Every May as the end of the school year approaches I like to get into the spirit of summer vacation with a post about my bucket list for the upcoming summer. This year I had five things on that bucket list. The new school year began last week so it seems fitting to revisit those goals and share some of those big memories through a summer bucket list recap.
1. Travel to Chicago and England
At the beginning of summer my family took a two-step journey to my husband’s homeland, England. We drove to Chicago and spent a few days in the windy city. From Chicago we boarded a plane and flew directly to London. We were gone from mid June until early July fulfilling our summer 2016 travel plans. It was a great trip where we made countless memories as a family and with my husband’s family and friends.
2. Finish Reading a Book Every Other Week
I was able to accomplish the goal of finishing a book every other week throughout the summer. I love to take my extra energy and time through the summer months to focus on one of my favorite pastimes. I spent many hours on porches, on couches, and in bed reading some of the books I’ve been waiting to read.
3. Wrap Up My Manuscript
Yesterday I launched my Beta Team for my finished manuscript. Over the summer one editor took a close look at the manuscript. I did some major edits as a result and now I’m on to Beta Readers. My hope is to begin querying agents and publishers once this phase is over at the beginning of September. Stay tuned for news and updates as I enter this time of excitement and anxiety.
4. Picnic at Several Metro Parks
The past few weeks have been rainy and hot, but earlier in the summer we spent more time outdoors. A new metro park was opened this summer close to my home and so we visited that park several times in addition to a few others. I always have high expectations for outdoor time, but once the heat and humidity arrive on the scene I tend to spend most of the time indoors where the air conditioner filters the muggy air.
5. Run on Average 20 Miles per Week
Recently, I’ve shared that I spent the majority of the summer battling infections resulting from allergies. I ran a quarter marathon in May, but have not been running much because of difficulty breathing. Instead of letting myself get out of shape I’ve chosen just to change the way that I work out. Once a week I’ve been attending a cardio and strength class at my aunt’s A & A Fitness Revolution. I’ve really enjoyed building muscle and getting myself moving in a different way. Now that school is back in session I will likely get back in to running, but will need to monitor my breathing more than ever before.
This summer flew by. I blinked and found myself back at school. I’m truly going to miss waking up when my body was ready to do so, swimming with family, and sharing so much time together. As the school year begins I pray that we never allow ourselves to become so busy that we miss opportunities to adventure as a family the way we did over the summer. Just because I work Monday through Friday doesn’t mean that I have to halt my reading life or travel destinations. This is just the time of year where I have to try a little harder to be intentional about family time and chasing my passions.
How was your summer? Were you able to accomplish everything you wanted to?
The Ameri Brit Mom
The Ameri Brit Mom 