Summer 2012 To-Do List

In high school and on through college, I'd always make a to-do list for each vacation and summer. Just places I wanted to go or things I wanted to do and accomplish. I remember there being things like go thrifting, relearn how to make things with gimp, submit writing to magazines, write music, plant a sunflower, etc. A lot of these things would go undone and I'd put them on the next to-do list along with any new tasks I wanted to complete.

I stopped doing this after college, but lately I've been feeling the need to do it again. Lately I've been feeling very confined and limited and I think I need to have the things I want to do outlined in front of me. It just makes it more tangible and organized. When everything is just floating around in my head, I start to feel overwhelmed. If you can bare a little nerdiness from me, it's kind of like Dumbledore and the Pensieve. When too many thoughts are crammed inside your head, sometimes you need to just get them out and examine them externally. Writing has always been my outlet for that and I find that I am much better at explaining things in writing than I can verbally.

I am compiling a list of things I want to do this summer, along with some things from my past lists that I still haven't done. I've noticed that sometimes they're more of just things I want to do in general, and not just for one season. I don't know if I will get to them all, but I will try!

1. Read more! Right now I'm reading Lucille Ball's autobiography. I'm not too far into it, but I'm enjoying it so far.
2. Attend some carnivals/fairs. Part of this is because I love the photographic opportunities they offer.

3. Find and explore some lighthouses

[Photo credit]

4. Go on a weekend getaway with friends
5. Take pictures in a vintage photobooth. An authentic one that prints in black and white!

6. Find more vintage stores and better thrift shops. There really aren't too many around here. :\ Time to venture elsewhere to get my vintage fix!

7. See a movie at a drive-in. I actually already have this planned for a couple of weeks from now! :D

[Photo credit]

8. Go to a theme park

9. Plan a giant BBQ

10. Visit historic/old-fashioned shopping districts. I love towns that have little strips of antique stores, general stores, clothing boutiques, bookstores, etc. Luckily, there's a lot of that around here. That's one thing I like about New England: there's lots of history here.

11. Plant a sunflower. I've had seeds to plant for years now!

12. Play in a sunflower maze

13. Have a water gun fight

14. Go for a ride in a hot air balloon. This is pretty expensive, so I'm not sure I'll be able to do it yet.