If Memorial Day is the start of summer, let’s kick if off with a summer bucket list!
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Y’all, summer is here! I’m especially excited for this summer because it means a break from our 8 month lockdown 😳 (just writing that makes me a little queasy, and that doesn’t include the 3 months a year ago). But it means the chance to get out and about again! So my summer bucket list has plenty of ideas for both local exploring and travel options!
Spring in Lockdown… Again
Spring was … good? Like much of the past year, it’s been a roller coaster of crazy things happening while still not leaving the house very much.
Between lockdown and Logan and I taking separate trips to the US, there was zero sense of pattern or routine. But the good news is that the lockdown started lifting at the beginning of May!
I managed to squeeze in walks with friends, a few coffee dates, a day trip to Venice, and a weekend away to Lake Garda! And honestly, it felt just as good to do small things like eat on a restaurant patio as it did to take a weekend trip.
Of course, the big news is that I spent a few weeks in the US! It was my first visit back in two years. Originally I’d planned to not go back during our time in Italy. My theory was something along the lines of “barring any crazy life events, I’d rather host family here and maximize Europe time.” I think we can call the past year a collective crazy life event, yes?
Visiting family was fantastic. I timed the trip around a wedding and family reunion, so I soaked in seeing most of my family in one place AND eating all the barbecue, Thai and mexican food I could get my hands on!
Italian Summer
Things are still a bit unclear for the summer, of course. Regulations are easing, and it certainly helps that both of us are vaccinated, opening many more travel doors.
That being said, all that lockdown time has been ridiculously motivating. We’re planning to fill every weekend with something fun, even if that’s just heading up into the Dolomites for a lovely mountain lunch. We’re feeling very carpe diem about our remaining time, regardless of how long or short that ends up being.
Summer Bucket List
- plan a day trip and weekend trip at least once a month
- set up a weekly walk with a friend
- eat breakfast on the patio most days
- pack a picnic
- read: The Midnight Library, My Brilliant Friend, and Atomic Habits
- make: summer stir fry, pesto, and lemon bars
- get back into a photo a day
- go to the beach
- send a “just because” care package
- move every day (workout video, run, or long walk)
- finish reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Italian
- meditate every day
- Italy travel: Sicily, Bari, Florence
- foreign travel: Malta, Croatia and France
As always, I offer a summer bucket list to subscribers on my email list! It’s full of the classics (barbecues, weekend getaways, and July 4th fireworks) as well as more original ideas to keep you inspired all summer long!
You can also always find previous summer bucket lists here!
