishkitchen) or in the comments below!