I always love The Girl Next Door annual episode where they design their summers. I just like the thought of “designing” my summer. It sounds so fancy and next- level. I am not just going to let the summer happen! I’m going to DESIGN it!
I’ve realized there are three main points about this summer. The first is, I’m in a very brief, yet beautiful stage of parenting. For all my complaints about my daughter, I’m not looking forward to the empty nest. Not only am I appreciating the fact that she’s still home with us (for one more year) but I’m also loving the fact that her friends and boyfriend are frequently here as well. My husband grumbles about the kids making too much noise sometimes, but I like having them around.
HOWEVER. We’re past the phase where I have to stress about what she’s going to do this summer. There are things I would LIKE to happen, like a job and learning to drive, but I don’t have to arrange it. And whatever she ends up doing, I’ll have to drive her sometimes, but she also has other people to chauffeur her around. What I’m saying is, I can make my own plans instead of revolving my summer around her.
Second point about the summer- I’m shifting my work schedule around. I’ll be working about the same amount of hours, but will have- just for the summer- TUESDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND SUNDAYS OFF! Woohoo!!! What will I do with these days? I have some preliminary thoughts- a day of reading? getting back to trail running? More on that coming later.
Third and most important thing. THE WEDDING! My son is getting married on July 25th. While other people are planning trips to Hawaii, Europe, national parks in Utah… my big trip will be to Valparaiso, Indiana for the wedding. And I’m excited! I’ll be going five days early to help with the preparations. This is obviously a milestone event, and I’m going to soak up every second of it.
I’m hoping to sit down this week and work out more details about my summer- what days I’ll do a trail run, when will I go to the gym, what strength program will I do when I finish Iron Series? I guess I could also play it by ear, but I think I’ll have a more satisfying time if I plan it all out.
Are you designing your summer?
Does your work schedule change at all for the summer? Will you be on kid duty?
Top photo by Raphaël Biscaldi on Unsplash
26 Responses
Three days off! With two in a row!! That will be such a nice set up. And wedding! You have a delightful summer ahead.
I teach college classes, so my summer work schedule does not exist! I am home all summer, doing kid duty. We get a pool pass, do the library reading program, and hide from the midday sun. I’ll be mean this summer and make one boy practice some ACT tests. He also needs driving hours. My hs graduate will have his first job, so I’ll monitor that. And my daughter with special needs will have a few weeks of summer school ( her usual program was canceled, but the school district put together a 3 week part time school to help out families). Then I’ll institute a firm fun routine so she doesn’t sit in front of the computer all summer. My 12 yr old just goes with the flow- an easygoing personality!
And then all that will go out the window when my grandchild is born. 🙂
Oh good Lord- this sounds like the equivalent of having three full-time jobs!!! Summers are intense when you have kids to take care of. And… a grandchild. That’s even bigger than a wedding- I’m so excited for you.
sounds like a good summer ahead with more free time to run and do things for yourself now that your kids are older.
I can’t imagine empty nest yet! I need to hug them everyday and tons of kisses.
our summer will be 3 weeks in the US for camp, 1 week before start/end open/free, then 1 trip in Brazil with daddy who will spend a month in china. we are all super excited by the change of rhythm.
Your summer sounds REALLY fun and exciting. And yes- you’ve got a while to go before the empty nest. Enjoy every single second!
I had to look up where Valparaiso was, of course, but SCORE! You’ll be very close to Indiana Dunes. I know you won’t have a ton of downtime, but hopefully you’ll be able to go. It’s beautiful there, and you can’t beat a good dunes hike for cross training.
Booyah to almost adult kids and an extra day off! It’s going to be an epic summer!
I will definitely have enough downtime to get to the Dunes- I’m thinking early morning. I think there’s also some trails in the area I could run on? I’ll have to do my research!
I’m with you – I loved having all the kids around when we were in that stage. I adored having a houseful of teen boys milling around eating things! I sure missed that stage when it was gone/ we moved.
I don’t feel I need to design my summer as…what am I doing anyway? But I am mostly gardening and doing some travelling later this month (which is still spring, so I guess my summer is all gardening!)
Wedding! So exciting.
Nicole, I kind of feel like you design your whole life. You’ll have a lovely summer of yoga, reading, gardening… REX. It’ll be amazing.
How exciting to get an extra day off, and to have two days in a row! In one of my previous jobs, we got Fridays off in the summer which was nice. The first year, I was working part time there so I only had to work 5 hours a day vs 4 the rest of the year, and then the next year was during Covid so I had to work 10 hours a day but it was all from home so I didn’t mind the extra hours to get a three day weekend! Unfortunately my work schedule stays the same year round here but there are more holidays in the summer and I have more planned time off coming up to look forward to.
The wedding is also exciting! My sister’s wedding is actually two weeks from this Friday, it’s coming up so fast. It’s in Strawberry, AZ which is up in the pines and I’m looking forward to a 5 day weekend and a little getaway for that!
I think everyone should get an extra day off per week in the summer, but of course most jobs don’t work that way. I’ve never hear of Strawberry AZ but it sounds nice- that should be a fun getaway. Weddings are a fun celebration. And it’s your sister! Exciting.
Because of 30+ years of teaching, I revel in the bliss of an unplanned summer. I am a lover of routine, but the summertime (my favourite word!) takes me away from all that, and I fully embrace it. Will I read for hours on the porch or patio? Will I start a fun project? Can I make something easy and delicious for dinner without lighting the oven? It’s all possible, and there is no real reason to decide until The Moment.
My parents were both teachers, so the summertime vibes were VERY strong around our house growing up! Lots of playing outside and pool time. I’m pretty sure my parents did NOT plan out a schedule for themselves, or any of us. It was fun.
Hooray for more days off in the summer! I bet you will love that schedule (even though summer is not your favorite season in Florida, it’s nice to have a looser vibe). My schedule doesn’t change in the summer but I am traveling less for work. The kids will be in fulltime childcare, mostly at their school. They also have 3 weeks of day camp put on by our church. Summer is the easiest time to fill weekends since there is so much to do.
No big vacations for us either – our annual summer vacation is a week at my parents. Summer is our favorite season so even when the kids are at better ages for travel, we likely won’t be doing anything since we like to stay around Minnesota during peak season!
Yes, I can see why you wouldn’t want to leave in the summer! Kind of like how I don’t want to leave Florida in the winter. Your summer does sound like it will be nice, and the week at your parents always looks so fun. Glad you will be traveling less!
June is busy season in my office, so June is just a write-off for me in my head (this will suck, I say to myself, but it will be over before you know it). July should be slow and I plan on doing more WAH days than normal and doing yoga and reading on the couch instead of working. AND then August. Who knows? I’ll try for an adventure? Or just sit at home and sweat? Does that sound like designing a summer?
Ha ha… well. I like the part where you WAH in July and spend your time reading on the couch! And maybe you will feel like an adventure in August. Maybe a mini-adventure.
I LOVE the attitude of actually designing your summer, instead of planning it!! How lovely for you to have so many days off work. So many great options of good things to do! We’re enjoying the thought of having no travel plans during our summer holiday, and just having time to do things at home and exploring local trails. Except the fact that my husband’s main client never understands how much time certain projects take and all of a sudden he’s stuck with a project because they couldn’t think ahead and plan properly, so we expect he won’t have a real holiday. But we’ll still be more flexible than usual and I’m sure it will be good.
I don’t know what’s happening to my comment section- my replies are showing up in weird places. This is to Maria- I’m not involved in the wedding preparations much at this point, but they’re going to need a lot of help closer to the time. The reception is going to have a strong DIY vibe going on, so I’ll be there to help set up the area, etc!
Designing Summer does have a lovely ring to it. I was just thinking today that I need to make a list of summer things to do so it’s not suddenly September and we’re wondering what happened…
The wedding is coming up fast! Are you involved a lot in the preparations?
Susanne, you live in such a beautiful area. Just the photos of your everyday walks are so incredible- if I lived there, I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else! Especially in summer.
I like the idea of designing your life. I’m well past the part of life where summer means much beyond salad for dinner (yay!) and it being light way before I want to wake up (boo!). I am dreading the heat and the electricity bills that come with it, but it’s nothing like you get in FL, since out here it is dry and we don’t need the AC until it gets to about 90 outside, and sometimes not even then. But I love a month when the bill is under $200. Gah, I remember when a good month was under $80, but the prices have gone up so much, those days are long gone. Summer here means my daughter will work 1/2 days on Fridays (but get paid for the full day – yay!), and that’s about it. We’re hoping to take a big trip, but since none of us are in school, I want to wait for Autumn when it is both cooler and less expensive. I’m excited for you to have 3 days off, and especially 2 days in a row! Will those 10 hour work days wear you out? I hope not. Once you get used to it, it may be awesome. And of course, THE WEDDING! So exciting!
I love this idea of planning your summer. And that time off sounds lovely! I know you’ll really make the most of it and enjoy it. And a wedding!! Jenny! This is so exciting and will be here before you know it! And, you have the perfect dress!! I can’t remember if you’ve mentioned finding shoes you were happy with yet?? But the dress is amazing!!!!
Nope, no shoes yet! Every week it’s on my to-do list, FIND SHOES. And I keep migrating it to the next week. Maybe this will finally be the week…
Hi Jenny! I have listened to that episode just this week and loved it. Erica and Kelsey are so cute.
We only need July and August plans. I am a teacher so I have summers off. In July we are going to north Italy for about a month, then in August the kids have one week of summer camp and the rest is… flexible! We will probably do the Jersey shore day trips, pool, books, library, crafts. I truly cannot wait!
I like the idea of DESIGNING the summer. Since I don’t have kids, summer is nothing special around here… I mean there is no “summer break” or anything like that you plan around, you know? But how fun for you to switch your work schedule and put a little bit of thought into what you’d like to do. I think I should do the same.