“Summer, after all, is a time when wonderful things can happen to quiet people. For those few months, you’re not required to be who everyone thinks you are, and that cut-grass smell in the air and the chance to dive into the deep end of a pool give you a courage you don’t have the rest of the year. You can be grateful and easy, with no eyes on you, and no past. Summer just opens the door and lets you out.” ―Deb Caletti, Honey, Baby, Sweetheart
If you have no idea what 80 days of summer is all about, then where have you been!? Boy, you have a lot to catch up on! Don’t worry you can catch up here. But basically for 80 days, I am going to make sure I do something every single day that makes the most of summer, some things will be new some won’t. This challenge is to show that life is really made for living, no excuses, no wasting days! Just happiness every single day!
Day 40
I would be lying if I said that in the evenings after a long day at work that there weren’t some nights where I just want to go home and do absolutely nothing. I have been in my current job for 9 months and I freaking love it the days are long AF and sometimes it leaves me mentally exhausted but there is no way I would have it any other way. I feel extremely lucky to be able to say I love my job, it is not a job that I can turn on and off. At 5.30 my day doesn’t end, in fact, I will answer emails and phones 24/7 so I have learnt very early on with it that I need to be able to switch on and off as easily as flicking a switch. Something I can actually do pretty well, part of that is using the odd hour or two to go for walks and just enjoy some fresh air, I put my phone on silent and just enjoy the moment well I have it.
Chorlton Water Park is about 20 minutes from my office (on a no traffic day) and a perfect way to relax, especially for those who work in the city. Manchester has so many wonderful green spaces and ways to escape the speed of the city centre. Since the weather has been utterly beautiful it’s so lovely to see so many people using the parks, couples walking, families playing and there is always an array of beautiful little puppies running around. It is certainly easy to relax in such a beautiful setting if only for an hour. Not to mention the amount I am eating out lately, I need the exercise.
Day 41
My Papa Bear recently turned 58 years old, he is currently staying with my grandad as he has become very poorly and we aren’t sure how long he has left. So what better way to celebrate his birthday than taking the two of them out for dinner. My grandad lives in a little village near to Chester surrounded by countryside and lots of little country pubs. Now my dad and grandad are both creatures of habit and it took me a good 30 minutes to convince them to try something new, thank god I don’t follow in their footsteps.
I am totally not ready for the commitment involved in ordering a main course, what if you do not like what you order? It’s just one food! I am more of an order all the starters kind of person! Yes, it annoys some friends and family members, luckily my dad sees the logic in my madness! So I went for chicken liver pate, chips and the most incredible black pudding scotch eggs and some kind of crisp pork! Living the dream!
Day 42
We all know by now that I am a total sucker for a beautiful national trust site! (My twenty-year-old self just died of embarrassment) I find they are just the perfect way to relax and unwind after a busy week. I usually go at 6pm after work and they are normally nearly always empty except for the odd dog walker which suits me to a tee. Not that I have anything against children but when you don’t have any the summer holidays can get pretty annoying pretty quickly. So not having to battle through families is a godsend plus during my work day, I am constantly talking so being able to just have some peace and quiet and not have to say a single thing for a couple of hours feels like a total luxury.
How incredibly beautiful are these deer! The little beauty below just didn’t give a crap about people he just walked right in front of me and was so close. I did shit it a bit those antlers don’t exactly look like the friendliest of headwear and I am 100% sure I don’t want them coming at me at full speed. But he literally just walked straight past me in all his beauty.
