One Last Summer Adventure: (Why We All Need Something to Look Forward To):
I think one of the most important things we can do for our mental health is always having something to look forward to. This has became a very important and necessary thing for me personally.
It doesn't have to be a vacation (though it can be if preferred 😉) . It doesn't have to be expensive. It doesn't even have to be particularly exciting to anyone else.
It can be a concert you've been counting down to, a new book release, a nail salon trip, Sunday mornings at the Cafe, or even just a little day trip.
For me, its typically vacations/trips. So, naturally my household is very used to walking in on me watching videos, comparing prices, and writing down hotels for vacations I am planning not only for the next year- but also for 3 years from now, 15 years, and even 30 years from now.
Having something on the calendar to anticipate has been a gamer changer for my mental health & way of thinking. When life starts feeling repetitive, exhausting, or overwhelming, there's something comforting about knowing, Okay, but we have this coming up. It also has improved my self discipline & gratefulness largely.
That's exactly what this last little summer adventure was for us- but specifically for my children before school is back & mama is off of maternity leave.
We didn't take an elaborate vacation or spend a fortune. We stayed at a hotel with a pool and breakfast, went to the zoo (admission was a whopping $23.00 for our family of 5), had a movie night in our hotel room with hot cocoa, ate breakfast together the next morning, and stopped at a few outlets.
To an adult, it might sound like a pretty simple overnight trip.
To my kids, it was an adventure.
And honestly, that's something I love about doing these little trips. We've even stayed in hotels before where the main attraction was simply the pool. But when you're a kid, packing your little suitcase with your favorite cartoon character on the front, sleeping somewhere other than home, swimming in a hotel pool, eating breakfast in a different place, and watching a movie from a hotel bed with treats from the corner gas station can feel incredibly special.
It reminds you that an adventure doesn't have to be extravagant to be meaningful.
Actually, when I think of my childhood- I think of weekend mornings. Watching music videos of the, "Top 30 Countdown" on TV with my parents while eating donuts and drinking coffee out of my toddler-sized blue coffee mug. My teen years, I think back to weekend mornings riding with my mother 35 minutes to our closest Walmart or mall, loading up for the week, and grabbing lunch together. While we were in the car we would listen to my most recent CD. When we were shopping, I branched off to the book isle or book store & read (surprise, I know).
Sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to plan the big vacation, Christmas, or to get the perfect house that we forget how much a small change of scenery can do. A one-night hotel stay can give you something to count down to just as a big trip can.
And I think that's important for adults, too.
Having something to look forward to helps with a more positive outlook on life in general.
For someone else, it might be a concert six months away. It might be a girl's night baking cookies with cheap wine, a football game, Sunday mornings at a cafe in order to just 'get out', a nightly sunset walk, or the release of a book they've been waiting months for.
Just another way to prove it does NOT have to be a huge expense - for me, it used to be a daily jog (not for physical fitness even- but for mental clarity) back when I had my first big girl job that paid horribly. Then it was concerts priced 40-60 dollars a ticket once a year. Now, it is a 2 week yearly trip & tiny trips in between. As well as daily family walks & time spent at coffee shops.
And Then There Was Barnes & Noble
Of course, a HUGE part of trips to me is reading or bookish activities.
Our hotel was literally next door to Barnes so, naturally I packed the stroller & made my ecstatic walk over.
Even though I primarily read on my Kindle these days, there is still something so cool about seeing the covers of books I've read sitting on an actual shelf. I love spotting books I've seen recommended by my favorite reviewers or finding one of my most anticipated reads in person.
I ended up picking up Love and Other Conspiracies as one of my fall reads, and I loved getting to talk books with the staff and other customers. Especially because where I am reading, tarot, bullet journals, digital design, or other little nerdy hobbies aren't exactly common.
It was another little thing to look forward to.
And maybe that's really what this whole adventure reminded me of.
We don't necessarily need more things. We need more little moments that give us something to anticipate.
Something that makes a regular Tuesday feel a little easier because you know Saturday is coming.
Something that gives you a reason to get through a difficult week.
Something that makes you excited to turn the calendar page.
Something to talk about passionately over family dinner.
Something that reminds you that life isn't just the responsibilities happening right now—there are still experiences waiting for you.
Sometimes it's a plane ticket.
Sometimes it's a concert ticket.
Sometimes it's a new book.
And sometimes, it's just a hotel room with a pool and a movie playing for kids drinking hot cocoa out of sippy cups.
Whatever it is, I think we all deserve to have something to look forward to always.
The next thing on our list? A hotel with a balcony for reading, a boat tour, & a candy shop. ⚓📖🍫
