Rewriting My Summer: A Case for Curiosity (and Putting Your Phone Down)
There’s no feeling like that final click of the 'submit' button—instant freedom and two whole months to do whatever we want.
Cue the summer routine: mall hangouts, beach days, movie nights, game nights—rinse and repeat. And for a while, it was everything I wanted. But eventually, the excitement started to wear off. I felt like I’d explored every corner of the city. My friends and I would spend more time thinking of something to do than actually doing it.
Slowly, summer stopped feeling like a break and more like a loop. Before I knew it, I was spending full days scrolling on my phone, only getting up to grab a charger so the endless feed wouldn’t die on me. Yep—full couch potato status unlocked. And the worst part? I still felt bored. All those tiny dopamine hits from my screen weren’t adding up to anything real.
But one day it hit me: we’d never really branched out from our “classic” summer plans. What if I treated summer not as a break, but as a challenge? How many new things could I try?
So my friends and I made a new kind of bucket list—with one simple rule: it had to be different. Bucket lists have been well-used in our friend group chats in the past, but to really challenge ourselves, the list had to consist of things we’ve (1) never done before and (2) had to be outside of our ordinary routines. Here's some of the things we came up with:
Instead of just going to the beach, walk around a nearby neighbourhood first and try a local eatery. Then paddle board instead of sunbathing.
Spend $10 on a ferry ride to a nearby island and explore—go hiking, check out the local shops.
Try new sports that don’t break the bank: rent golf clubs and hit the driving range or pay a few bucks to try bouldering.
Stay in and cook something you’ve never made before—like pasta from scratch.
Embrace the inner kid and go to a trampoline park.
DIY or paint pottery just for fun (FYI: your “inner artist” will be humbled).
My friend’s personal favourite: Visit a local farm and turn it into a fruit picking competition.
A local day trip outside of your town is fun, but why not hit up something you’ve never tried before instead of doing the same ol’ activities?
Movie and TV-show marathons are fun, but why not check out community movie nights! (WOW there’s a drive-in movie night a couple cities over from me … seriously the coolest thing I’ve seen in a while)
These ideas might seem simple. But, honestly, that’s when I started to fall back in love with where I live. British Columbia has so much to offer, and I had been too distracted to notice. I always thought my city was boring—turns out I just wasn’t paying enough attention.
If you’re still trying to figure out your summer to-dos, here’s my recommendation: don’t stop trying new things. Keep your brain curious and active. And while you’re at it, hit that Do Not Disturb button. Turn off your notifications and be present—for real. You’d be surprised what your city (and your summer) has to offer when your screen isn’t getting in the way.
Toodles!
Katie Lam
JOMO Student Intern
