Hi, Lovelies.
This is my last summer. After this summer, I’m going to be a senior and graduate from college. From there, I plan on traveling the world, hopefully teach English in foreign countries. I’ve been struggling finding a job because few places just want to hire for the summer and I live in a small town where my only real option is fast food, which I refuse to do.
So, my summer has been pretty free besides my singular summer class, catching up on doctors appointments, working on this blog, and my trip to Maine which I am so excited for. Which means that I’ve been a little bored. Maybe bored’s not the right word, but restless. If I was working a job, I wouldn’t have time to be restless, but since I’m not, I’m feeling a little restless.
Like this is my last summer and I want to make the most of it. I want to do all the fun ridiculous things that teenagers/college aged students do. Well, within reason. So, I thought I would make a list of fun things to do this summer. Hopefully, we can wrangle our friends away from their jobs and get together and have some fun.
1. Go to a body of water
Not everybody lives near the beach or ocean. However, you probably live near some lakes or creeks. Nothing says summer like playing in the water. Whether you’re swimming, fishing, or kayaking, all of them are perfect adventures for summer. I personally love to swim and I know that in Kansas, fishing is a well-loved hobby.
Some pictures I took at a nearby creek
2. Discover new trails
There aren’t a huge amount of trails where I live. However, there are some short hikes that I know of and I have recently discovered some more places to walk. Additionally, if you hike near a creek, you can discover a new trail and go to a body of water. During my childhood, my Mom and my brothers spent much of our time hiking and playing in the creek. My brothers like to splash around and my mom and I would build a dam. Throw some rocks and sticks across the water and you slowly got yourself a dam. I have no idea why we decided to do that, but it was loads of fun.
3. Go stargazing
Stars are so pretty. The beauty of the stars and sky are really a reflection of God’s love. I absolutely love looking up at the sky and seeing the moon and stars instead of all the light pollution that happens in big cities. There’s a place near where I live called Pawnee Rock, which has historical relevance which I cannot remember at the moment. It is the perfect place to look up at the stars because it sits on this hill with a small fort that you can climb to look up at the stars. I highly suggested setting aside an evening to look at the stars.
4. Have a picnic
I’ve always loved the idea of placing a blanket on green grass, the wind blowing as we unpack our wicker basket of food and have a picnic. I’ve never done that and probably isn’t an accurate picture of having a picnic. But it is fun to pack food in a lunchbox, go to a park or trail, and sit down at a table and have yourself a picnic. I know from experience.
me and my bestie having a picnic
5. Have a bonfire and make s’mores
When I think of summer, I think of bonfires and s’mores. The flickering of the fire, the smell of burnt marshmallows, it’s perfect summer vibes. While not everybody likes s’more’s, there’s something so wholesome about doing it. It’s definitely something that I always put on my summer bucket list.
6. Visit some museums
I remember taking trips with my Mom and we always had to visit some museums. I actually really like visiting museums. Seeing the history or artwork of a place tells you so much about the people and how they live. I suggest going to museums that are free because I definitely don’t have money to pay an admission fee and don’t expect you to. Look in your area. It’s likely you have a local museum or historical place that you aren’t even aware of.
7. Try a new recipe
I personally love cooking. Baking, not so much, but cooking is just tossing ingredients together and getting to eat something yummy and something you made. Summer is the perfect time to try a new recipe. You’ve got time on your hands and a need for some food or snack that isn’t going to heat up your kitchen. This summer, I keep on seeing a pickle dip on my feed and since I didn’t have anything better to do, I tried my hand at it. It was delicious and I made sure to bring some to a friend, who absolutely adores pickles.
8. Go to a sunflower or lavender field
Again, I didn’t even realize that we had any sunflower or lavender farms in my area, but a little bit of looking and I realized that we do. It may be a little of a drive, but I think it’ll definitely be worth it.
9. Go to the fair
I’m not going to lie. I’m not a huge fair person. I don’t particularly like being surrounded by lots of people, the chaos, the expensive prices, but sometimes I like to go. Mainly if a friend invites me, I like to look around and people watch. But, if going to the fair is your thing, then when the local fair come to town, definitely go.
10. Spontaneous Roadtrip
I recently got a car and I’ve been so excited and happy. Not only because I have more freedom, but now I can take a spontaneous roadtrip. I could take a roadtrip to a nearby town or even go to a different state. I’m not sure if I’ll go to a different state. I’m a little uncertain about driving on big highways, but at least now, it’s an option.
Bonus: Create a Summer Reading List
Being in college doesn’t leave much time to read all the fun books that you want because too much of your time is taken by textbooks and classwork. However, now that it’s summer, I’ve been catching up with all the books I want to read or have recently come out. If you don’t particularly feel like leaving your house and going out and doing something, instead you could pick up a book and attempt to shorten your TBR List.
Final Thoughts
That’s all I’ve got for you guys this week, Lovelies. I hope that you enjoy my suggestions and know that this bucket list is as much for me as it is for you. So as I complete these activities, I’ll try to update this post.
Hope you have lots of fun and an amazing summer!
