Summer Break! Yeah!

Time for our voluntary simplicity to take a SUMMER break (just for July and August!) and we'll be back September 11 (second Thursday of the month). But we'll be keeping an eye on the blog between times.

I never want to look up from my desk in September and wonder where the summer went! It just takes a little planning. When discussing what to do with your time and energy this summer, voluntary simplicity often turns to a discussion of needs vs. wants and knowing the difference for one’s own personal situation. But I collected some notes for musing:

Summertime is a good time to ...

Picking vacations spots: walk more and wear good shoes, stay where the natives stay (like staying in Brooklyn to visit Manhattan).

“Staycations,” cited in a CNN article, featured “at home” vacations, where one person turned his backyard (do you have one of those?) into a personal sanctuary, another becoming a tourist in her own neighborhood (checking out museums and small theatres), and then the discussion about whether to unplug (no email) or not (yes, it encouraged everyone to unplug).

Previous articles from other places talked about Volunteers Vacations, where you can work for a charity, maybe get discounts on housing and travel.

Summertime is also a good time ...

To plan rest of year (budget, taxes, projects, etc.)
To make doctors appointments
To take field trips (Ocean City, Wave Hill, Prospect Park, Chesapeake Bay)
Take bike rides
Explore raw foods and salads
Repot house plants, fertilize, take cuttings (to take root)

Reinforce good habits

Take a break, do opposite of what you usually do
Instead of job hunting: build your network, prepare your tools
(revisit your resume or career plan), do research in a field, take a course


For me, in NYC, I may check out:
Icecream at La Maison du Chocolate: 1018 Madison (78-79)...
(never been but I heard it's good)
Heron watch by boat from South St Seaport (Sat evenings)

Lots of free days at local museums but two smaller museums for me:
Frick Collection, 1 E 70 St (Fifth), $15?
Merchant House, 29 E 4 St, $8?

Free music and films? YES! See schedules:
Make Music NY, June 21, 850 free concerts all over
Bryant Park Summer Film Festival, Mondays (5PM) June 16-Aug 18
Central Park Summer Stage (Rumsey Playfield, enter at E72) June 13-Aug 17
NY Philharmonic in the Park (Great Lawn, 79—85th Sts, midpark) June 24-July 15
Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Aug 7-24

There’s more ... Let's start a summer reading entry... or just stay in touch.