“There’s 104 days of summer vacation
And school comes along just to end it
So the annual problem for our generation
Is finding a good way to spend it…”
Aaah, the undeniable words of Phineas and Ferb. As I near my junior year of high school, this simple theme song has become somewhat of a wake-up call. To be quite frank, I’m terrified that I only have two summers left as a “kid”; ironically, we spend our entire childhoods wanting to “grow up”. Therefore, I have made a pact with myself to reevaluate what it means to be carefree, independent, and overall conscious of the given time, by creating a Summer Bucket List. This list has quite the range, from the childish and silly, to the meaningful and self-fulfilling. Additionally I included some that are more time-insensitive laundry list items, but nevertheless important (to me anyway). The reason I have decided to compile and record my summer activities is a) It’s on the list, duh, and b) I need witnesses. Without the motivation that someone, somewhere is actually reading this, I might as well start recording a few extra shows on the DVR. Well, here goes nothing:
1. Fix jumbo skirt from Charlotte Russe.
2. Play tennis… LOTS of tennis. Every day. All day. Tennis.
3. Put forth a dedicated effort to my photography, to be edited and compiled into a photo-journal depicting this epic summer.
3.5 Go downtown to take said photographs.
4. Walk to Dairy Queen with my little brother.
5. Fill up an entire coloring book.
6. Write a complaint/satisfaction letter, just to get free stuff.
7. Record someone’s life story – nursing home anyone?
8. Convince someone you’re from a foreign country.
9. Wake up every morning before 7:30 a.m.
10. Water fight. Including but not limited to: balloons, guns, hoses, and buckets.
11. Superglue a quarter to the ground. Watch. Laugh.
12. Paint finger and toe nails each a different color.
13. Paint heart bookcase.
14. Participate in a charity walk/run/event.
15. Buy something at the second-hand store… then wear/use it.
16. Finger paint a picture on canvas and then frame it.
17. Say ‘yes’ to everything for one day.
18. Write and send a hand-written letter to everyone in my family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and god-family)
19. Run a 5k.
20. Attend a GOOD concert.
21. Fly a kite.
22. Watch ‘Gone With the Wind’
23. Do an entire afternoon of yoga.
24. Win something in an auction.
25. Win a radio contest.
26. Go rock climbing again <3
27. FINALLY try HuHot.
28. See a fortune teller/palm reader.
29. Use a Polaroid camera to take pictures with random people, then let them keep them.
30. Work on the family tree.
31. Do 100 sit-ups every day.
32. Go 24 hours without food.
33. Make my own cookie cake.
34. Become an expert at something (cow breeds, Russian literature… anything)
35. Enter a photography contest.
36. Buy a pet goldfish.
37. Write a letter to a soldier overseas.
38. Tie-dye a set of sheets.
39. Bake a batch of really cute cupcakes.
40. Go a whole week without technology.
41. Finish 4 books.
42. Hold a garage sale – use profits to fund summer.
43. Write a letter to the editor.
44. Pick an official summer song.
45. Buy a bouquet of flowers.
46. Mow the (Front) Lawn.
47. Make sun tea.
48. Play miniature golf.
49. Plant something edible.
50. Spend one whole day barefoot.
51. Help an old lady cross the street.
52. Hold an Alfred Hitchcock movie marathon.
53. Put in >temporary< colored highlights.
54. Create something made out of duct tape.
55. Play tennis in the rain.
56. Leave initials in wet concrete.
57. Start a blog.
58. Sleep in a car for a night.
59. Spend a day creating a masterpiece out of sidewalk chalk.
60. Send a nice card to a stranger from the phone book.
61. Give a dog a bath.
62. Leave a sticker on the ice cream truck… after ordering ice cream of course (:
63. Carve name into a tree.
64. Play a REAL game of poker with REAL money.
65. Stretch every day to get perfect heel stretches and scorpions.
66. Jump into a pool fully clothed.
67. Go to the mall with a sign that says ‘Free Hugs’.
68. Attend a midnight release/premiere.
69. Empty a gumball machine.
70. Have everyone you meet for a day sign your shirt.
71. Watch a foreign film.
72. Destroy a watermelon.
73. Go on a picnic.
74. Make a music video.
75. Celebrate a foreign holiday the way the natives do.
76. Get a tan tattoo.
77. Watch a meteor shower (Aug. 12-13).
78. Have a HUGE Nerf gun fight.
79. Go to Taco Bell past midnight.
80. Throw a boomerang.
81. Throw a paper airplane off of a bridge.
82. See a Chihuly
83. Rent a paddle boat for an hour.
84. Ride a tandem bike with somebody.
85. Obtain a *********fest button/participate in ********fest.
86. Stay outside for 12 hours straight.
87. Watch “The Bucket List’ the movie
88. Record a video blog for 1 week and then post it on YouTube.
89. Get a chain of 15 people to Walk like an Egyptian with.
90. Set up a lemonade stand.
91. Attempt kayaking/canoeing.
92. Keep room clean (relatively).
93. Buy and use and develop an underwater camera.
94. Make a French Silk Pie.
95. Eat breakfast at Daniel’s.
96. Try more scented nail polishes.
97. Make a banner to hang in public.
98. Talk in a British accent for 48 hours straight.
99. Pay for a stranger’s meal.
100. Write a note on a stranger’s windshield with dry-erase marker.
101. Attend a WWII Roundtable Event.
102. Rock a red lip.
103. Go tanning on the roof of my car in a random parking lot.
104. Create a video depicting the results of the Summer of 2011.
Cliche, no? But it seems better than the alternatives. Plus, look at it this way – I’ve already got #57 crossed off.
At the time of the creation of this post, I have 4 days left of school. After that date (June 8), I plan to record my daily escapades, elaborating on the list, and hopefully checking it off, one adventure at a time. And of course, I hope you choose to come along for the ride too. Until then, feel free to check out some of the other pages I’ll be updating in the sidebar on the left!
*Disclaimer: To protect my personal identity, some names have been changed or hidden. Thanks for understanding I’m not a fan of rapists and/or stalkers (:
Love & Summer,
Sarah Emm
Gone With The Summer 
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Okay, so I just found your blog, because I was searching in google images about tanning tattoos and a photo came up and it lead to your blog, and I’m literally in love with it. It’s really inspirational that you try to do as many things as you can to get the best out of your summer, now I am definitely going to do some of this stuff and also I am going to do my own bucket list! I love love love your blog! Keep up the great work. And please let me know If you have a tumblr, I would love to follow you!
I just printed this out. I can’t do alllll of them, and i already added a few of my own, but im so excited now. I Can’t wait to do them, starting tomorrow!!! (btw, you into photography for real? or are all these photography ones something you want to start? Because I LOVE photography!!!)
Awh, thanks! Let me know how it goes for you! And to answer you question, I only do photography on the side as an occasional hobby. I agree though, photography is pretty great (:
I know I commenting late,but I just found your blog! Haha I love this bucket list!! I’ve been working on mine for a few weeks now. I’m homeschooled, and I have to work through the summer :/ (this is my first year homeschooling and I procrastinated a lot, haha!). But I only have to do a few hours a day and I do most of my homework outside or in the pool! But I’m really excited to start summer (It doesn’t feel like it’s summer till my brothers out of school, in three days). I’m definitely using ALOT of these ideas on my list!!
Thanks Liz! It means a lot to me that you liked it so much you decided to take time out of your day to drop by and leave a comment (: I hope you have a great summer!
I love this! Though some of these aren’t quite the same if you’re British. Like talking in a British accent for 24 hours…
Thanks so much Esther! I had never thought of it that way! Maybe you could adopt an American accent for 24 hours? Nah… (;
whats a ***********fest???
omg i love all of them you should post a check list that we could print ut on all of these!
That sounds like a great idea! I think I might do the same. You’re lucky- my last day of school is June 20th, but I’m leaving for a week in Florida on Friday the 17th. Then I come back Thursday the 23rd. I’ll have to start doing things on my list after my vacation.
Awesome! I’m glad you’re inspired to join the not-bummer summer movement! And lucky me? Lucky you! Have fun in Florida (say hi to the alligators for me). Oh, and I’m glad to see you became a subscriber too! As you receive updates about how my adventure’s going, keep me updated on yours!
Hey, I’m the one that asked about “bored” or whatever on yahoo answers. I think I’m going to join this adventure with you. :P
Yay! I’d love to have you along for the ride! Feel free to subscribe in the widget in the sidebar to get regular updates about what crazy things I’m doing!
Thanks so much for subscribing to my blog! Seems like our blogs are really similar! But I’m just going into my sophomore year of high school. In my blog posts I also change the names of my friends and family to avoid “creepy people”. Since our topics are so similar I would like to make a offer to you: be a guest blogger on my blog? Or the other way around, your choice. I think it would help both us boost our ratings. Currently I’m getting 80+ views a day and maybe I could redirect some of those to you. Check out my contact information on my blog and contact me. Thanks! :)
You have quite a summer planned! I can see why some of these things are on the list – gosh, some of these things you just have to do – but I can barely wait to get that letter! Holding my breath!! Don’t play tennis and not eat in the SAME day, OK? I know you have the self-control and willpower to complete each task and wish you well. You’ll probably complete the bucket list before school starts next Fall! Have fun doing it! Love, Grandma Soup☺☺☻☻♥♥♥♥♥XXXXOOOO