Summer Bucket List

Although it has felt like summer ever since Daniel got home from college in early May and we celebrated Memorial Day (plus the HEAT), the official start of summer is coming up this weekend. I have seen people post a Summer Bucket List, so that got me thinking about some things that I'd like to do this summer. I'll try and update throughout the summer as I check things off of my list.

1. Go on a vacation with Daniel (this is a easy one, since our trip is planned)
2. Create scrapbook layouts for the first six months of 2015 using the Project Life app
3. Get together with some friends to get some other scrapbooking done
4. Make cards (either alone or with a friend)
5. Create monthly/seasonal "vingette" on top of my entertainment center
6. Do a DIY project for my home
7. Have a cook-out
8. Try a new recipe
9. Cook at home at least once a week
10. Write a note to someone every week
11. Read for at least an hour a day
12. Watch the fireworks on 4th of July
13. Go to the Farmer's Market
14. Attend a local festival
15. Go on a day-trip

I think that should give me some things to look forward to, without having bitten off more than I can chew. And since this is all just for fun, I will not get too worked up if I don't check something off of the list. 

Vacation philosophy

I saw this sign posted on Facebook and it struck a chord with me. I love to travel and have a long list of places where I'd like to visit, mostly West of the Mississippi, or overseas. My two limitations are time and money, which are kind of big and can be discouraging if I think too long about it.

Case in point:  A couple of months ago, after seeing three different friends post about taking trips to the Grand Canyon, I got a bee in my bonnet that I should take Daniel there for his upcoming 20th birthday. Of course, it was kind of selfish on my part, since Arizona is on my list of places to visit and I will enjoy getting to see one of the natural wonders of the world.

I knew that I had some airline points on Southwest, so I made a plan to fly into Phoenix and rent a car and drive to the Grand Canyon. I had wanted to surprise Daniel, but decided to let him in on the plans and he was still surprised and excited.

As I got into planning the trip, I realized that I was getting into a bigger financial commitment than I had originally thought. It felt even more daunting when I put it up against some other major expenses I'm having this year. I started feeling anxious and guilty about planning this trip, but then would remind myself that I have money to do things like this and the other things that I have to pay for (house repairs) are outside of my normal budget and I will just have to trust that there will be other ways to pay for those things.

We got our plans finalized this weekend and got our hotel reservations nailed down to stay at the Grand Canyon for one night of our trip. The thought of getting to see a sunset and a sunrise while we're there is enough to remind me that this will be worth the money spent. And the time that Daniel and I will have together as we road trip through Arizona will be priceless!

As the sign says, "You can always make more money. You can't always make memories." I'm banking on that and look forward to the priceless memories that Daniel and I will make on our trip out West!