Making the most of summer

Last year we had a summer of grand adventures. We went on multiple big trips and to a couple of beautiful weddings. There was hardly a weekend that we weren't on the go. It was incredible, but we were definitely exhausted by the time fall rolled around. 

Hiking in Vermont, July 2013

Hiking in Vermont, July 2013

This summer is a bit different. We have a couple of smaller trips planned, but other than that our schedule is pretty open. I figured this was a perfect time to set some relaxed goals and start a summer bucket list.

There's nothing too crazy or ambitious on my list, just 4 things to make the most of the summer. 

Read more

Summer is my favorite time of the year to read. There's something about the way a hot, humid day encourages long, lazy stretches with a good book. I've also gotten into a bad habit of being glued to my phone or computer at night, so I'm using this time of year as an excuse to unplug everyday.

I usually go for mysteries and just about anything historical, but this year I decided to go outside of my comfort zone. Here's my list so far (recommendations are welcome!) :

  • #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso - It's the story about how Sophia, Nasty Gal's CEO built her business--she started off as something of a misfit selling vintage clothing on e-bay--and what she learned along the way. I've heard so many raves about it that I don't know if I can wait for my hold to arrive at the library. The last time I checked I was near the bottom of a list of over 100 people vying for 10 copies. 

  • A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams - A summer-read set at a Rhode Island beach house in the 1930s. The Kirkus review called it "an elegant if somewhat old-fashioned delayed-gratification seaside romance." 

  • Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter - Another beach read love story that follows characters over 50 years from the Ligurian coast of Italy to Scotland and Hollywood. They had me at Ligurian coast. 
  • Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett - A funny tale of Armageddon. . .which sounds strange enough to work. I've had this book on my shelf for a couple of years now. I figured it's time to actually give something in the fantasy world a go. 
  • Inferno by Dan Brown - This is my current read. A couple of months ago, I realized that a lot of people were coming to this site while searching for images of the cave and statue of Braccio di Bartolo in the Boboli Gardens. I was curious why such an old post would suddenly be getting a lot of traffic, so I searched a bit and discovered Dan Brown had written a book about Florence. My curiosity got the best of me and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. 

Make things and get creative

This seems like a really vague goal, but I have a few top secret DIY projects on the horizon for our wedding. I was given some great advice to only chose a few things and make sure they are truly a labor of love. So far I've really enjoyed being creative, learning new skills, and making something that feels meaningful for us. 

Plan a honeymoon

I can't wait to start doing this. I have so many ideas of where we could possibly go. It's going to be fun diving into everything and we have so much to look forward to next year. 

Will it be Italy in 2015? Maybe all of the coins I've thrown in the Trevi are working their magic. 

Will it be Italy in 2015? Maybe all of the coins I've thrown in the Trevi are working their magic. 

Explore Ontario

Since we don't have any big vacations planned, I'm really excited for the chance to explore our own area more. We love doing day trips and have talked about wandering around our own city and discovering new restaurants. 

Here's a few of my ideas so far:

  • Tube the Elora Gorge
  • Wander Toronto neighborhoods - one of our favorite summer pastimes
  • Visit Toronto Island - I can't believe I've never been!)
  • Relax in High Park
  • Hike part of the Bruce Trail - There's a section in Collingwood that I've always been curious about.
  • Spend a weekend in Niagara-on-the-Lake
  • Antique in our favorite spots - I'm going to do a whole post about this later in the month
  • Another visit (or two) at least to Muskoka
  • Visit Ottawa in August - This was my Christmas gift from the wonderful women of my fiance's family

A rural Ontario summer sunset

So there you have it. My recipe for a relaxed but full summer. The theme seems to be unplugging more and enjoying all of the great sites that are right outside of our front door. 

Do you make summer bucket list or goals? How do you make the most out of your summer when you don't have any big vacation plans? 

A lazy cottage weekend

On Saturday morning, S and I packed up the car and took a drive to cottage country to spend the weekend with his family. 

Cottages are really popular in Ontario. Starting in May, usually around Victoria Day, the main highway heading north out of the city fills with streams of cars packed to the gills with people and stuff each Friday. 

I didn't really understand the appeal for the longest time. Partly because I've lived in rural Ontario for most of my time here and partly because I'd never been to a real cottage.

The first time I went to Muskoka, though, I got it. Beautiful scenery. Cozy little cottages. Friends and family, fishing, swimming, reading, playing games, and simply doing nothing. La dolce far niente Canadian style.

We got to Bala early in the afternoon and, after some hellos and a quick hot dog, we basically beelined it to the dock. It was a gorgeous, quiet, warm day and both of us immediately decompressed. 

We spent the rest of the day spending time with everyone, laughing and catching up, reading, fishing off of the dock, and eating lots. 

When the sun started to set, we walked to the point and were treated to a gorgeous sunset. It felt like we had the whole river to ourselves. It was a perfect way to end the day.

The next morning, we all sat on the deck and drank coffee while watching fish jump in the river. A huge crane swooped by and landed on a nearby bank. He waited patiently and then dove into the water for some breakfast. We decided to follow suit and had a small feast before I ran back down to the dock to do some more reading. 

It was another beautiful, almost cloudless, warm day. I laid down to do some reading but nearly fell asleep as the wake from the boats gently rocked the dock.

I think we all wanted to stay longer, but S and I had to get on the road before traffic got too bad. The whole weekend was just what we needed: family, fun, warmth, water, nature, total relaxation. 

Hello, summer! We're so happy you're here. 

Your vacation is not a to-do list

Travellers are really lucky these days. There's an abundance of information out there for just about every corner of the earth, big and small. Going to Paris? I can guarantee that you could spend all day (at least) looking at top 10 lists, blog posts, books and apps detailing "local secret finds" or "must-sees" sites, bakeries, restaurants, shops, etc. 

View from Château de Beynac in Beynac-et-Cazenac, France

I don't know about you, but I love to plan and sometimes it's just plain overwhelming even for me. By the time the trip comes, I've seen so many pretty pinterest-worthy pictures and have read so much advice, that I'm raring to go. I have lists of sites and restaurants lovingly organized, printed out, and starred for importance. I have grand plans of how the days could be spent. It's always going to be the best vacation ever.

Then, when I arrive, 90% of all of that goes out the window because vacations are not to-do lists. 

I've always said that half of the fun with travel is the planning process. It's the dreaming stage. Everything and anything is possible. You get to read enticing articles, look at endless pictures of beautiful vistas, and live vicariously through trip reports.  By all means, savor that time. Dream big. Get inspired. Nail down all of the big, important stuff on your itinerary like transportation and lodging.

But when you arrive, be flexible. Your trip will never be exactly the same as the ones that inspired you in the planning phase. That's what adventure is all about. Plan what you must and then be open to the rest.

When we went to London last year, I had no idea that one of my favorite moments would be having a picnic in a park near Parliament eating cheap, pre-made sandwiches from a tiny Tesco across from Big Ben. Tesco was definitely not on my restaurant list! 

A perfect picnic spot in London

Sometimes the best travel moments, the ones that leave you with indelible memories, are entirely unplanned. They don't have to live up to any preplanned expectation. They happen naturally. 

I'm not saying that you shouldn't plan for anything. My advice is to book the stuff that's important to you first. If doing the Scavi Tour of the ruins underneath the Vatican is incredibly important to you, for example, book that early! 

Then, go ahead and make that big, long, fantastical to-do list. Take it with you. Use it for inspiration and as a rough guide when you want to, but don't feel beholden to it. You won't win a prize for seeing the most sites.

A drive through the Tuscan countryside

Ultimately, your vacation is your vacation. It's a collection of moments that are yours to make. It's about finally having the opportunity to be present and enjoy a place you've been wanting to explore. So go ahead, cancel your plans to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower if you're not feeling it when you get there and the line looks like it's a billion people long. Your vacation is not a to-do list.