Summer Plans

Spring Hopping an major summer activity for me!

It's right around the corner! Summer!  What are you dreaming about doing? Two of my summer plans have been over a year in the making. The first is a family cruise with the the aunts and sisters and the grandchildren--no adult gents allowed.  Research says that the simple act of planning a vacation reaps benefits. The cruise will be my third and my daughter's second.  We went on an Alaskan cruise 5 summers ago. It was amazing.  The sites of this cruise will be a little different, but I let my daughter pick the excursions because she too should get the benefits of vacation planning.

The second vacay is a camping in the Shenandoah Valley and a 22 mile hike on the Appalachian trail. I did section of the AT in 2003 with my best friend and we decided to hike a section in each state. Here we are over ten years later me are ready to hit the AT again. The trip will be different this time, not just due to the location. This time, my husband, step-dad and other friends will join us while my daughter hangs out with my mom at the campsite.  Every summer I head out into nature. It is part of my rejuvenation.  We hike. We raft. We hang out in our hammock. We read. We listen to the naturalists and historians who volunteer their time. Last summer we learned how to retire a flag after attending a ceremony hosted by the Boy Scouts. I try to camp more often than not throughout the year, but it is a prerequisite for me to totally disconnect during the summer this way before I head back to work in the fall.

Other days in the summer will be spend spring hopping, a trip down the Rainbow River and a 24 hour Spring Hop into as many springs a possible. It is something I have also been thinking about for the past year. Perhaps it is the proximity of spring break that has me heading down summer lane tonight. What are you planning?