Today, on this fine bonus Sunday, let’s meditate on the shape of our summer. What sort of adventures do you want to add to the middle of your year? Follow up question: can there be chili cheese dogs involved because that would be GREAT.
I’ve written a Summer Bucket List for the past two years (2015 and 2016), inspired in part by my best friend Tracy. It’s a fun way to pause, re-evaluate the year, and inject some adventure into the warm days to come. Here’s this year’s list. I hope you’ll fashion yours and get out into the world all wide-eyed and thrilled (wearing sunscreen, of course). These are good days, indeed!
BUCKET LIST buck•et list (noun): a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have accomplished during their lifetime. Also, a 2007 comedic film featuring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson.
SUMMER BUCKET LIST sum•mer buck•et list (noun): a list of things that a person would like to accomplish and experience during the summer months. If done correctly, should involve sand in your shoes, cold wine, and sidewalk chalk.
1 • Buy a piano and start piano lessons. I have my eye on a piano and I have some old jazz in my fingers from taking lessons as a child. I think it’s time to bang around and fill my house with music. It’ll be bad for a while and that’s ok.
2 • Play with calligraphy using some online courses and the pens and books from my maj Tracy! Game up that handwriting game!
3 • Garden – in the early mornings before the sun beats and the mosquitos wake. Also… talk to the fig tree about becoming more of a tree and less of a bush, I dunno.
4 • Finish Book 4 proposal. Ooooh good grief those words. We’ve been down this road but always it looks and feels different and unpaved. Still though. Look around and write it down.
5 • Go on a bike adventure. Can it be in Maine or Vermont? Can dreams come true?
6 • Read: In Other Words by one of my very favorite authors Jhumpa Lahiri. It’s a books written side-by-side in English and Italian as the author learns to express herself in a different language.
7 • Love, openly and relentlessly. Because life is short and life is long.
8 • Stay sexy; don’t get murdered. That goes without saying everyday, right? Are you a murderino, too? Mostly this means going for steamy New Orleans runs while listening to My Favorite Murder (in the daytime).
9 • Shelter volunteer, walk some dogs! I’ve been talking to Tron (that’s my cat) about us getting a dog. He’s curious but very skeptical. I’m going to walk some pups to help out and feel out my true doggie intentions.
10 • Put together Fall Bakehouse Schedule! We’re making more pies and cakes this Fall, y’all!! I’ll have a schedule for you soon so you can plan a New Orleans getaway if you’d like to come down!
11 • Plan a solo travel adventure. I’m looking at you, Detroit.
What’s on your Summer Bucket List? I would love to know what you’re hoping for this year.
I think you’re wonderful. Enjoy this fine day and the happy summer days ahead.
xo Joy
Kate W.
This is amazing. Actually loling at “stay sexy; don’t get murdered.” The best advice I’ve received in a while. Get after it girl!
Bonnie
Stay sexy & don’t get murdered!! I didn’t know you were a murderino too! It figures that you’d be even cooler than I thought! <3
Lauren
MFM gets me through all of my long solo road trips and commutes! It’s also inspired my new opening party line of “soooo, what’s your hometown murder?!”. Oddly enough, doesn’t always go over too well with strangers.
Detroit is phenomenal. Avalon Bakery, Astro Coffee, Orleans and Winder (and all of Eastern Market in general).
Megan
YAY a dog! As a mother of three (two cats, one dog), just be sure you test the waters with Tron. I too have a “strong willed” cat in my life, and she took some time to warm up to the pup. Even lost a lot of hair (stress?!) But they are amicable now. NOT like sleep-on-top-of-each-other-doey-eyed goodness I had hoped for, but the hair grew back and everyone is relatively chill.
Great bucket list–you have probably already been to Louisville, but we’re still here, killin’ it every summer. Stop by on your way north!
joythebaker
Very good advice, thank you!
Ashlyn @ Pedantic Foodie
Yay! I always love your bucket lists!! Definitely move forward with those dog thoughts. ;).
Camille B
I started piano lessons for the first time in January and I absolutely love it. Such a fun challenge. Could you do a post with tips on solo travelling? It’s something I’ve always struggled with, but I’d like to learn to enjoy it instead of being self-conscious…
Lori
Happy to hear you’re working on the Bakehouse fall schedule!
jamielaurengem
Number 7 is my favourite. It can be terrifying but oh so worth it! Be happy x
Tracy
Going to your Bakehouse is on my bucket list, can’t wait to see your schedule!!!
jujubee777
If you go to Detroit this summer you should go during the weekend of July 23 (my birthday!) and stop in Ann Arbor for the art fair! It’s an award-winning art fair (actually 4) that draws in huge crowds, artists from all around the country and a lot to see and do (performances, live demonstrations, etc)! Also the food scene in Ann Arbor is top notch (it was just written about in both the NYT and the Washington Post)! https://www.artfair.org/
Teresa P
Yes to bucket lists and facing down all the scary things! Re #5: My husband and I went on a bike trip for our 1st anni in 1995 (holy crap, such a long time ago). We were serious cyclists in SoCal and trained a bit for it. Used Vermont Bicycle Tours and had one of the best trips of our lives. Go for it.
Sarah
I am irrationally excited that one of my favourite bloggers is also a murderino.
p.s. Call your Dad you’re in a cult
p.p.s. Get a job, buy your own shit and stay out of the forest!
joythebaker
100% stay out of the forest… my god, right!?
Pearline
For calligraphy tutorials, try out The Postman’s Knock! She’s great! And they’re super inexpensive :)
joythebaker
Wonderful! Thank you!
Cyndi Casemier
Love your blog. I share your recipes on my newsletter. I always link to you. I own a gallery on Lake Michigan (west side of the state) and am a potter. If you visit Detroit, you need to visit the west side to see the differences. Grand Haven is great in the summer time.
joythebaker
Thank you for the suggestion!
Karen
If whatever you say to your fig-bush-not-tree works, please let me know! I have one in my new yard that is distinctly bushy.