Summer Bucket List

Go hiking & visit a waterfall. - When Shawn and I first moved out here (8 years ago...) we were so excited to visit nearby parks and go hiking. And yet, here we are, years later, and we haven't gone on a single hike (out here anyway - we were more proactive that year we lived in NJ...) I keep coming across a post about all the waterfalls in Pennsylvania, and I've been meaning to get to one. So that's a goal - by the end of this summer we will have gone on (at least) one hike and seen a waterfall!

Visit Centralia, PA. - Speaking of visiting things, we've been talking about checking out this old mining town for a few years now as well. It's now a ghost town, after an underground fire forced most of the population out of town. It's one of those off-the-beaten-track tourist attractions, and I'm determined to make it there this summer!

Bike 25 miles. There's a trail that runs through the suburbs and into center city Philly, and a friend and I have been biking parts of it. I'm determined to make it all the way downtown by the end of the summer... from where we start on the trail, it's about a 25 mile roundtrip. So far we're doing about half of that! I think we can do it.

Buy a disposable camera, take photos. I read this post when I was initially coming up with this list, and felt inspired to buy a disposable camera and use it up. There's just something about the moments you capture with film that is so much more memorable than pulling out your phone and snapping a photo. Just sitting here right now, I'm visually recalling a catalog of photos from summer camp, school trips, good times with friends... I don't have that same memory/connection to photos I've taken with my phone. So, more physical photos, please.

Watch more TED Talks. There are so many fucking TED Talks out there, are you aware of that??? I feel like I've only skimmed the surface... and I'm determined to watch more. I mean, every TED Talk leads to another similar TED Talk, and then that one leads to more... and next thing you know, two hours have gone by and your eyes are strained and your brain feels fuzzy with energy. I've been trying to start the habit of taking notes when I watch, since I tend to be a pretty passive audience. It seems to help me absorb the Talk better, so let's keep that up!

Stop for ice cream. I'm determined to get some really freakin' good ice cream this summer. There's Franklin Fountain downtown, which I've only been to on one other occasion. And there's a creamery I remember going to after picking pumpkins three years ago; they had an abundance of amazing options. Anyways, I see plenty of good ice cream in my future.

Get more plants for the apartment. I know it's getting a little late in the season to be buying plants, but our apartment really needs some love. We moved all the indoor plants outside for the summer and now the apartment feels so empty! I enjoy picturing the balcony surrounded by plants on all sides, but we're not there yet. And Sylvester is a plant fiend... so that makes it difficult for us to have plants near floor-level.

Send more snail mail. I am the worst pen pal. I mean, really... I buy all the cute stationary and think about what to say, but then never actually write the letters. But I love getting letters in the mail, and I really enjoy putting together little packages for people! Just have to work on the actual writing part. And I need more pen pals!

Get my yoga website up and running. Doing this by the end of summer is a pipe dream. Realistically, I'll probably need until late fall... but a girl can dream! Hm... or maybe a girl can do yoga and design a website.


What's on your bucket list this summer?