summer bucket list update

Since the Friday marks the official start to fall, I thought I would check in on our summer bucket list progress.

This summer flew by so quickly. My work schedule never calmed down over the summer months, so in some ways it doesn’t really feel like summer was fully here. We traveled almost every weekend, which made the weeks blur together, but we still had some great times enjoying the slower pace that came with a summer (read: empty) college town. I’m not the biggest fan of summer – I get crazy bug bites, I don’t like sweating in the NC heat, and I’m not a fan of the beach – but I will miss the slow evenings, long days, and quiet streets. Saying goodbye to these sweet parts of summer is easier with fall right on its heels. Fall is my favorite season and I’m so excited to welcome the cooler weather, changing colors, and autumn flavors. I’m posting my fall list later this week, so stay tuned!

Summer bucket list update:
–Swim in the pool at our complex (we didn’t swim in it a single time last year!) – I’m crossing this off because Will did swim in the pool, and while I didn’t, I don’t regret it and have no intention of doing it. Hanging out at the pool is not something that I want to spend my days doing, and I should have thought of this when I added it to the list. You live and you learn.
-Spend an evening at Honeysuckle Tea House (we went for the first time to cross it off my spring bucket list and we loved it!)
-Go to one place on our Triangle bucket list – A new coffee shop opened near us this summer, which I subsequently added to our Triangle bucket list and visited. For those in the area, Perennial in Chapel Hill is very Instagram-worthy, uses locally roasted coffee and local milk, and sells local pastries.
–Try a new coffee shop – Lamplighter Coffee Roasters in Richmond, Sub Rosa Bakery in Richmond, Perennial in Chapel Hill
-Ride bikes together
-Pick blackberries
-Make popsicles – Roasted strawberries and cream popsicles (vegan, gf)
-Go to the lake – Smith Mountain Lake was one of the best weekends of the summer! (photo above is from our lake trip)
-Make and start to implement a plan for our back patio beautification
-Refinish table
–Pick paint color for guest bedroom – Benjamin Moore Simply White – I’m so excited about this!
-Take a trip before Will starts his MPH year – Richmond and Charlottesville
-Try a new seasonal recipe – baked eggs on a bed of roasted cherry tomatoes
–Go to a Durham Bulls game – such a fun night with sweet friends
-Buy local food from the Farmers’ Market

Below are some other photos from this summer that I forgot to share from a sweltering day at a local sunflower field, and one from a stay (for work) at the Carolina Inn.

It’s still going to be hot around here for a little bit – what are you still trying to squeeze into these last summer days?