Goals for summer

With summer right around the corner, I’ve been yearning to create a bucket list, similar to the one I made for winter. However, I never got around to several of the items (there was no snowman this year, sadly), and I think it’s because of the language.

“Bucket list” is pretty abstract and doesn’t really apply any pressure or call-to-action. It’s more of a shrug and a “maybe someday,” which is nice but not really how I want to approach adventure and fun.

My solution is to re-brand and re-frame. I’ve got summer goals now. They’re plans to work toward, ones that I will hopefully achieve.

Here are my top summer goals for the upcoming season.

Go hiking (a lot)

With one hike underneath our belts, I’m ready for more! I have my eyes on some new areas nearby, in scenic areas like Vail or Breckenridge or Idaho Springs or Telluride. We also still have hikes close to home that we haven’t tried out yet either. I really want to expand our portfolio and soak up as much sunshine as possible.

I’d also like to take more after-work hikes in my town, such as the Colorow Trail system. They’re a killer workout!

Go backpacking and camping

Weekends go by fast! I hope to make the most of them by scheduling at least two camping and backpacking trips. There are endless locations to try, but I really want to explore Telluride.

Take day trips

There is so much exploring I’d like to do. Day trips to nearby towns, such as Vail, Aspen, Frisco, Breckenridge, Idaho Springs, Steamboat Springs, and Moab have so much potential for fun. Hikes, restaurants, breweries, touristy activities—I love it all.

DIY our yard

Our yard transformation is underway—we just need to finish it! I would love to figure out our patio and then plan some kind of housewarming party around it. We’ve officially been in our house for a year (as of May 8), and it’s overdue to have our loved ones over!

My vision for the space includes pavers, comfy seating, a little bar, hanging lights, a shaded pergola, a fire pit, and immaculately good vibes.

Go on vacation

This one is actually for sure happening! We’re headed to San Diego in June, and the timing aligns perfectly with Chad’s birthday. I’m SO excited, especially after booking our flights and lodging. We opted to stay in a beach-side Airbnb for the first half, then move to a downtown hotel for the second.

Thank god. Can’t wait!

Stay active

I’ll be the first to admit it: my default mode is a little lazy. I love to relax and unwind and hang out in sweats and binge some good television. Sometimes it takes all I’ve got to do anything else. But one of my summer goals is to push myself and work hard to stay active.

I’ve got a long laundry list of things I’d like to do. I mentioned hiking and also keeping busy on the weekends with exploring and camping. Here are some other things:

• Exercising daily
• Getting a membership at a community center – for fitness classes, a weight room, gymnasium, and an outdoor roller rink
• Learning how to rollerblade and rollerskate
• Take Wally for walks
• Meet my step goals
• Clean up messes as they happen (this is being active rather than passive)

Go to breweries

It has been quite a while since Chad and I would take an impromptu trip to a local brewery for a nice summer afternoon date. I’d like to bring those experiences back this summer.

Note: ice cream works here too.

Lounge by the pool

And last, though certainly not least, I am really, really excited to spend some time by a pool. And not just on vacation! For pretty much my entire life, I’ve been begging my parents to get a pool. (For most of our time in Colorado, this has been a ridiculous request. My hometown is continuously ranked as one of the coldest towns in the entire country, and summer is too mild and fleeting for this to ever work.)

However, now that my parents live in the hot and desert-like Grand Junction, they’ve put in a pool! It’s brand-spankin-new and hasn’t been used yet—I think the liner is the last to go in. I’m SO excited and can’t wait to relax pool-side with my parents and Chad and visiting family and maybe work from their home every once in a while. 😉

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See you in the sunshine!