The last year has been a roller coaster that hit quite a few bumps along the way. With this spring being the third COVID-19 college semester, I found it challenging to stay positive and motivated. Some days I want to do absolutely nothing, which ultimately only leads to more and more procrastination. However, with the semester’s end approaching, I have found motivation and a boost of morale through looking forward to the summer. Warm weather, fun times with friends, and no more early morning Zoom lectures are the things I daydream about that are getting me through the semester at this point. Because of the unpredictability of our pandemic world at the moment, it was a little harder for me to make my annual summer bucket list. However, I had a few ideas that are already a definite must for Summer 2021!
- Paint Some Canvases
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I am not claiming to be an artist of any kind, but I would love to incorporate some relaxing painting time into my summer this year. Early this semester, in preparation for my sorority’s Big Little Week, I spent a lot of time painting and re-painting canvases for my little. At first, my perfectionism came out, and I found the entire process to be extremely frustrating. However, after a few trials and errors, I got into the groove of painting the canvases for the fun of it, and some of them turned out better than I had dreamed. I think this could quickly become a new self-care favorite for me, and I might even get a few dorm wall decorations out of it!
- Learn How To Cook
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My friends and family can attest to the fact that I am a nightmare in the kitchen. Too many close calls with fingers versus kitchen knife incidents, burning something in the oven, and way too many more examples–I tend to stay away from the kitchen at all costs. If I’m honest, I didn’t really see a problem with my severe inability to cook on my own; but I am starting to regret not being able to make food for myself that has a higher difficulty level than making grilled cheese. I do not plan to make any elaborate dishes yet, but I would love to learn to make a few staple meal items throughout the summer.
- Explore New York City
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I am a transplant New Yorker because my family moved to Long Island during my sophomore year of high school. Growing up, I had visited New York City as a tourist, and even after moving to New York, my visits to the city were still pretty touristy. When people talk to me about some of the great New York City sites, an embarrassing amount of times I have either never been or never heard of the fantastic site in question. Since COVID regulations are beginning to lift with the influx of vaccinations, I will try to explore New York City for real this time. Every once in a while, I would hope to take the relatively quick train ride into the city to visit some of the beautiful museums, the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, the Strand Bookstore, and more.
- More Outdoor Adventures
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I have never been a very outdoorsy person, and I have always blamed that on having bad seasonal allergies. But almost every time that I end up doing something fun outside, I end up having an incredible time getting some fresh air. This past year I have started to go on walks generally to get food or coffee out of the trip; nevertheless, I still enjoy the time outside. I do not plan to be too ambitious in spending time outdoors, but I think there are some fun but simple ways to get some fresh air. Going on walks, playing a game, relaxing, going to the beach are just a few ways that I hope to get some natural serotonin from being outside this summer.
- Read More
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Way back in middle school, I used to be a huge bookworm. From Junie B. Jones to all of the dystopian young adult book series, reading was one of my favorite pastimes. I am not sure where I fell off the reading wagon, but I think it began when I had to read a lot for school. I usually did not particularly enjoy the books we were assigned, which made reading feel tedious. I honestly hadn’t really read a non-school-related book until this past December. Being home with a lot of time on my hands got me back into books, and I began to remember how much I used to love it. I couldn’t keep up with my hope of reading more throughout this semester, but I want to transition it into a goal for the summer.
My 2021 Summer Bucket List is vaguer than those before it, but I felt like specificity puts too much pressure on the summer, especially during these highly unpredictable times. I will still have responsibilities and other essential things to focus on, but my list this year feels like a list of ways to implement self-care this summer. I am starting to slowly but surely learn the value and importance of self-care, and I hope that this list both gets me through the rest of this semester and creates a great summer.