How’s your summer of fun going?
And may I offer a few suggestions?
Friends, it has been a rocket of a summer so far. In between riding out heat waves and finally becoming a successful plant mom (so far, anyway) and investing in a fancy new paddle for my paddleboard, I am just now realizing we’re halfway through July.
And that’s a good thing to be so consumed by things you’re interested in that you can flow through each day without being dragged down into the muck.
Even though I wake up angry every morning at our capitalist, corporation-focused society’s inability to make meaningful progress on mitigating climate change, that doesn’t mean I can’t still have fun whenever possible.
I mean, that IS my life M.O. Fun above all!
Here’s a smattering of stuff I’ve done lately and that I think you might dig reading about — or even doing too.
Why don’t you try a weekend in a campervan?
I think everyone (who’s on the “camping is pretty cool” spectrum and not “Four Seasons or bust” spectrum) should try a trip in a campervan at some point in their life. And it can be for a weekend or a few days — it doesn’t have to be for three full weeks, like Dan and I did on our cross-country Route 66 road trip.
I wrote a story for CNN on why I think a campervan adventure is one worth taking, and why it’s so different from a regular in-the-car road trip or a weekend campout in the woods.
Or be a complete weirdo on your next road trip?
One thing I learned from my campervan experience is how much I love to cook on a propane camp stove, and how easy it is to roll up and cook a meal pretty much anywhere you are.
So now that’s what I do when we’re going to be in a place for a few days and I want to save a few bucks on lunches that would otherwise go to mediocre meals or same-old sandwiches.
Here’s another piece for CNN on my blooming love affair with the camp stove, and on being the kind of person who really does bust that thing out in hotel parking lots to make a quick and awesome one-skillet mac and cheese on the fly.
Also: I’m halfway through my yearlong ukulele project!
Recap: In January, I decided I’d learn every two-song acoustic set that Taylor Swift played on the 2023 North American leg of the Eras Tour and play one set each week as an Instagram Live on my ukulele account (@tangerinetrex).
I’m now halfway through the endeavor and guess what? I’m still really loving it, and getting way more comfortable messing up on camera and pushing through. And, yes, I’m definitely improving as a singer and ukulele player too.
There are still 25 more weeks of sets to finish, and you can catch up on all the previous sets on the Tangerine T-Rex Instagram.
I’d love for you to follow along — you might be surprised to discover a new favorite song, and if I’m being completely honest, it feels really good to have your friends cheer you along too.
And if you have a request for another song you’d like me to do, I also play non-TS songs on the account! So just ask!