SUMMER BUCKET LIST #1

47 DAYS LEFT

No...I'm not panicking at all. Okay, maybe a bit.

Up until now it seemed so far away, but now there is less than seven weeks until I board that plane. When I woke up this morning, I decided to get myself back on track and ready to start my new chapter of life!

This past year has been really difficult for me, dealing with anxiety, depression and all the tasks that come along with my new adventure. I am beyond proud to say that I have made it through the tunnel!

So, in order to make sure that I do not waste another moment of my summer, I have created a "Summer Bucket List". It is a list of things I want to do, places I want to go and memories I want to create in the next seven weeks. Most are simple things that have become traditions in my family and I refuse to break tradition...ever.

Today was beautiful, so Mom, Hunter and I took advantage of the weather and headed off to the beach. Thankfully, it is only a fifteen minute drive from our house and perfect for a sunny afternoon.

We spent a few hours playing in the sand and swimming in the beautiful water. Hunter had an absolute ball and I am sure he could have stayed there all day. I loved being outdoors and surrounded by trees. These moments are bittersweet, because while they are wonderful they are also the last moments I will spend in Canada for a while. The next time I am home, it will be covered in snow! Instead of dwelling on that (awful) thought, I just soaked up the sun and had a wonderful day.

The beach was not the only productive thing I did today! Last summer I read a book that really motivated me and so I decided to re-read it over the next few weeks. It is called The Everygirl's Guide to Life by Maria Menounos. It is such an amazing book and I'm already finding helpful tips and encouraging words.

Anyone who has been around me over the past three days knows that I tried the military diet (a Pinterest find!), but they also know that I struggled with being tired and even a bit shaky. Clearly, it wasn't the diet for me. So, once I completed the three days and weighed myself (four pounds gone!), I decided to find a different strategy. After doing a bit of research, I have decided to try "Clean Eating". This includes no processed foods, chemicals or anything I cannot pronounce. Today was the start and it went well!

For breakfast, I made a blueberry, egg, oat ensemble and although it is pictured with strawberries, I went with peaches. It was SO good...and clean!

For lunch, I decided on homemade chocolate granola (skrebtsova.blogspot.ca). It was amazing! After baking it, I paired it with a bit of skim milk and blueberries. I was missing a few ingredients, but substituted with other types of nuts. Also, I have enough for at least three more lunches!

For dinner, we had barbecued chicken, roasted peaches, a blueberry and pecan salad and homemade biscuits. Overall, I ate well today! I'm just hoping I can keep it up!

I have one thing crossed off my Summer Bucket List, but there are many more to go!