Plans for the Summer: Have Fun

There is nothing that I love more than summer. I know many of you ski and love the cold, but in my mind, there’s really nothing better than warm weather and all that comes with it. 

On this past Memorial Day weekend, I had that same thought that I have at the start of every summer: “I will not work my way through the whole summer and then at Labor Day, regret that I never had any fun!”

So, here is my list of things I’d like to do this summer. Some are local; some may require a little bit of travel. But they will all focus on having fun and there is nothing that improves our health and wellness more than having healthy fun! Let’s make that commitment together: we will make time to relax and have fun this summer!

1. The beach: My ultimate favorite summer past time is to go to the beach. My favorite is Crane Beach. What’s your favorite? Crane is less than an hour away and they’ve got a great beach and super facilities. One of my most favorite things to do is to bring my running clothes, park the car and then do a quick run from the gate to the farm up the road. I run back, hop into my suit and then hit the beach. I load up on the sunscreen and read a good book. Did you know that their snackbar veggies come from local farms? I love that. I always feel like I went on vacation when I come home. For information, see www.thetrustees.org.
2. The farm: With greater awareness around eating healthy as well as local, stopping at the farm to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables is a great idea. For children, it can be a great learning experience and for you, a wonderful way to learn how to cook what’s in season. There are so many wonderful farms in Massachusetts; please share your favorites in the comments section below.
3. The animal sanctuary: Like the farm, any local animal sanctuary is a great way to get your kids interacting with animals and to support a place that’s all about saving animals. My all time favorite is Winslow Farms in Norton. It is the most magical blend of many different kinds of animals from llamas to ducks, horses to peacocks. The amazing thing is they all walk around fairly unrestricted so you and your kids will have a lot of opportunities to interact with them. You can find them at: www.winslowfarm.com.
4. The golf course: OK, so you may already be rolling your eyes. I know, you’re not that good at golf and it’s so frustrating! Or, you ARE good at golf but it’s still so frustrating! Yoga and golf share so many things, both from the physical and mental perspective. The balance, flexibility and strength you get from yoga improves your golf game and the mental focus we practice in yoga is key for golf. Not sure where to play? Check out this website that lists public golf courses: www.publicgolfcourses.net/massachusetts.
5. Train for a road race: I didn’t run all winter but I’m looking forward to getting out there again this summer. If you’ve never run a road race, there are lots of local races of different distances throughout the summer. Pick a race and set a goal of training for something in the not-so-distant future. Just make sure you have a good set of sneakers and, of course, it goes without saying, but practice yoga to keep your flexibility level high. Here’s a great website that lists local running races: coolrunning.com.
6. The Vineyard (or Nantucket or Newport): One of the reasons I love living in Boston is a short distance away, we’ve got different destinations that have a completely different look and feel. For the summer, whether it’s the Vineyard, Newport or Maine, in less than three hours, you can be sitting on a wooden bench enjoying an ice cream cone. Concerned about cost? Me too. Look for a bed and breakfast. Partner up with a friend or two and share costs. Set a time in advance and pinch some pennies but make the time to go away.

At the end of every summer, we all say the same thing: “The summer is too short!” Don’t deny yourself time this year to relax and take care of yourself.  See you on the beach!