Summer Bucket List: A Lost Treasure
Written By : Hannah Corbett
Somewhere along the way, summer turned into a season we had to schedule.
Hanging out with friends now requires calendar links, group chats, and aligning everyone's work schedules like some high-stakes chess match. We send “we need to catch up!” texts that go unanswered until September. Date nights are booked weeks in advance, bonfires are RSVP-only, and even a boat day—once the definition of carefree—is now a logistical puzzle that needs three group threads and a weather app.
It’s no wonder spontaneity feels like a lost art.
Meanwhile, when we were younger, our friends just showed up. On bikes. With no plan. Somehow, the plan always found us—whether it was running through the sprinkler, laying in the grass eating popsicles, or walking to the gas station just to buy gum and talk about everything and nothing. That was the magic. Summer didn’t need to be curated. It just happened.
And so I found myself wondering: In a world of adult responsibilities, can a summer bucket list bring us back to who we used to be?
At first, the idea felt...childish. Like something you’d scribble at summer camp and fold into your diary. Something mythological, only seen now on aesthetic Pinterest boards titled “Clean Girl Aesthetic” or “Coastal Granddaughter Core.” But yesterday, sitting across from Kitty during our podcast. We started writing a list.
And suddenly, something shifted.
We weren’t thinking about deadlines or what's next for work or the emails we forgot to send. We were thinking about rooftops. Drive-in movies. New Coffee Shops. Slumber parties where we don't sleep. The exact shade of blue the ocean turns right before sunset.
That’s the thing about a summer bucket list, it’s not about getting things done. It’s about slowing down long enough to simply hang out. It's not a to-do list. It’s a to-feel list. A permission slip to romanticize your own life. A way to gently remind yourself that yes, you do have time to make memories on purpose. Especially now.
So this year, I’m choosing to be a little more like my younger self. To write it all down, not because I need more things to do, but because I want to hold myself accountable to enjoy simple things.
Because maybe the secret to a good summer isn’t luck or freedom or even time.
Maybe the best summers don’t happen by accident.
Maybe they start with a bucket list
*Tune into ‘in the haven podcast” tomorrow to hear Kitty & I create our summer bucket list!!!*