Summer Bucket List

Happy Wednesday, friends! It’s been a little quiet around here, but I’m looking forward to sharing some exciting things with you in the coming weeks, starting with my summer bucket list!summer bucket listSeveral people have asked me what my summer travel plans are and I don’t hesitate to let them know I’ve waited a long time for Summertime CHI to arrive and I’m not going anywhere!

Memorial Day Weekend always feels like the unofficial start to summer for me (the pools open back up, I’ve more than likely experienced my first accidental sunburn, and so on) and with that behind us and the summer solstice just a few short weeks away, I figure there’s no reason why I can’t get a head start on the adventure the new season always brings. This will be my first full summer in the city and I fully intend to make the most of it!

Up first on my summer bucket list…

Skydiving  My sister sent me the below video (which is about so much more than skydiving, really) a few months ago and the whole idea is that the best things in life are on the other side of fear. She made a valid point when she said fear doesn’t serve us in anything we do – it’s simply an inhibitor and nothing else.

I’ve grown increasingly more terrified of heights with each passing year and I took this as a sign that it was time to face that and quite literally dive head-first into my next year of life, which I’m sharing more on below!


I reached out to the Chicagoland Skydiving Center and they agreed to partner with me to make my first skydiving jump happen! If all goes well weather-wise, someone will be pushing me out of a plane I’ll be flying the first Sunday in July. I’ll have lots of photos and a video to share after all is said and done, but I’ll also be posting to Instagram Stories the day of, so make sure you’re following along there!

Stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) – Being on the water makes me so happy. I tried SUP a few summers ago and I’m excited to give it a go out on Lake Michigan this time around.

Kayak on the river – My apartment overlooks the water and I always see little schools of kayakers making their way up and down the river and think to myself, I need to get out there! And so, on the summer to-do list it goes.

Watch the sunrise over the lake – The water baby in me wants to be by the lake as much as possible, clearly! I’d love to take my breakfast down to the lakefront and enjoy the cool breeze off the water before the concrete heats up in the summer sun.

Spend the day on a rooftop – Eat, drink, play games, and laugh until my cheeks hurt – all good things, no? Any favorite spots in the city? I’m not opposed to making this happen more than once! 😉

Try three new workout classes – I’m long overdue to try out a few new studios around the city and Barry’s Bootcamp, Studio Lagree, and Iron and Oar have been on my radar for a while now!

Lollapalooza – It’s no secret that I love music (and the way a song can take you back to a specific time and place). It’s fueled some of the best days/nights of my life and gotten me through the days (weeks, months) where life feels all-consuming in the worst way possible. There are so many great artists in this year’s lineup that I can’t wait to see!

Celebrate my 30th birthday (!!!) – I’ve never been more excited to turn another year older. Perhaps it’s feeling more confident in my own skin and more comfortable with where I’m at in life (don’t get me wrong though, I still don’t have it all figured out and am more than okay with knowing I never will). Getting older is a privilege I never want to take for granted as it’s denied to so many. A few of my girlfriends are flying up to spend the weekend with me and I am beyond excited to celebrate with them!

A lot of the items on my spring bucket list carry over into summer as well, so be sure to check that out if you haven’t! And stay tuned for my recap in the coming weeks.

What are your plans for the summer? I’d love to hear!

Video from Mateusz

Leave a Comment

27 Comments

  1. This is an amazing bucket list! And hooray for 30! I turn 30 in January and I’m actually really excited about it. For the same reasons I think… I’m really starting to feel confident and caring less about things that just don’t matter. It’s a great way to live life! 🙂

    I hope you make it sky diving! I’m afraid of heights, but it’s so worth it. Plus the views you would have would be amazing!

    Posted 6.7.17 Reply
    • Jess wrote:

      So glad that you like it! Yes, I love your mindset 🙂 It’s amazing what a shift in perspective can bring. I’m all signed up and ready to jump…SO EXCITED.

      Posted 6.7.17 Reply
  2. Love your bucket list! You are SO brave with skydiving… I’d be terrified!

    Annnnd your thirties are your best years – at least I think so, and all my friends agree! I love what you said about getting older being a privilege -I hadn’t really thought of it like that.

    Posted 6.7.17 Reply
    • Jess wrote:

      Thanks, Grace! I’m equal parts excited and scared to death haha. It’s going to be quite the experience!

      That’s what everyone tells me…that life just keeps getting better and that’s exciting to me!

      Posted 6.7.17 Reply
  3. Lauren wrote:

    I don’t think I’d ever have the balls to go sky diving! This is a great list!

    Posted 6.7.17 Reply
    • Jess wrote:

      Thank you so much, Lauren! I never thought I would either and yet, here I am. My friends think I’m crazy 🙃 (they might be onto something…)

      Posted 6.7.17 Reply
  4. Melissa wrote:

    Yes! I love all these ideas! I really want to try skydiving too! You definitely have to plan something special for your 30th.

    Posted 6.7.17 Reply
    • Jess wrote:

      Yay! You should! I’m working on plans now and knowing my friends, it’s going to be one for the books 😉

      Posted 6.7.17 Reply
  5. Cait wrote:

    YES YES YES YES to all of this! So fun, I love it.

    Posted 6.7.17 Reply
    • Jess wrote:

      WOOO! Thanks lady 🤗

      Posted 6.7.17 Reply
  6. Kelli wrote:

    I love watching other people sky dive. I hope you have a great experience and it helps you conquer your fears! Enjoy the summer time while you can do so much outside. Also, I have to agree that your 30s can be so much better than your 20s. You have already gotten some of the stupid mistakes out of the way, you are more confident in your own skin, and people seem to start taking you more serious. “Thirty, flirty, and thriving” -13 Going on 30.

    Posted 6.8.17 Reply
    • Jess wrote:

      I do too 🙂 Thank you, Kelli! I plan to spend as much time as possible outdoors after the long winter. That’s really encouraging to me! I’m excited to see where the next decade of life takes me. I hope you have a great week!

      Posted 6.8.17 Reply
  7. Dana wrote:

    Oh man, watching the sun rise over lake Michigan was one of my favorite things about growing up in Milwaukee. I’m so excited for you to experience it!

    Dana
    http://www.somethinggoodblog.com

    Posted 6.23.17 Reply
    • Jess wrote:

      I think I might go this week actually! Sounds so peaceful 🙂

      Posted 6.25.17 Reply
      • Dana wrote:

        Let me know how it is!

        Posted 6.25.17 Reply