As a senior, there’s a lot I want to do as the school year ends, and as I approach my last summer at home. Of course, I have normal goals, like aiming to cherish the relationships with my family and friends who I will see less of in the coming years, get through the rest of the year without dying, and to stop stressing about school completely. While those are mostly goals for the rest of the school year, I have many more ‘bucket-list’ goals for the summer that are much more fun than my short term goals.

The first goal on my bucket list for the summer is to have a great trip to Paris, France. I’m lucky enough to be able to go on a senior trip with my grandma this summer, and because I love tennis, we are going to go to the French Open. I know I’m extremely lucky to be able to go to France, and visit the French Open, so my main goal is to soak it all in, enjoy it, and adventure around Paris. I want to have a lot of fun and forget all of the stresses of my life changing and going to college. I want to absorb all of the history and grandeur of the city.

Another thing that is on my senior bucket list is to spend as much time as I can outside of my house. I want to make sure that I explore Little Rock and take advantage of the time I have left here. I want to be in nature as much as I can and experience The Natural State. I would love to go to the Ozarks and the Buffalo River, as I have not been to either in years.

I want to go to all of the notable places in Arkansas that I have not gone. I would love to go to Crystal Bridges and Blanchard Springs, and to go to sites in Little Rock that I have not previously visited.

I want to see a bunch of movies this summer. I’m a movie nerd, and I know a lot of movies are coming out in summer before I leave for college, and now I’ll have the time to see them, so I want to take advantage of that.

Still, I really want to spend time with friends and family. I’m so grateful for all of the relationships I’ve developed, and I want to continue to nourish my friendships and relationships with my family for the future. It’s likely that I will barely see my friends during or after college, and that is the main reason why I want to spend the majority of my time with them this summer. My family is also extremely important to maintain good relationships with, because I know in the approaching adult years, I will need their help and guidance.

While none of my bucket-list material is completely fantastical, and most of it is practical, I feel as though I will be happiest if I can accomplish these things.