My Summer Bucket List

When imagining all of the things I want to do during the summer I am always overwhelmed. I am not the type of person to go bridge jumping or parasailing, and my idea of a road trip involves someone else driving. I personally delight in the ordinary moments of summer, the moments that can be spent exploring my backyard. So, in honor of all the hidden moments and memories that surround me, I have decided to create my own bucket list, a list that highlights all that the great state of Maine has to offer a young and spunky Augusta girl.

This list is the foundation for enjoying summer. Gone are the files filled with should haven and wish I could have. We all have those adventures and experiences that we want to complete, but we store away for another year. Well, friends, another year is here, and it is time to stop merely making a list and checking it twice. Now is the time to take your big red pen, sticker sheet, or pencil and start checking things off your list.

So today I have a proposal for you: Write down three things you want to accomplish this summer, then post it somewhere (the fridge or Facebook) so that it can’t be ignored. And these three things will be the first activities you add to your list. Don’t worry about the others because I have spent the last few days completing the perfect Summer Bucket List. Take a look and feel free to add or drop whatever you need to make it personal. But, remember that this list is not a chore chart, it is an outline for all the memories and adventures you could have by being one with summer.

1. Spend time at Waterfront Wednesday, Augusta’s favorite summer concert series
2. Bike the Rail trail
3. Visit Old Orchard Beach
4. Go to a Sea Dogs Game
5. Head down to Bar Harbor and explore Acadia National Park
6. Take a swim trip around Maine and anywhere you see a place to swim jump in!!
7. Have a water balloon fight
8. Pick Strawberries at Stevenson’s Strawberries in Wayne
9. Play disc golf at Quarry Run Disc Golf
10. Volunteer at the Augusta Human Society
11. Hike MT. Pisgah and climb to the top of the fire tower
12. Go to a concert at the Darlings Water front pavilion
13. Take a costal drive to Marshal Paint Lighthouse
14. Spend a night in down town Augusta exploring one of the many fabulous restaurants
15. Spend a rainy day exploring the Maine State Museum

Whatever you spend your time doing this summer, just remember it is about soaking up the season, embracing the heat and experiencing all that life (Maine) has to offer. I am guilty myself of working or sleeping my summers away. That is why this list is not about crossing things off but rather setting goals that will widen my comfort zone. So, the most I can ask you is to consider my list and hopefully be inspired to create your own from the ideas I have given you.

Just remember, adventure is only a step away.