Hello Summer

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Hello Summer / 2021 | Amanda Zampelli

It’s the first Monday of summer break for us NYC teachers and I AM SO READY for this season’s new rhythms. July and August are like blank canvases and I’m thrilled to decide what I’m going to fill ‘em with.

Now, don’t get me wrong - I’m 36, not 26. There’s a good deal of ‘adulting’ things I have to do (such as visit my sick dad a couple of times a week with groceries and as much patience as I can muster, prepare my tenure binder for my upcoming tenure year, take a dyslexia workshop, figure out if I have to fight a ticket I got back in March 2020, etc.), but I do believe there is enough space for what I want to do as well.

Here’s a list of things I want to do (in no particular order) this summer:

1. GET BACK TO BLOGGING. I’m so glad to be back on this space typing these words. I think for as long as I have a blog, I will fluctuate from being wholly present and wholly absent on it as the seasons call for. Luckily (as I wrote in this post after blogging for the past 11 years) I am living my life in such a way that I am able to add to this space when I’m inspired and energized to, and THAT’S IT. No outside force or “influencer” obligation is steering this ship, and boy oh boy does that free a girl up to enjoy this stuff!

2. DRESS UP & DANCE. Tom and I have six (!!!) make-up weddings that were cancelled last year due to COVID between July and October. You know what that means? It means six different fancy dress-up date nights with my guy . YAY is all I can say.

3. NEW GYM, WHO DIS? In May I joined a new gym in my ‘hood, and IT. IS. WONDERFUL. My initial goal in signing up was to just NOT be a slug on my couch anymore. These next two months of summer, I’m going to try to get there 5-6 days a week because sweat and challenge is good for me.

These are the main three things this summer, but I’m also excited to…

  • wake up without an alarm clock

  • clean & purge the apartment

  • update this website a bit

  • give Carmen & Archie their own blog posts

  • make flip-through videos of my December Daily 2020 & my 36 album so far

  • visit The Hamptons

  • get to the beach

  • watch Alejandro & his new kitten brother continue to bond

  • scrapbook summer memories

It might sound like a boring, ordinary summer, but the rest + recharge is exactly what I need. I’m going to focus on being present and intentional. I’m going to pay attention. I’m happy to be here.