My stay-at-home summer bucket list
At the start of every summer, I write a bucket list. It’s usually filled with a mix of big things and small - from international travel right down to pottering around in the garden - and I’ll be honest, the majority of the items on the list never get ticked off.
Sure, I go on whatever holidays we have planned and I might catch a sunset here and there, but usually I find that summer disappears in the blink of an eye - a blur of weddings and packing for trips and trying to cram in as much work as possible around my allotted annual leave.
This year though, I’m determined that things will be different. I’m determined to make the most of our current situation and make this the slow summer I’ve always wanted - a summer spent savouring all the very best bits that this season has to offer.
Here’s what’s on my stay-at-home summer bucket list...
Celebrate the summer solstice
This coming weekend marks the summer solstice, which is the official start of summer and also the longest day of the year. I always have good intentions of marking it in some way, and then well, life happens. But this year I’m determined to celebrate it in some way - whether that’s by spending lots of time outdoors, heading somewhere lovely to catch the sunset, or simply bringing some of the outside world into our home.
Keep experimenting in the garden
One of the items that has sat on my bucket list for the last few summers without ever getting any attention was gardening. This year though, I’m already off to a great start! We were very lucky to have our garden done just before lockdown started, and I’ve been making the most of it by trying my hand at growing some veg. It’s brought me so much joy, and I definitely want to keep up the garden experiments throughout the summer!
Head out for lots of bike rides
Last month I bought myself a bike - the first I’ve owned since I was a kid - and I’m so looking forward to heading out for lots of adventures on it in the next few months. We live right next to the Leeds Liverpool canal which means we have lots of flat routes on our doorstep, and I have a mini bucket list of places I’d love to cycle to for a picnic.
Do some wild swimming
Last year I was lucky enough to do lots of sea swimming at the beach near my in-laws’ house in North Wales, and this year I want to get a little bit braver and maybe take on some rivers or lakes. I’ve joined a group on Facebook that shares some great local spots for a dip, so now I just need to pluck up the courage to get my cossie on and get out there - I know the benefits are great, so I just need to get over that first freezing bit!
Watch more sunsets
I’m a sucker for a sunset, and whenever we’re on holiday we make a conscious effort to time our plans around catching one. As we won’t be travelling anywhere this summer, I want to apply the same level of effort to sunset chasing here in Leeds and the surrounding area - we’ve already watched a pretty one from Almscliffe Crag, but if you know of any other sunset spots in the vicinity I’d love to know.
Try some seasonal recipes
I’m a big fan of seasonal cooking, and with so many brilliant ingredients coming into season in the next couple of months, I can’t wait to try my hand at some new recipes. The Mother Cooker is my go to place for inspiration, but I’ll also be dusting off my favourite cookbooks too. Roll on lots of long lazy evenings in the garden tucking into delicious feasts!
Get through my “to read” pile
You all know I’m book obsessed, and one of my big aims this summer is to try and get the giant “to read” pile at the side of my bed under control! I’ve got some time off planned next week so I’m hoping to make a good start then, and I definitely want to make reading in my garden a regular feature of this summer - watch this space for my best recommendations…
Explore our local area more
Last but by no means least, I’m hoping that a summer spent at home means we’ll be able to spend a lot more time exploring and enjoying our local area. We bought one of these beautiful Yorkshire adventure maps to inspire our travels, and I can’t wait to see more of what this gorgeous county has to offer. I’m a big believer that you don’t have to travel far to have an adventure, and I think that attitude is going to serve us well over the coming months!
What’s on your stay-at-home summer bucket list?
