A (totally great) conference last weekend followed by a complete computer freak out (now settled, thanks to the Dude) means that I’m not even caught up on what the hell is going on in the world, so I thought I’d make this week’s FFT niiiiiice and easy: what fun stuff have you got planned for the next couple of months?
I’m still operating on an academic schedule, so the summer months are typically when I get to run around and loaf and travel. I had hoped to take a big trip this summer, as a post-graduation reward, but because my employment situation is still so shabby, I can’t afford it. 
But, I am going to see BroDork and his family (who are moving to the UK next month) in one of our mountainous states, and the Dude and I are planning a long weekend in Boston to see a number of friends sometime in August. And we’re talking about going to the midwest to see both families, but that’s all hypothetical at this point. Other than that, I’m going to take a couple riding lessons, and apply for jobs I almost certainly will not get, and maybe go here for a day. Nothing spectacular, but perhaps some fun.
How ’bout you? Super bonus points for recommendations of fun/cheap ways to enjoy the summer!
*or Winter, for our antipodean friends. Tell me cooling tales of ski trips and snowball fights!
I have maxed out my spring/summer vacation leave, so I’m going to stick around Brooklyn, with a few trips upstate and to New England for the weekend to visit friends. Oh, and to Austin TX to visit one of my dearest friends, which is complete folly given that it will be 100,000 degrees there in August, but I will eat lots of paletas to stay cool.
My favorite form of fun/cheap ways to enjoy the summer mostly come down to ice cream and cold watermelon.
I just realized that a trip to Puerto Rico is cheaper than a trip to many US cities, so my boyfriend and I are going there for a week. (I need to go on a trip before I have a meltdown at work.)I will also be applying to many jobs that I won’t get. I feel you on that one! There are also lots of fun street fests in Chicago. Ah, and I will begin to work on a book of essays.
I’m looking forward to participating in my first group art show, traveling to Brazil to see friends, traveling to Europe to visit the Venice Bienale and Berlin, my 29th birthday and 10 year high school reunion soon after, and a return to the broke life when it’s all done.
I’m going to enjoy the shit out of this summer/fall, and face my penniless future with a brave heart.
I’m going to visit Indiana and Chicago (yay!) next month.
Somehow I’ll celebrate anniversaries and birthdays in August somewhere in Pennsylvania, near Stroudsburg and Hershey. Any suggestions for fun things driveable from there?
Travel makes my autoimmune condition flare up (esp. since travelling with kids means I can’t rest when I need to). Totally sucks, because I *love* seeing new places. I went on a long vacation last summer, and a shorter one this spring, and I feel like I’m still recovering.
So I’m making peace with going to local stuff here in the Seattle area, and lots of lounging about in my glorious backyard, reading and enjoying my pets, children, friends.
The Girlfriend and I took our major vacation in May to visit my folks in Michigan. I’ll be going back there at the end of the month to attend the wedding reception of my brother and sister-in-law (married last fall by a justice of the peace in Oregon, when none of us could attend). July will bring a trip to visit The Girlfriend’s parents in Maine: we’ve been promised an artisan bread fair in Skowhegan which I hope does happen!
Summer is our busy time at Ye Olde Historical Society, since academics are on “vacation” and therefore madly doing research. So Hanna and I are mostly sticking close to home (if you make it to Boston drop me an email and we can maybe do coffee!) In October we’re taking a just-for-us long weekend that might end up, due to economic constraints, just being a “staycation” with day trips to places we’ve always wanted to visit but never find the time to go.
Cheap summer amusements include people watching, outdoor markets (primarily “window shopping”), hiking at public parks, museums (air conditioning! — and they often have a free day, if your schedule is flexible), outdoor movies, theatre, music … and what would my list be like if I didn’t recommend regular use of your local public library
!
@Rodriguez: Hershey has a gorgeous public garden, well worth a visit. And the whole town smells like chocolate. The factory tour is ok. There’s also a large amusement park in Hershey which is pretty good.
I’ve already been to the Boston area once to visit our daughter, and Mr MM and I are going again right after the 4th. In August we have a big trip to the West Coast planned. Mr MM and I, our kids (25 and 23), my brother from Dallas and my mom will go to LA for a few days to visit our other brother, then drive up the coast and spend a few days in the Bay Area, where our daughter’s bf is working this summer. If anyone has suggestions for places to visit, restaurants, etc. in the Bay area, please send them along!
And if anyone is traveling through Pittsburgh this summer, def email me!
PS I love the FFT, no matter what it is. We talk about so much serious stuff here that it’s great to lighten up sometimes and just chat about fun stuff. Thanks, Harpies!
PPS @PhDork: *sings*RockRockRockaway Beach!
Chime on FFT love – it’s good to remember to HAVE FUN.
I just got back from a conference myself – I presented my first paper ever, and I’ve only just finished my 1st year as a PhD student. !!! Very exciting! Upcoming: another conference.
My partner-in-history and I have a deal: we go to each of our specialized conferences together, and to the biggie every January (if we can afford it!) and that way we get our nerd on and don’t travel alone. Plus rooms are cheaper when it’s double occupancy.
Cheap-o summer stuff…well, this summer I’m essentially taking 2 readings courses, so I have a mountain of books to get through. I have decided that since the readings are assigned for the summer, they are summer reading, which requires chairs in the sun and frosty drinks, even if it’s just in the backyard or at a park. (Smoothies at the park – YUM.) Also, we’re about 2 hours from the coast, and I, Mr. Boxer, and the Partner-in-History all have Mondays off this summer. Beach Mondays!
I am packing in as much camping and hiking as I can before I return to work!
I’m learning LATIN! And I’m REALLY EXCITED about it! I am not being sarcastic. I am so excited. Latin is cool.
I’m also participating in an informal reading group which I casually mentioned to a cohort of mine in the spring. I was all, Hey let’s read The Faerie Queene this summer! And she was all, Yeah that’s a good idea! And then because she’s really efficient she made a syllabus, talked to a bunch of people and came up with a shitload of extra reading, and now we’re doing that. I’m so glad she’s so efficient, because I’m really good at getting shit done when I have even the faintest glimmer of accountability, and when she was like, Read Book 1 by next week, I was all, YessirThankyouSir.
Other than that: dog park every day. Gardening (I have 25 sprouting tomato plants in my kitchen, and I recently procured a small plot with full sun on-campus, so that’s A+). Make and eat lots of ice cream.
Also, I’m in RI, so if anyone in New England is looking for a day trip and feels compelled to come here, feel free to email me. I mean, I don’t think there’s anything cool or fun in Providence, unless you’re doing research at Brown’s Special Collections or something (it’s telling that this is the only thing I can come up with as a reason someone might travel to this city), though I’ve heard that there’s a thing with water and fire that’s supposed to be cool (but I don’t know). And I don’t think my partner would be ok with me offering couch-space to people I know from the internet, necessarily. Hmm, this is certainly turning out to be a pretty qualified offer of hospitality. But, I can certainly direct you to a brilliant bookstore that sells absurdly cheap, really cool remainder books, and potentially some homemade ice cream of exotic or traditional flavor.
And I can definitely offer a pit-stop type place for anyone passing through. Because here’s the thing–sometimes when I’m traveling somewhere and I arrive in a city and I’m just staying for the day, I’m like, wow I wish I could just go to someone’s house and wash my face and pee and have a non-car, non-coffee-shop, non-transitory center from which to decide what to do next. Does anyone else feel like this? Like, it’s easier to do sight-seeing things if there’s a house I can use as a homebase, or something? (Or am I just crazy?) Anyway: I’m saying my apartment is available as a potential home-base. As long as you promise not to be a serial killer or something.
I’m on my summer holiday right now…the last weekend of our honeymoon. Unfortunately right after the wedding, I got sick and it was supposed to rain all week where we wanted to go camping, so we cancelled our plans and laid low in town. I know, not very exciting, but: we did get all our post-wedding errands done and schluffed around pretending to be tourists. It was very relaxing.
Hopefully later this summer we can get a trip in up north to go fishing. Aside from that, we are planning a Big Trip to Montreal eventually, as the “official” honeymoon.
I’m going to the beach for the first time in about five years. For a week. EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!! Of course, I have to survive a month of work first.
As one of the antipodean folk, I was wanting to escape the cold. I was thinking of taking off to south east asia for a bit.
The max temp at the moment is 18 degrees celcius (64 degrees fahrenheit), and there’s a wind chill, so it’s really about 13 degress c (55 degrees f). It gets a whole bunch colder at night.
Instead I’m having to look for new digs, so no o/s trip to be in the sun.
But I will find a way to visit peeps and do fun stuff.
I’ll find a way to see the Vienna Art and design exhibition at NGVA in Melbourne (lots of Klimt!!!). And my youngest sister is graduating, so there’s a trip to Brisbane as well. Otherwise, at night I’ll hang out at home, on the couch with a doona, the fur-human, the SO and trashy tv and movies, dreaming of warmer climes.
@Hilary: congratulations!
@ cimorene:
If you can sneak into the RISD nature lab, (on waterman street, across from the (I think first baptist) church) it’s worth a looksee. Go left as soon as you enter. There isn’t anybody at the front door, and it’s pretty darn cool.. Skeletons, weird taxidermy, all kinds of weird stuff.
Also there is a pretty darn good Cuban food place… I don’t remember where it is, but it is on the way to the public library…
The RISD museum is actually a world class museum, and has quite an extensive collection, and I love visiting the Athenaum (really old public library), it’s so cool, and smells so wonderful.
Also there is usually some kind of exhibition at the galleries around RISD. Not sure what is up during the summer, but there are usually some cool art.
AND Newport isn’t too far away. So you can do a day trip from Providence, though the first time I missed it by one minute, and the bus driver just shook his head at me…