Ah, summer
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Ah spring, when a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of… summer holidays, of course.
Everyone is thinking of what they want to do this summer and it’s time, now that we have had at least two days in a row of sunshine, to start planning. Do we want to do the same old same old or are we willing to be adventurous and do something completely different? We do not have to do the same thing each year, go to the same place each year, spend time with the same people each year. Our options are endless or at least as endless as our finances can handle.
There is just so much to do, so many things to try, places to go. Because our summers are relatively short we have to make the best of it. We need to plan. Planning is the key to any good holiday. Anywhere you go and whatever form your holiday takes, if it’s well planned it will be successful.
Like so many others, I spent many years camping. Often that choice is made because it’s the most economical option. The equipment, once purchased, can be used over and over again. As you become more seasoned at camping the less time it takes to prepare and set up. It becomes an easy get away, routine.
Some folks really love camping. They appreciate the dampness, the bugs, the smoke, the camp food, the outdoor experience. It can be wonderful or it can be awful but for many it’s the option they can afford. Once the choice was mine I was able to admit I did not like camping at all. Although I loved the outdoor experience, I didn’t appreciate the dampness, the bugs, the smoke, the camp food, the dirt, the noise, the soreness, the…
I was good at it, efficient, capable and accepting of the situation. But it was so liberating to know I would never have to go camping again. I would rather stay home, not have a summer vacation at all, than every go camping again. And if that is what happens there are lots of experiences to be had on day trips or short overnighters for now.
May never go on Virgin Galactic for a tour in space (which is OK with me) or to the Arctic to see polar bears (which is pretty OK, too) but long term planning is still essential if for nothing else than to encourage saving the pennies. A few weeks touring Newfoundland’s coastal regions or wandering through the castles of Ireland and sampling the culinary delights are two of what I call my somedays. Planning those adventures makes sacrificing a bit now to save for them much easier.
The planning itself is exciting. Learning about all that is available, trying to decide just which route to take, the things I want to see and do, how much time it will take, is fun. Researching each aspect of the adventure inspires me to make it a reality.
But for this year a trip to Jack Lake and a weekend in Port Hope are on the short list. Cookstown has lots of opportunity for a day of antiquing. Some time with friends enjoying a drink, discovering a new restaurant, soaking up the beauty at garden tours, taking in a ball game, being stimulated at art shows and studio tours, being moved at a concert, playing a new course – the possibilities are endless.
Ah, summer!
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