Summer 2019 To-Do List

Summer week two, and the living is easy, to inaccurately quote Gershwin. Being on holiday this week has been heavenly relaxing.

I don’t know what it is about certain places that just make them so peaceful and recharging to your personal energy, but Bamburgh is one of those places for me. I can’t explain why, but it’s just a place of peace and healing.

Perhaps it is because the pace of life is slower there. Unlike some other holiday destinations, you don’t feel as if you have to run around on a tight schedule in order to fit everything in. You can just relax and take your time.

What I like about it most is the mental freedom it gives me. I feel far away from all my usual jobs and worries, which frees me to think creatively. I find myself thinking of new plots, or, as in the case of this holiday, refining those finer details that I had not quite polished yet.

So, I return from the holiday feeling refreshed and regenerated invest myself fully into that book I’m writing at the moment. I would say it’s going to be my most compulsive read yet – take that as you will ;)

[Speaking of writing, I’ve been absolutely shocking with my updates for “The Call of the Sea” on Inkitt (I do register your complaints :) ), so as a thank you for being so patient with me, I will be uploading the rest of the story on Sunday for you to read. Again, apologies for the cliff-hangers.]

Due to finishing high school and starting university later than a usual school term would start, I have quite a long summer vacation this year. And as I’m not planning any super-star getaways abroad, I’ve got to think of ways to fill my time.

I don’t know if any of you ever watched the program Phineas and Ferb growing up, but to me, they always had the best ideas to spend the long summer holiday days. When I was younger, if anyone had asked me to go spend the day with them, I would have SO said yes. Heck, I probably would say yes nowadays too.

But, despite my hopes of having a summer holiday as awesome as that, it rarely is. Apart from holidays and special days out, I mostly spend my summer days reading or writing. Which isn’t bad, as it is my favourite thing to do, but when I have to go back to school, or uni in this year’s case, I feel like I didn’t do all the things I had wanted to do over the holiday. I’m sure more than a few of you can relate to that feeling to.

So, since I’m often guilty of letting my summer days slip away, purely through lack of planning, I thought that I’d make a list of all the things I want to do over the summer this year. I’m a believer in list-making; if you can physically see and tick off what you want or need to do, you’re so much more likely to get it done I think.

As I’m sure more than just me suffers with the “I wish I’d done that over summer” syndrome, I thought I’d share my little fix, as it’s already working for me really well. I’ve scheduled in most of the things I want to do.

And for those of you who are sceptical about this process, thinking that it will reduce your relaxing at home days, don’t be worried. I am a total fan of the relax/do nothing day, and I’ve managed to make this list work around those days perfectly.

Here is my list as an example for any of you who want to try this out over summer:

1. Go to the Ilkley Food Festival – I love it there; so much good food and culture. What could be better?

2. Teddy bears picnic on the train – a family tradition with my Nana which we haven’t done in years, so I’m taking the prerogative to organise it myself.

3. Take Nana to Blackpool Tower ballroom – another trip designed to get Nana out and about. She loves Blackpool and the Tower ballroom in particular. We went there with her a few years ago for her birthday, so we’ve decided to go again with her this summer.

4. Lake District day – need I explain that one? After all, everyone who’s been to the Lake District can see why it’s a go-to venue. If you haven’t been before, I strongly suggest you do.

5. Overnight camp at Ribble Valley Viaduct – I did this on my Gold DofE expedition, and the atmosphere was so… I don’t know, haunting? I found it stimulating to my creative mind, but as I was on DofE, there wasn’t an opportunity to write, so I vowed to go back.

6. Games night – my cousin holds a games night with her friends, and I’ve always wanted to go because it sounds cool. She invited me this time, and I’m SO excited!

7. Waterstones in York – another trip I’m excited for. A bookstore. Of course I’m excited. And Waterstones in York is beautiful.

8. York Museum – I saw posters for this museum when I was in York at the Rose Theatre (another total recommendation if you haven’t been and love Shakespeare like I do) so thought it was worth a visit. It looks really good, so I’m looking forward to the visit.

9. Harrogate walking tour – there’s a bit of a story around this one. There is a guy who does a free walking tour around Harrogate, and I’ve wanted to go on one of these tours for ages because I want to know why he’s giving out walking tours for free. I think it’s an awesome thing to do, but is that his full-time job? I don’t understand, so I’m going undercover to investigate.

10. Escape room – my friend is coming up to visit, and we didn’t want to do the usual mindless shopping whilst catching up, so we’ve decided to do the new escape room in my area. I’m really looking forward to it because I LOVE escape rooms. I’m a murder mystery writer; of course I love puzzles and mysteries.

NB: My actual list is a bit longer, but it contains more personal things that would take too long to explain (and a few things that I can’t post about as they’re a secret to other people), so this is the shortened version.

So, do you like this idea? Do you think you might use it yourself this summer to pack in all the things you want to do? I hope so.

Comment down below what’s going on your Summer 2019 to-do list. I’d love to know what you’re all planning to get up to.

And on that note, I probably should get back to editing the vlog of my Bamburgh holiday if I want it to be posted tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed I’ll get it done.

Have a great weekend, and see you next week <3

#summer2019 #roxyelle #todolist