remember when we all thought that things would be "back to normal" by now? LOL. granted, i'm currently writing to you from the parking lot patio of my favorite coffee shop because i had to get out of my damn house, so that's progress i suppose. but with no concerts, festivals, movie theater visits, or big trips on the horizon, it's going to be a loooong, pretty lame summer. but! all is not lost. i'm tapping into my unsinkable optimism and determined to make the best of it. here are some of my plans. i'd love to hear yours! especially if it involves inviting me to a pool party and/or one of the martha's vineyard gingerbread cottages.
1. take a day trip
yeah, the bathroom sitch is a little precarious, but i feel like this is still a possibility. if you're near a cute little town or seaside village of some sort, make a day of it and explore a new place near you.
2. try your hand at gardening
i meeeean, if i can do it, anyone can! so far, i'm growing tomatoes, chives, thyme, basil (purple and green), banana peppers, and climbing beans on my deck. we'll see if they all make it through the summer, but i'm feeling good so far. here's my setup:
3. have a patio dinner/drink (at a safe distance)
your mileage may vary, and i haven't ventured out to a restaurant patio quite yet, but i'm personally looking forward to enjoying dinner with a friend al fresco soon and feel fairly comfortable about it depending on the place's seating set-up. another option that i have tried: grabbing takeout and having a pal over to enjoy it on your own deck! almost as good.
4. make your house look really cute
i already wanted to marry my apartment and have like, 10,000 of its babies, but i've really kicked my love affair into high gear now that i'm spending so much time at home. my main project is a gallery wall, which i'm almost done with (an example of one is above if you're unfamiliar) and i'm so excited about it. also, one of the few good things about facebook is that it probably has a "free stuff" group for your town/city. i've gotten a bunch of great new items fo' free from mine, including an adorable yellow table, an aloe plant, and turkish coffee set. and as i was writing this, i saw that my upstairs neighbor, who's moving, put some stuff out front and i just snagged these great little tchotchkes. yessss!
5. go fruit-picking
it's pretty easy to keep your distance from other people, and if like me, you forgot what REAL/non-grocery store fruit tastes like, it's a nice reminder.
6. rewatch your favorite shows/movies
...and maybe find some new ones! when i'm in a less-than-great mood, the comfort of watching shows i love and have seen a billion times—lately,
broad city,
younger,
workaholics,
no reservations, and
seinfeld—never fails to cheer me up. last week, i discovered
being erica on hulu, thanks to the recommendation of a writer i follow, and i'm obsessed! it's one of those time-travel drama series i'm a sucker for, a la
hindsight (which met its demise way too soon). this scratches that itch and i'm so happy i found it.
7. go wandering
walking has NOT been cancelled, thank god! i've been very much enjoying my daily neighborhood walks. and last weekend, i actually drove into kendall square on sunday so i could park for free/without dealing with meters and touching things, walked into the city, and spent the afternoon strolling around. aside from wearing a mask, it felt almost like the good ol' days!
8. have a picnic
who doesn't love a good old-fashioned picnic? a handful of years ago, my friend and i bought a pre-packed basket from this hotel restaurant that came with wine, cheese, charcuterie, crostini, and boston cream pies in little jars and we ate it in boston common and sipped our wine covertly out of plastic cups and it was adorable. i really wish they were still doing that this year (i just checked and they are not), but i'm hoping to recreate this experience at some point because it was just lovely.
9. make a summer playlist
thank god for music, man. as is tradition, i whipped up
a playlist of new and old tunes to get me through the dog days.
10. go to a drive-in movie
can you believe i've never been to one, even pre-pandemic? i'm bound and determined to make it happen now that it's en vogue.
11. read!
on the plus side, i've read more books this year than i have in so very long; i think i'm on #10 now!
12. stock up your bar cart (and perfect a cocktail or two)
sort of related to making your home look cute...get that home bar cart ready to rock. i was inspired to get mine in shape after watching like 1,000 of the apartment therapy tour videos and noting that the bar cart just seemed to make everyone who possessed one seem like a real, live adult.
13. take a hike
you'll feel in touch with nature AND accomplished.
14. whip up a summer dessert or three
not only is it a great distraction and quite therapeutic, but you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor when you're done! i made this cinnamon ice cream a couple weeks ago and have a whole bunch of other light and easy desserts on the docket.
RELATED: hit up an ice cream stand for a sundae or root beer float.
15. take an aimless drive at night
queue up that playlist and just cruise around. it's the little things right now. it really is.
