Happy fall! I was also going to say happy September until I realized there’s only a week left of it…WUT. 🤯

Fall Bucket List 2019 (and an end of summer recap!)

I did something I haven’t done since I first started creating these seasonal bucket lists and ended up skipping my summer bucket list entirely. But that’s not to say that the last few months haven’t been the craziest, most fulfilling of my life. I laid in bed and looked back through my Instagram stories archive a few nights ago and I must say, I’m impressed I’m still standing haha.

I kicked off the summer early with a visit from my best friends Erin and Tisha.

(A weekend that left me with an iPhone note full of one-liners that send me into a fit of hysterics every time I open it up and a stack of photos I’ll look back on forever). Tish, my friend Melissa, and I capped it all off by jumping out of a plane at 18,000 feet (the highest civilian altitude!). I’ve said this before, but that’s a feeling I’ll chase over and over again.

I biked along the lakefront, made it all four days at Lollapalooza (a miracle in itself, honestly) thanks to the car2go team, finally saw John Mayer live and cried my way through the second half of the show. Very on-brand for me, no?

I took in the view from the top of 360 Chicago, ate more tacos and slices of pizza than I can count, rode down the river on the architecture boat tour, jumped off the side of a boat into the middle of Lake Michigan, worked on my biggest brand partnership to date, spent a weekend in Madison (where I was on my death-bed, but I made what I could of it!), took a rosé boat cruise, danced until the wee hours of the morning with my girlfriends at The Whistler, donated blood, celebrated the fourth of July with my Ethos friends who feel more like my extended family every single day, teamed up with a group for Beer Olympics, wrote pages and pages in my journal. And I worked tirelessly to let go of old stories in order to make room for what’s meant for me.

I turned 32 (!!) and celebrated by watching The Wizard of Oz in Millennium park.

I practiced yoga along the lake, drank White Claws like they were water. And toasted to three years in Chicago.

I soaked up the sun at The Hoxton’s rooftop pool with my best girl, Meg, where we made friends with a couple of women in their mid-60s who we’re having their own girl’s weekend and will most definitely be us later in life. We saw Billy Currington and clung to each other as we sang at the top of our lungs, we Sunday Fundayed at Bingo at Happy Camper, and then I experienced one of the hardest goodbyes of my life.

I sipped under the stars at Out of the BLU, watched fireworks light up the Chicago night sky, went to events and parties by myself, which led me to meeting new friends, flew home to spend time with my friends and family in Kansas, celebrated Labor Day at the beach, and watched the Chiefs home opener at Toon’s.

And I’m pretty sure that’s not even the half of it.

I closed out the summer with a last-minute visit from my girl Tish.

A few days full of non-stop laughter was just what I needed after an emotional week. I really can’t put into words how much it meant to me that she made the drive up when I wasn’t feeling like myself.

This summer wasn’t without its lows and I found myself buried in the disappointment of knowing that even when you do what you’re “supposed to” by setting and managing your expectations of someone, you can still end up hurt if both parties aren’t open and honest. It left me feeling really, really down and just overall emotionally exhausted. I felt like I gave so much of myself up to someone and that my vulnerability was taken advantage of.

I’m letting that shit go though. ✌🏻

So, if you’re wondering, the only thing I didn’t do this summer was get enough the recommended amount of sleep. 🙃 But was it all worth it? 1000 times over, yes.

Needless to say, I’m looking forward to more nights at home, getting back to a more normal routine, and soaking up what I can of fall before we all go into hibernation mode!

Sharing my fall bucket list below!

Make an arrangement with fresh florals and fall foliage 

I love fresh flowers, I just don’t buy them all that often! This sort of thing is therapeutic for me, so I really should treat myself more.

Bake pumpkin bread

I’m not the best at baking, but I try! And I love pumpkin bread. Well, all bread, really. Banana bread, zucchini bread, ALL THE BREAD! If you have a recipe you love, share down in the comments. 🙂

Visit Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up at Goose Island

All for an adult pumpkin patch situation.

Eat apple cider donuts

This will be on every one of my fall bucket lists until the end of time. But I’d also like to add: eat pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting from Sprinkles because they are to. die. for.

Find a new favorite fall beer 

I love craft beer and always like mixing it up with the build-your-own six packs at Trader Joe’s and Binny’s!

Go to the Chicago Pizza Summit

I went to the Chicago Pizza Summit last spring and as you can imagine, it was basically my heaven. Can’t wait for round two in a few weeks.

Hike at Starved Rock State Park

This was on my fall bucket list last year, but I ended up hiking at the Indiana Dunes with the REI team instead. Still really want to get out there to escape the city for a day!

Mother/Daughter weekend 

My mom, her best friend of almost 40 years (my Aunt Heather), and her daughter Taylor are coming to visit in mid-October and I’m really excited to show them around to all my favorite spots in the city! Let’s just hope Mom doesn’t break a heel from dancing at the Hangee-Uppee again. 🤣

Take a trip to Tampa to see my baby Erin

A little fun in the sun with my girl in November will be just the thing before gearing up for the busy holiday season! I’m longgg overdue to catch a flight south.

What’s on your fall bucket list this year?!

You can see past fall bucket lists here and here!