There are many things I love about summertime; hazy summer nights, Rita’s water ice (watermelon and lemon are my favorite flavors), Center City Sips, weekend beach trips…the list goes on.
Sadly, with a hectic job and wedding planning on my plate, the chances of enjoying some of my favorite summer activities are looking slim. Â In an effort to kill two birds with one stone (blog consistently and plan out my summer), I picked Mama Kat’s “30 things to do this summer” prompt from her writing workshop after reading Lucille In The Sky‘s fantastic list. Â And I’m hoping to knock at least 15 off my list by September.
- Read substantiative books. Â On the Kindle is The Big Short, Shantaram, Creative Capitalism, The Godfather, Who Killed Healthcare?
- Go to the beach. Â At least once.
- Hit up Center City Sips (a phenomenal Philadelphia happy hour ritual, taking place every Wednesday from 5-7 at most restaurants) at least once.
- Master these summer recipes: watermelon salad, gazpacho, homemade salsa, and hummus.
- Have a picnic in Central Park with my hubby-to-be.
- Do one “vacation” type activity for myself during my summer work trips: DC, Boulder, Vancouver/Seattle, Chicago, London/Milan/Dusseldorf, India.
- Attend at least one of my nephews’ baseball games/tennis matches/swim meets.
- Take my nephews to a Phillies game.
- Spend some quality time with my “baby sister” (younger cousin) before she heads off to college in August.
- Watch the entire “A-Team” series (yes, the one from the 80’s) with my dad.
- Spend a Saturday night dancing, indulging in a few drinks, and stop worrying.
- Take a proper vacation. Â Even if it’s just for a weekend.
- Improve my swimming.
- Improve my swimming enough so I can snorkel (maybe scuba) over my honeymoon.
- Learn to appreciate Pittsburgh.
- Save some money for Sri’s & my future New York City apartment.
- Get to the driving range often enough to improve my golf swing.
- Golf a full 18 holes.
- Take more pictures. Â If I don’t document my life, who will?
- Learn how to make a perfect dosa. Â The future hubby loves them.
- Go to an outdoor concert (check! Â Bon Jovi was fantastic).
- Watch as many World Cup matches as I possibly can. Â Forza Italia!
- Run around my backyard and attempt to catch fireflies.
- Send my bro & sister-in-law for a weekend away and hang with my nephews, one-on-one.
- Sing karaoke on the outdoor stage of The Piazza. Â “Don’t stop belieeevin…”
- Take a drive in my father’s convertible, for fun.
- Purchase my wedding outfits (!)
- Indulge in several ECR nights, complete with jalapeño margaritas, veggie wings, and great friends.
- Try to learn how to relax.
- Minimize my trashy reality TV watching.
Granted, these aren’t exactly groundbreaking activities, but I’d like to be able to cross a good amount of them off my list come September. Â What’s on your summer bucket list? Â Post them in the comments below.
