Do you feel like you’re in a rut and simply not motivated to do anything at all? Do you feel like taking a break from all the studying and cramming during midterm season, or do you just feel uninspired, and yearn for a kick of creativity? If you said yes to any of the above (I know I did to all of them), then you’re in for a treat! Bucket lists are my personal secret weapon to spicing up my “normal” life. I know that many people must have tried or attempted them at some point in their lives, but, honestly, the thing about bucket lists is simply to not think and just do them; because if you’re going to sit at your desk for 45 minutes and stare at that one practice question, why not do something that you’ll enjoy instead? Anyways, that’s enough of the talk, now for some inspiration to create your own bucket list!
First off, it’s fall, which automatically means falling, colour changing, beautiful leaves. Everywhere. What does that mean? If you feel like you’re not ambitious enough or you need something to kick-start your bucket list, leaves are always a good place to start! Whether it be jumping into a pile of leaves or simply wearing some nice booties and taking artsy aesthetic pictures, they’re both oddly satisfying. It’s just something about the leaves that are so calming and serene, I couldn’t imagine fall any other way.
If leaves don’t fulfil your fall cravings, don’t you worry, I’ve got you covered too! Honestly, running to the closest grocery store and picking up a pumpkin to carve is the most exciting thing. Seeing all the funny looking gourds and pumpkins in the store and picking the one that “speaks to you the most,” then going home and looking up carving designs on Pinterest, it’s all just so autumnal. Depending on your “level of craftiness,” you can pick different designs: from simple smiley faces to some design that requires toothpicks to hold pieces in place (I’m sure you know which pumpkins I’m talking about), whichever one you decide to do, it’s all crazily satisfying to see the end product after your hands are all grimy, and you’re sure you’re going to smell like pumpkin for days. Trust me, it’ll be all smiles (even the pumpkins).
If you’ve done all that already and you still crave more, how about planning a little excursion with friends and family to a farm for some apple picking? Apple picking can be an optimal exercise as well as a fantastic bonding experience! Climbing up on step stools that you feel are not as stable as you might want them to be may be a better test for your friends or family than trust-falls, you never know! Also, do I need to mention the apples you get to bring home? Even if you don’t feel like staying long and haven’t picked too many apples, they usually sell apples readily packaged, therefore, you’ve managed to leave the busy city for a day, get some fresh air, and you basically have your ingredients to make an apple pie.
I’ve asked around at school and not everyone has had pumpkin pie before! That’s mind-blowing to me, pumpkin pie is one of, if not the most underrated of all desserts! It has pumpkin puree with a crunchy crust, which may sound simple, but it’s the best thing to have straight out of the oven! That said, the next thing is to make your favourite fall dessert (mine, obviously, being pumpkin pie)! Top it with whipped cream or even ice cream if you feel like it. It’s absolutely incomparable to pumpkin spice lattes! If there’s a reason why fall exists, it must be to bring us pumpkins, so we can make pumpkin pies! There are so many different recipes online that usually cater to most, if not all dietary restrictions – so grab your laptop, grab a friend and start baking!
I realize that bucket lists are usually made up of crazy things like skydiving, swimming with sharks, or partying on a yacht… but it’s so much easier to start off if it’s just little things, you can obviously add some “wow factor” to your list, but if you’re new at it, start off with these, and just build it up as you go! Some people are intimidated by bucket lists, they think it’s a list of “things to do before you die”, but it’s simply like any other to do list, with the only difference being that it’s there to challenge you and push you outside of your comfort zone. You can put anything on your bucket list, there are no set criteria, just think of it as a “life to do list”!
Lastly, in honour of Canadian Thanksgiving, make a Thanksgiving dinner! If you’re close enough to home and got to go home for the long weekend, spend some time with your family and cook up a storm! If you’re in residence or somewhere else where you can’t go home for Thanksgiving, that’s fine too! Look up some cool recipes and bake some cookies, cupcakes, or even go all out and make a turkey! This is a great way to challenge yourself, and who knows, cooking might just be one of your secret talents!
If you’re really unsure about cooking, make a “gratitude jar” instead, brainstorm things that you’re grateful for, write them on little slips of paper and put them in a jar. That way, whenever you feel down on a rainy day, you can simply grab one of the little slips and it’ll make you smile, 10/10 effective, I promise!
Whatever you do, make sure you have an amazing long weekend, and happy Thanksgiving!
Images obtained from:
https://www.pinterest.se/pin/368661919475715410/
https://giphy.com/gifs/peanuts-charlie-brown-thanksgiving-EuesNM8qJVOTu