Summer is upon us! And by “summer”, I mean, the time where there is no school. I’m not talking about the weather, because here in Florida, it will be hot and humid until… November, probably. Today (Friday) is the last day of regular school; next week is finals; and then we’re done.
I’ve listened to several podcast lately about summer planning- Best of Both Worlds, Happier, Girl Next Door- and I was inspired to do my own summer planning. In the latest episode of Best Laid Plans, Sarah talked about Kendra Adachi’s seasonal playbooks, planning notebooks for each season. I was tempted to get the summer one, but then realized I have several blank notebooks. I could just make my own “summer planner.”
On my day off, I sat down happily in Starbucks and put the months of June, July and August into my summer notebook. (Although- I’m in a quandary. Is August still summer??? School starts again on August 11. But my son will be home at that point until September. I’m confused.
I then put all the things that I know for sure are happening into the calendar. You can see on July 12 I put “Round Top.” That day I’ll be in Round Top, Texas, for the last concert of Paul’s summer festival. Then, he and I will drive the three hours back to Waco, grab his stuff (which will be in storage) and… drive to Chicago!!!
We’ll stay with my sister and BIL for a couple days, and then leave Paul’s car (and no doubt some boxes of his things) with them, and Paul and I will fly back to Florida. That will be my “big adventure” of the summer, but I haven’t bought plane tickets yet, so I didn’t want to put it in my planner until I’m sure of the dates.
What else? Well, I’m going to make a summer reading list. And running-wise, it’s going to be my “summer of speed,” shorter runs but more speed work. (Of course, this is what I said LAST summer, and then wasted the whole summer battling a calf injury, so we’ll just see what happens).
I’m also going to focus on better sleep (for real, this time) and… sigh…I’m going to do a TEMPORARY restrictive diet to fix the digestive problems I’ve been having. I’m not looking forward to that, but I AM looking forward to feeling better. I’ve done this diet before, so I know it works. Details on that coming up soon.
You’ll notice there are no trips to the beach or barbecues planned. Summer isn’t an “outdoor” season in Florida. But, no school means I can sleep later- no lunches to pack- and no driving my daughter at 7 am. Woohoo! Bring on the South Florida summer.
Are you doing anything to make the summer distinctive or special? Do you have any trips planned?
17 Responses
summer! i’m so late into planning to it due to our recent move. Currently I have 3 trips planned: US for the concert with the girls, Rio de Janeiro for 4 days with the entire family in June, and a trip to buenos aires. I need to plan a few more to fill he space.
intrigued about your new dietary change. FODMAP?
I can see why you haven’t had a lot of time to plan summer activities- you JUST moved, internationally. The things you do have sound fun.
It’s not a FODMAP diet, but there are probably some similarities. I’ll have a post with more details soon.
No big plans for summer. City pool most days- I like going at 4pm so it’s not as crowded and the sun isn’t punishing. One daughter has 6 weeks of day camp, so we can do other things while she’s having fun. There’s a family reunion in mid July. Then Band Camp for HS son begins on July 21. That lasts for 2 weeks to prepare for marching season. Then school begins. Really, summer never lasts long.
The road trip sounds like fun! What a nice way to bond with your son before he begins his next big adventure!
That’s funny- July 21 is when my daughter has HS band camp as well. They have one week, and then another partial week in August right before school starts. I agree- the summer goes quickly this way.
I cannot wait for the road trip! It has all my favorite elements- I love a road trip, time with my son, and I get to see my sister and B-I-L! It’a going to be great.
Lol, I was just thinking – isn’t it always summer in Florida? To us Canadians it is!
I didn’t know you were having digestive issues, Jenny, I hope you get them resolved and soon. That’s no fun.
Your trip to Chicago – how fun! And you’ll be able to see your sister!
I have NO plans this summer, except to just enjoy myself here. Summer is the best time in the Okanagan and I plan to make the most of it. That said, I have people visiting me, so that’s exciting. Also my husband and son are gone for two weeks, and my older son has his own apartment and works, so it will be just me and Rex. Maybe when everyone gets home Rex will be all dressed up in gnome clothes, who can say, I hope it’s not a descent into madness.
Ha ha… I’m trying to picture Rex in gnome clothes. And, yes, in Florida we basically have two seasons- Summer, and Super-Summer. Super-Summer has begun. Your plans for (normal) summer sound great.
Yay for summer! Also yay for an extra long summer for Paul plus the road trips.
While none of us know what the future holds, my bloggy ESP says that you will not have another Calfgate and will be running this summer.
Trip wise I’m going to see our friend Nicole later this summer, and I’m hoping to figure out some other trips. I’m in a work bind right now so I probably can’t go anywhere in June, but I should be able to make up for lost time in July. However, I’m hoping to get in local travel every weekend because there are a bunch of close-ish places that I want to see.
YOU ARE SEEING NICOLE??? That is amazing. Soon you’ll be telling us you’re flying to Australia to meet Sophie, and Brazil to meet Coco. You’re on a mission!
I like your bloggy ESP : )
Summer is very similar here in AZ, minus the humidity of course! It’s also not really an outdoor season unless you go up north/into the mountains but obviously I still run on the trails all summer long, I just have to plan things out a little more carefully and either run earlier or run in the mountains. But it’s also less busy on the trails which is a win!
I’m excited for your (hopeful) summer of speed! And the other things you’re working on, particularly sleep. Getting good sleep is a huge gamechanger for running and life in general, and it’s something I always prioritize because I know I feel my best with at least 8 hours of quality sleep!
My birthday is in late July so I’m planning a trip for that, likely to Sedona. It’ll still be hot, but not quite as hot as the desert, and I’m hoping to do some fun runs while I’m there because it’s one of my favorite places to run!
Ooh, your birthday trip to Sedona sounds amazing. I feel like I have an idea of your weather after spending time in Texas in August. You don’t have the humidity, but your temps get way higher than ours. But… running early in the morning is bearable (am I right?) Early mornings here are still warm- like upper 70s or low 80s) and VERY humid. Honestly, I don’t know which is worse. When I was in Texas one summer it was 110 every day, and that was really hard.
We still have some things up in the air for summer but it will be busy. Mostly I’m looking for it to be fun.
Belle is likely going to be working at a camp for a chunk of the summer. Belle is also a bridesmaid in a wedding. Those are our big “blocks” and we’re currently looking at flights and might squeeze in another international adventure? We shall see.
I’m hoping to spend a few weeks at my parent’s home on a lake.
I listened to the Happier episode about summer and was kind of stumped about what to make this the summer of. June will be quiet, but then I travel 3 times in July and twice in August, so it will sort of feel like the rest of the year since the kids are in full-time care. But I am thinking we will make it a summer of exploring different libraries. Our library system gave out library passports and you get stamps at the libraries you visit so I think we’ll try to visit a bunch of them this summer hopefully. We also have some fun travel plans, like staying in a cabin at a state park for 2 days in June, a mom/Will trip to Chicago in late June, a work trip that I am parlaying into a friend trip in July, and our week at my parents lake home in August!!
It’s hard to think about summer when it’s 40 degrees!!
But I have a few short races so maybe I can focus on speed… but I doubt it. LOL
There’s gardening and boating and hikes. Summer is my favorite season.
I plan a trip to LI in August… that’s it.
We still have one more week of school, although A is desperately trying to get out of it lol! He says he is done with all his exams and projects, so I might let him take the last few days off.
Our summer is so busy with pet sitting. I am taking A and his girlfriend to Orlando for one day, and then I have a trip to see a friend in Orlando and another trip to Athens, Georgia planned. The rest of my “vacation” will be hanging out with dogs and cats in other people’s houses. That being said, some of those house are very much like being on vacation, so I am all for it.
I just got a new planner and I’m in the process of filling it up. It doesn’t start until July, but it goes through december of 2026!
Well, summer is “outdoor time” in Iowa (well, at least it is for me, LOL). We just battled through a cold week of weather (umm, temps in 40’s every morning!), but trending warmer as the weekends draws closer. My sis is trying to talk me into a trip to Houston with her. She even sent me a link to a site with Houston races! I am hoping for a LOT of outdoor cycling (if the $%#& wind ever lets up), and am planning on a day RAGBRAI in late July.
I like the idea of setting up a summer planner – though it’s feeling very un-summer like here with temps in the 40s and a nor’easter just passed through! I feel like I’m behind on planning my summer but I’m hoping to still get a family vacation between the boys summer jobs. Classes starting in August also really puts a wrnech in the works, doesn’t it?!
That sounds like a perfectly Jenny-style summer! Full of adventure, strategy, and just enough speed work and digestive discipline to keep things interesting! 😄 I love that you’re doing the big road trip with Paul and ending it with a Chicago visit. Sounds like a great mix of family time and travel.
I’ll be in Switzerland for part of the summer, with a few short trail races in the mountains lined up. Definitely looking forward to a slower pace, some cycling, and quiet outings with my parents.
Fingers crossed your “summer of speed” stays injury-free this time – and good luck with the diet reboot too!