As a rising college senior who isn't going into education, it seems that this summer just might be the very last "Summer Vacation," I ever get. Keeping that in mind, I made a bucket list for everything I want to accomplish over the next few months. I don't find any of these things to be unreasonable at all so hopefully I can get them all checked off!
1. Work, work, and work
For a college student, summer is a time of great fun. That being said, it's important to get some sort of income going into your pocket. At my age, it's healthy and important to not have to freeload off of your parents, and I am no exception. This summer, I am working at a small IT business to learn more about the business of computers and technology. Not only is it a legit job, but I'll also be having a great resumé building experience. Nowadays, it's hard to find work that builds the resumé but also gives you income, so I'm lucky to have found it. I'll also be continuing to freelance in music performance, and have also begun to dabble in doing extra work for commercials and things like that; certainly not your typical desk jobs!
2. Record a full length album
I've been playing music and writing songs for quite some time now, and I have recorded in a studio before, as well as made demo recordings. It seems that the time has come to do a full length album of all original material, and since the summer is a lower-stress time of the year, the time is perfect to get this album done while being able to take my time with it. I still am not sure whether I will use home equipment or pay for studio time, but I will probably end up compromising by recording everything at home and then sending the stuff over to the producer I usually work with for mixing and mastering. I'm very excited to see and hear how things turn out!
3. See some concerts
Chances are, just about everyone with even the slightest interest in music has this on their bucket list, but this is the case simply because concerts are awesome! I try to only splurge on one expensive concert ticket a year, but for reasonably priced shows, the sky's the limit. This year, my splurge concert is a Green Day show, but who knows what other great concerts I'll see! I'll also be attending Warped Tour for the second year in a row and hitting up as many 104.5 Block Parties as I can (those are free if you can get a ticket). That being said, I might want to put some money aside for a potential day at Made in America later this year. We shall see.
4. Do something awesome for my birthday
This July, I turn 22, the first meaningless age in what will now be a lifetime of meaningless ages, unless of course I want to run for president one day. That being said, there's no reason why I shouldn't want to have some fun! Perhaps a long weekend down the shore or in Atlantic City will do the trick, or maybe a giant party with a lot of my friends. I might be getting older, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to start magically forgetting how to have fun.
5. Learn to drive a manual transmission vehicle
Stick shift cars are an endangered species, and if they die out before I learn to drive one, that would be kind of unsettling for me. As a strong advocate against distracted and drunk driving, I know that a lot of the problems on the road would be solved if everyone just drove a manual transmission vehicle. The time has come for me to go even further in practicing what I preach, and when I purchase my own car within the next few years, I would like it to be a manual. My brother has one and has already agreed to give me lessons when both of us have the time, so I'm looking forward to learning a skill that not many young people really know how to do anymore. Ownership of a manual car is a physical statement against distracted driving, and introduces you to a community of people who don't take the day-to-day activity of driving a car for granted. This should be very healthy for me.
6. Understand that it's impossible for me to please everyone
This one is a mental goal, but nonetheless an important one. I've always tried to be a people pleaser, as it's something that runs in my family, but I need to start learning how to stand up for myself as well as saying no sometimes. I've been working on this for the past few months, but it's something I really need to continue into the summer. Caring about others is obviously very important, but I have to remember that self care is important too, and that it's physically impossible for EVERYONE to be happy about the choices that I make.
7. Travel a little
Due to mental health reasons, I had to give up on my dream of studying abroad, and had to promise my parents that I wouldn't pursue it. However, there isn't any reason why I still can't travel a little bit. My family and I are spending a week in California and I've been talking with a friend about potentially spending a few days in either Austin or New Orleans. There's no reason why these won't be positive experiences.
That's pretty much it for the goals I have this summer. I'm generally very good at fulfilling bucket lists, so hopefully this one is no exception. None of these goals seem too crazy either, so if I approach them correctly, I should be able to get them all achieved, and go out with a bang in what will be my last free summer for the foreseeable future!