Summer Bucket List

The lovely Grace, over at Puddle of Memories, is hosting a lovely blog party! Today's post consists of a summer bucket list, which I love! So without further ado, my list.

1. Read my Bible every day. I hate to admit this, but sometimes I get forgetful and days will go by without the covers of my Bible being cracked open. It really bothers me when this happens! So I'm resolving to read my Bible every day this summer. (Sadly, I left my favorite study Bible in Gatlinburg. So I'm patiently waiting and using the Bible on my phone in the meantime.)

2. Start cooking again! I used to love to help my mom cook. I think I hindered, more than helped, but she would always find something for me to do. When she passed away three years ago, I quit cooking altogether. It's very rare I get a home cooked meal anymore, and I'm sick of fast food. (small town = limited restaurant choices.) I'm already planning on making shrimp creole (um, yummy much?) and vegetable soup. I'm also thinking chocolate chip cookies with Nutella sound pretty great.

3. Go to Elephant Rocks. It's a super neat state park about three hours from where I live (and pretty close to where my boyfriend lives.) I have yet to go, a fact which I am quite (jokingly) bitter about.

4. Visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home. Rocky Ridge, where Laura wrote all the Little House books, is about twenty minutes from where I live. I haven't been since elementary school, and I would love to go back!

5. Cut all of my hair off. This is actually going to happen next week! I've had, essentially, the same hair cut in varying length and colors since my freshman year of high school. It's time for a change! I've already picked out a super cute pixie cut. I'm super excited, and a little nervous!

6. Improve my photography. I think this goes without much explanation. Who doesn't want to improve?

7. Beat this depression. I've been battling some form of depression since I was twelve. I was managing it quite well with medication, but over the past year, the medicines have stopped working. I've been on five different combinations of medicine in the past six months. I'm hoping this most current medication will work. It's designed to treat OCD, which is the cause of my depression and anxiety. I just want to feel hopeful and happy again. I want to enjoy life. I don't feel like myself, which I hate. I made few friends my first year of college because I was so overwhelmed with anxiety about everything. I couldn't really function. I had to give up a really great internship this summer because I couldn't handle life. I'm hoping this summer, with my family and friends around me, that God will help me beat this, because I can't do it myself. I've learned that the hard way. So prayers are greatly appreciated.

8. Get my lip pierced and get a tattoo. Just kidding. That's not going to happen. (although the secret, rebellious side of me wouldn't mind it. haha)

9. Get back into art. I used to draw and paint all the time. I haven't in so long, and I really, really miss it!

10. Learn a Rachmaninoff piece. I love Rachmaninoff's piano pieces. They make my heart smile! There is a certain piece that I adore. I've been attempting to play it for years, but have yet to put forth the effort to really learn it.

11. Read read read. I've already finished Burn by Ted Dekker, The Call of the Wild by Jack London, and I'll finish White Fang this week!

12. Do something good for someone else every day. Every Sunday, my dad goes through the McDonald's drive thru. He buys his breakfast, as well as the order of the person behind him. I love this concept. I'd like to do something nice for someone else every day.

There are many other things that I would like to do this summer, such as reach 50 followers with my blog, or go swimming at least once a week, but I had to stop at 12, since it's my favorite number. Let's blame the OCD.