Summer is one of the best times of the year. The days are longer, and the weather (usually) is nice enough to spend our evenings and weekends outside. Only, as adults these few months will never feel as free as they did when we were kids, and out of school for the whole summer. Staying up late, or deciding on a whim to go on a road trip with your friends, isn’t that easy when you have responsibilities. Yet this doesn’t mean the fun days of summer are over for us.
It just means, we need to be more intentional.
As with every new season, we have to look at the months in front of us and think through how we want to spend them. Not so we build insurmountable expectations to be let down, but so we can make the most of what is possible. That is why, today I am sharing with you five things I am doing this summer; to encourage you to continue thinking through yours.
Though none of us have endless days to sleep in, or multiple weeks on the beach, we all have things we can do to make the most of the long, beautiful days of the season. Here is what I am doing:
Spending Time with Family
With both of us living in different states than our families, FaceTime is the closest we get to seeing our family on most days. That is why we try to see each of our families for at least one holiday a year, and then try to visit at least one side of our family every summer. This year, we’re squeezing in a condensed trip to both. It is going to make for a few crazy weeks, but the memories we hope to make will be worth it.
Getting Outside
Living in Pennsylvania, there are parts of the summer where this one is going to be difficult. Around July or August, the humidity can hit pretty hard and force most of our activities inside. But on cool mornings, you will find us going for a run, or heading to the local fruit farm to pick berries. And on nicer days, there will be hikes and hopefully a few day trips to somewhere fun. Also, we have this great porch off our apartment with a pretty good view. Though we don’t have much for furniture other than a couple of camping chairs, some evenings out on the porch with a glass of wine is sounding pretty nice right now.
Traveling
Traveling is one of my favorite things—and thankfully, I married someone who loves it just as much. This means, planning our vacation every year is a big deal. As we are in a year where we would usually stay in-country, we were both expecting something more outdoors/hiking oriented. Until, we found really affordable tickets to a foreign country, that we couldn’t pass up. More info on this “mystery” adventure to come!
Reading
This past spring, I have spent a good amount of time reading nonfiction books on business or routines. And though for the most part, I have really enjoyed them, I am looking forward to getting lost in some fiction this summer. I don’t have much of a list formulated yet, but I would love to know if you have any of your favorite books to recommend? Or even, what you’re reading this summer?
Starting Something New
This summer, I am adding a new and exciting element to melissaschlies.com. (Hence, all the nonfiction reading I have been doing) It will be, I hope, a deeper way I can serve and connect with you. One, you will find encouraging and useful. As I write this, we are still in the thick of website development and branding. All I can say right now, is that there something great coming your way! So stay tuned.
What are you doing this summer?
Who are you spending time with?
And if you could do ANYTHING, what would you do?
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Photo by Jason Blackeye on Unsplash
That’s so exciting!! I plan to go on our first family vacation in 3 years, & visit Washington DC with 60 Chinese students as part of a history camp. And maybe I’ll get to the beach (which, for only living 15 minutes from, we actually don’t get to go a whole lot!)
You’re right, adulthood summer is way less freeing than childhood summer, and I’ve let that limit me. And now, instead of focusing on my Monday tasks, I want to daydream about exactly how I’m going to make this summer feel like summer. 🙂
Hope you come up with some wonderful things for this summer!–and that I haven’t made your Monday too unproductive! 🙂
Summers are usually busier since my husband farms and ranches, but we will visit family and ride horses, and celebrate our anniversary. Probably travel too. Me? I’ll continue writing and reading and building an eCourse. Thank you for this!
Very cool, Taylor!