Summer Bucket List

Hi! Summer is officially here, so it's time to come up with some new activities to try out. For me, the seasonal bucket lists are fun anyway, but more specifically the summer bucket lists because they're a sign of how far I've come in a couple of years. The first time I put up a bucket list, it was for Summer 2015 and was so long it was laughable to even attempt finishing everything on it. The second time around I'd since learned from my mistakes and tailored the list down, and this year I think I've finally got the hang of it. So what am I looking to get into this summer? Come check out my list!

I hope you can read the font I used but if you can't, let me know and I'll change it. As for the list itself, not too bad, huh, especially in comparison to I WANNA DO ALL THE SUMMERY THINGS AT ONCE. I think I might legit change the title of that post to this one, because it fits a hell of a lot better. Anyway, if you just wanted to see the list then our time together comes to a close here. I hope you enjoyed it and it gave you some inspiration for your own list. If you're interested in my rambling about why I chose each item, then proceed!

Take an IG-worthy summer pic 

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I'm hardly ever on there. The reasons behind that vary, but one of the reasons is because the majority of my life just isn't IG-worthy. I'm also a hermit. I don't intend for that to change much beyond finally improving how I utilize social media for my blogs, but I'd like to get one good IG-worthy picture this summer. If I can get just one photo worthy of the 'Gram aesthetic, I'll be happy. 

Make elotes and/or horchata 

These two are staples of my childhood and the culture I grew up in. Even though I'm Black, I grew up in a Mexican-dominant culture and neighborhood so elotes, horchata and tamarindo are in my blood. Right where they belong. lol During the summer, you can get them from food/ice cream trucks and even a few street vendors, but I'd love to make both of them myself. 

Get a tan tattoo 

This one has been on the past two summer bucket list entries, and I never got around to doing it. I tan pretty easily so I just need to figure out how to get the outline done then go sit outside for a couple of hours. If this entry is on your bucket list as well, don't forget to protect your skin!

Go to a street/farmer's market

I love farmer's markets. I'm not entirely sure why, I just do. Some of the local art/craft festivals have farmer's markets and I just love the whole vibe of them. I also really like the concept of buying locally-made produce. I'm a firm believer in putting back in your local community, so enabling local farmers to continue making a living by consuming their produce sounds like a win-win to me. Jesus H. I sound like a hipster asshole. #locavore LOL just kidding. 

Photograph a sunrise and sunset

I love sunrises and sunsets. I've been meaning to get on my roof and photograph a few of them for awhile but we don't have a ladder so needless to say, I haven't been up there. This is the only time of year that its warm (probably a bit too warm, actually lol) for both occasions, so I want to take advantage. I enlisted my mama and she offered to take me up to the mountain so we can get better pictures rather than trying to kill myself finding a way onto the roof without a ladder,. The only thing she wants in return is for me to make her some coffee. lol It'd be nice to have the company, so I can do that. 

Take Baby somewhere fun 

My oldest niece's nickname is Baby so if I ever mention that name again, she's who I'm referring to. I started calling her that when she was a newborn and it just stuck. Even though she makes a point to remind me that she's a big girl now, she still answers to Baby. You might assume that the joke "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" writes itself here, but it couldn't be further from the truth. This Baby visits the corner regularly because she's a little badass. lol Now that she's old enough to leave without her parents, I'd like to take her somewhere for an afternoon, even if it's just to the park to feed the birds. Luckily for me, my clone also finds it fun to feed the birdies. Win-win. 

Visit desert botanical garden

I mentioned not wanting to see the desert botanical garden during the spring because I wanted to see some greenery, but such is life. I live in a desert and obviously the local botanical garden is going to reflect that. I'm still not really here for it, but I'd like to see if there's any kind of plant or shrubbery I haven't seen before. I guess I could make it a day trip and check it out. 

Try something new

This is a very vague entry, but that's entirely on purpose. I just want to try something new, get out of my comfort zone a little bit. It can be hard for me to expand my horizons with high anxiety and low funds but that's exactly why I want to keep trying at it. How can I work within my limitations to continue making strides with confronting my agoraphobia and social issues? That's the question I try to answer when I want to find new things to do. It's a little different for me if I name a specific location, like the desert botanical garden. It still makes me anxious, but at least there's a destination in mind from jump. This kind of entry leaves the door of possibilities wide open and forces me to fight my anxiety and the structure it demands with a little spontaneity, which I miss. It's as exciting as it is scary. 

Go to Plaza Film Festival

This has been a goal of mine for so long that it annoys me to still have to include it on the list. August is one of my favorite months for three reasons: 1-back to school sales, 2-TCM's Summer Under the Stars, and 3-the Plaza Film Festival. The PFF is a classic film festival that my city has every August at our downtown plaza. We have some films that are shown outdoors, which I love, airings of films in the university's auditorium, guest stars who do panels, and it's just a really fun event to check out. I've been wanting to go since I got into classic films nearly a decade ago, but either anxiety or my pockets intervened. I'm still dealing with my high anxiety/low funds situation but if I have to put a little money away just to go see one film, I'll do that. 

Be a local tourist for a day 

I want to say this was on last summer's bucket list but I didn't get to do it. It might sound like a cool thing to do if you're in a car and get to come and go at your own leisure, but since I'll likely be taking on this challenge via the bus, it sounds a bit scarier to me than anything else. Because I'll be going to unfamiliar locations, obviously this brings its own level of anxiety. Going by bus means I can't leave when I want if I start feeling off and when I do leave it'll be a process to get home, so this makes it a bit worse. I'd love to do this as a solo adventure because that was kind of the point with this entry, but I don't know if I'll be able to pull it off. I'd love to, though. There are so many new things to see in the city. 

Make a fruit-infused lemonade

I love fruit-infused lemonades. I think I like the idea of making them more than actually drinking them. lol I love lemonade and the different variations you can get; strawberry lemonade is my favorite by far. But I wonder what it would taste like minus the artificial flavorings and syrups, not to mention its the perfect drink for summer (that isn't soda, of course lol), so it's something I want to try out. 

So that's my list. Pretty simple, I think. That should make it easier to finish. lol Do you have anything you'd like to try, do or see this summer? By the by, what do you think about seasonal bucket lists? If you find yourself in a rut, do you find that they help pull you out or does it add more pressure to do things for you? That was the rapid fire round of questions. lol Let me know your thoughts and I'll see you soon!