Summer plans are always a challenge for me, as I prefer to sit somewhere quiet, enjoy the heat and relax, rather than be busy. And in terms of how good a summer can be, it doesn’t really get much better than the one I had last year – my wedding outside of Paris with great friends and family, then a few weeks in the south of France. It’s hard to top! But this year I’m going to try, with a different kind of summer on my mind: the traditional American summer full of barbecues, red, white, and blue, and beach balls. I won’t be stopped!
In order to put some pressure on myself, I’ve come up with a list of things I want to take on this summer. While it sounds great to sit in a lawn chair with a lemonade and a homemade aluminum tanning reflector, as I might be inclined to do, I want to make sure I grab summer by the sand castles and really have a good time.
My summer goals:
1. Read 10 books
2. Have a colorful beach picnic with friends
3. Plan and host a barbecue on my flowery patio
4. Make a flavored lemonade (hmmm…strawberry?)
5. Take a handful of weekend trips
6. Float in a canoe out on a lake
7. See the Hamptons one time, even if it’s just driving through
8. Explore a new part of New York City
9. Get to the Frick Museum
10. Enjoy an outdoor movie screening
11. Camp in the woods somewhere
12. See a colorful and/or patriotic display of fireworks
13. Wake up early to avoid the heat and get outside every day
14. Get caught in a summer rain
15. Photograph people and scenes at the Jersey shore
16. Play at least one round of Skeeball at an arcade or carnival
17. Eat popsicles on a hot, hot day
18. Finish my long list of DIY and decor projects for our apartment
19. Learn a new skill
20. Laugh as much as possible
While I’d like to add a few trips to exotic locations (mainly the Caribbean, Greece, Italy and my favorite: the South of France) those are more “dreams” for the summer, rather than actual goals. If it winds up that I mostly stay near home, I’m still going to feel like it was a great one!
Now excuse me while I get a headstart on book number two…
Do you have any great plans for the summer? Share in the comments below!
