A Summer Vacation Bucket List

Summer vacation has begun. Long hot days with nothing to do are all fine and dandy, but I had my girls make a list of things they want to do around home this summer. I made one for myself . My list is more like a to-do list than a list of things I'd like to do. I think I need to add some fun to my list. I did add "Spend 10 minutes outside each day; rain or shine, appreciating summer." Of course, I haven't exactly done that yet. I've spent time outside, but it hasn't been just soaking in the season. It's been: planting, watering, weeding, and watching for army worms. My summer bucket list needs some revising.


My middle daughter has "walk 6 steps on hands by the end of summer" on her list. I'm pretty sure she'll be doing more than that by the end of July. It got me to thinking, when was the last time I wanted to practice/learn something that was purely for my pleasure? Something that was for my enjoyment alone? As adults, how many of us practice or learn things simply because we want to? When was the last time you set about learning something unrelated to your job? When was the last time you spent a week or more practicing something fun? I know I get a bit too caught up in daily life to take the time to learn something new and interesting unless I have to for some reason. I'm sure I learn things all the time, just not consciously. I certainly don't practice anything consciously.

I'm going to add Learn Something Fun to my summer bucket list. Ai Yi Yi, already I'm thinking I can't do it. Think of something fun to learn, that is. One of the problems with adult-hood is that inability to forget about the logistics of things. The how's, the why-I can't's, the lack of time: the list of reasons not to learn something new can go on and on. At what point do we change from a kid who says "why not?", into an adult who can list the reasons?

There are adults that stay children at heart and push forward with new and different things. Who think outside the box. Who dare to live a life less ordinary. You don't have to go to extremes and bungee jump off a bridge to stay young, but you do have to keep an open mind. Allow yourself to learn new things and experience life as a new day every day. Take time to breathe in the smells of summer like you did when you were a kid and the days stretched out in front with no end in sight. Can you see the glaringly bright sun, feel the cool green grass, smell the heat shimmering in the air? Do you remember what it was like to have the days spread out before you, passing by so slowly?

Take the time to soak up summer, at least 10 minutes each day. Give yourself permission to learn something new and completely frivolous.

When was the last time you walked six steps on your hands?

"No, you never get any fun out of the things you haven't done."
Ogden Nash