Summer is what I have been waiting for all year. The long days and warm nights are what life is made of. With a blend of the of the meteorological summer (June 1 and ends on August 31) and the astronomical summer (June 21st or 22nd and runs until the autumnal the equinox, coming to an end on September 21, 22nd, or 23rd) over here at Onyx and Milk we are going to say we have 116 days of summer (starting from May 28th and ending September 21st). Summer to me is a season that lends itself to endless possibilities.

I always want to do so much stuff, but life and a bit of my overthinking sometimes get in the way. This summer it is going to be different. I have created an adult friendly bucket list of things that I would like to do this summer, my Ode to Summer. 116 activities that I would like to do. A bit ambitious? Yes, but if you aim beyond the solar system, when you fall, you will fall amongst the stars, not a bad place to land! I live in New York, so some of the items a NYC driven, but you can always adapt it for your home town or city.

I have created a PDF called the Ode To Summer 2023 if you want to download it and keep it as inspiration for your adult summer activities. Here are the a few that I just must do.

Fall in love. I know what you thinking, but it is not that. I am going to fall in love with myself, this version of me. That last two years the world has changed, and we all have changed and getting to a place where I accept and love me for who I was, who I am and who I’m becoming is the most important thing. This list is to push me outside my comfort zone and also relish in the things that I use to like and still like to do.

Write a book. This has been on my list of things to do for a while and to tell you the truth, what is stopping me is me. A cookbook, a book of essays, a book of short stories honestly, I’m not really sure. I’m so caught up in my head about what a book is, is what might be standing in my way. I have stuff to say, is it important to the masses, maybe not. I shouldn’t care but I do. Another question that also plagues my mind, am I a writer can I call myself a author? I publish blog post all the time, hum.

Take a photo every day. I have a camera and I have my phone and although I have had some of my photos published, it is kind of hard to call myself a photographer, but why? This self doubt is exhausting. I love how some people just have their cameras around there necks always primed to take a photo. My camera is usually in my bag or my pocket, why I don’t know. I need to just take the photos and capture the beauty I see in our world.

Create a summer journal. Not just any written journal. I want to start a journal of memories, a textured journal, one where I draw, I stick stuff, I write, I paint in it, it is not static, it is living, it is evolving.

Be an extra in a movie. I want to be able to see how people see me, from someone else’s lens. This I think will make me push myself way out of my comfort zone. I have read that beyond your comfort zone, that is where growth and amazing things happen. Imagine getting head shots and going on auditions, oh the fun, oh the scare, oh and all the butterflies in my stomach, just thinking of it.

Sell at a flee market. Everyday people don’t tell you things but having the skills of a great salesperson allows you to accomplish a lot in life. I’m not talking about being manipulative and sneaky to get people to buy your wares. What I’m talking about is the act of putting yourself and your product out in the open for people to evaluate it. The skill of knowing something’s worth and showing the worth in someone else’s life and they purchase it. The skill of being rejected and still moving forward. The skill of being able to talk to anyone. The skill of negotiation. The ability to project trust worthiness. And lastly the reward of selling something. The truth is the moment we step outside, we are selling ourselves trying to be liked, trying to loved and trying to be respected.

Start meditating. I hear so much about meditating and how some people talk about it makes me think I can’t do it. Here is what meditating would look like to me. Meditating for me will look like allowing my mind to close all the tabs that are open, turning off the music playing in the background, allowing my inner voice to have moments of pause, to allow my inner ears to hear. Meditating to me will be finding the inner balance within me, to allow my self to not judge myself, allow myself to brave, allow myself grace, allow myself safety, allow myself kindness, allow myself creativity, allow myself abundance, allow myself peace and stillness, allow myself the knowing that I am enough, allow myself healing, and allow myself space to be authentically me. This will be hard, but it will be worth it, by going within will allow me the wisdom to not only survive in this world but thrive.

Here is to the Summertime when there are always opportunities to have moments of endless possibilities.

1.     Get a tattoo

2.     Visit Museums

3.     Go to a baseball game

4.     Visit the Statue of Liberty

5.     Visit the Empire State Building

6.     Go to a Broadway show

7.     Go to Queens Night Market

8.     Go to Brooklyn Flea

9.     Ride on a carousel

10.   Visit outdoor spaces in the city

11.   Take the Roosevelt Island Tramway

12.   Spend a day at Governors Island

13.   Ride on a Ferris Wheel

14.   Visit Niagara Falls

15.   Get caught in the rain, step in puddles

16.   Take a ride in a hot air balloon

17.   Be an extra in a movie.

18.   Learn to ride a motorcycle.

19.   Learn a new skill just for enhancement

20.   Write a book.

21.   Add a new source of income online.

22.   Start waking up early.

23.   Create an original YouTube video of the summer

24.   Sundays without using technology

25.   Donate blood.

26.   Visit a chocolate factory.

27.   Plan a picnic.

28.   Fly a kite.

29.   Ride a rollercoaster.

30.   Test drive a Ferrari or a new car.

31.   Throw a huge party.

32.   Start a journal.

33.   Take a class: cooking, sewing, …

34.   Learn to code

35.   Make jam.

36.   Watch fireworks.

37.   Make a summer music playlist

38.   Chase down the ice cream truck

39.   Do nothing and feel no guilt

40.   Make a tie- die t-shirt

41.   Take a road trip

42.   Eat cotton candy without guilt

43.   Fall in love

44.   Row a boat

45.   Rent a beach house

46.   Go to an outdoor concert

47.   Have a water balloon fight

48.   Sleep outside/ camping

49.   See an outdoor movie

50.   Go to a state fair

51.   Go to a drive-in movie

52.   Visit the farmer’s market, make a meal from haul

53.   Try something new, eat, cook,

54.    Pick strawberries

55.   Attend a parade

56.   Grow an herb garden

57.   Random act of kindness

58.   Sell at a flee market

59.   Watch a sunset

60.   Watch a sunrise

61.   Make ice cream

62.   Go bowling

63.   Go to the zoo

64.   Paint something

65.   Take a photo every day of summer

66.   Send a post card/ write a letter and use stamps to mail it

67.   Say yes, all day

68.   Hop on a train/bus/plane and spend day in another city

69.   Buy a pair of summer sneakers and take photos of it’s evolution

70.   Ground myself by walking in the grass

71.   Meditate

72.   Make a new friend

73.   Start a podcast or post consistently

74.   Teach a class

75.   Start a fitness routine

76.   Volunteer

78.   Eat dinner on the balcony/porch

79.   Make balcony/porch summer ready

80.   Take a summer vacation to another country

81.   Go to the aquarium

82.   Go fishing

83.   Have a wine tasting with friends

84.   Spend time with kids

85.   Go to a water park with only adults

86.   Make home made popsicles

87.   Chew loads of gum and blow bubbles

88.   Sprinkle native flowering seed in empty lots or places that need some love

89.   Buy a stranger a meal

90.   Make adult lemonade

91.    Only spend $20 on an outing

92.    Make a list of things that make me smile

93.    Use my non dominant hand all day

94.    Visit another place of worship other than own

95.    Have a solo picnic with a new book

96.    Make something with my hands

97.    Make out in public

98.    Set up an outdoor photo studio with props for people to take pictures (be the photographer)

99.    Check in a local hotel for just the weekend

100.  Send groceries to a family member or friend in need

101.  Go to the beach and be a beach bum.

102.  Buy magazines that will inspire all summer

103.  Go to a block party(dance, no matter if everyone is watching)

104.  Ask for help doing something cool

105.  Take a bubble machine to the park, and watch the kid come out in everyone

106.  Get to know one of your Facebook friends out in real life instead of just on the computer

107.  Take an outdoor yoga class

108.  Buy a hula hoop get good at it

109.  Take a dance class

110.  Go to the dermatologist for routine skin care

111.  Call in to the radio station and dedicate a song to someone

112.  Leave mini cards with inspiring quotes about for people to find

113.  Start a TikTok or consistently post

114.  Trust myslef

115.  Dress up for a casual event

116.  Live my alter ego for one day(I will try not to get in trouble).