A Very Low-Key Mississippi Summer Checklist

What’s on your summer checklist? The summer days are hot and humid but spent well in the greenery way down south in Mississippi. I’m excited for some pool days, and knock-around weekends. I just want to make unforgettable memories with friends, experience the all-day activities of Mississippi, and read endless books while shoving coffee down my throat. Here are 10 more low-key things I am hoping to do (and I’d love to hear yours)…

Take a day trip to a nearby town or city. Let’s keep this one in-state, of course. Take a day trip to a town a few counties over that you may have never been to, get a good lunch, explore, take photos… Maybe it might just become your new favorite place!

Make lettuce and tomato sandwiches. They take three minutes and are sooooo juicy and good. Head to your local Farmer’s Market, (or your neighbor’s garden) and grab some tomatoes. Fresh-grown tomatoes are the best!!!

Have a thrift day at your local thrift stores. I love second-hand shopping and thrifting new items at Goodwill, Forget Me Nots, Private Collection, and other local consignment stores. It is always so fun to find priceless antiques, trendy clothing, and other unique gadgets and things. Spend a day thrifting! It’s a good excuse to finally clean out that closet you’ve been griping about.

Stay inside and don’t feel bad about it. Sometimes you just need to turn your brain off, and that is perfectly ok. After working 40-hour weeks, days inside are much needed! My friend Nicole calls them “catch-up days.” Plus, it’s cool like the 1970s.

Read a few poems. They don’t have to be academic or stuffy, of course. But, they could inspire you to do something you’ve been wanting to do! I particularly enjoy R.H. Sin, John Kenney, Rupi Kaur, or you can find more options here. There is also the option of listening to poetry through audiobooks, which can be helpful while driving, working out, or while at the office.

Here’s a summer-inspired poem by William Shakespeare, if you’re in the mood:

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st.
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Can you guess the name of that one? Sonnet 18.

Binge-Watch a TV Series. I’m not even going to lie, my friends and I binge-watched all of The Summer I Turned Pretty on Amazon Prime. INCREDIBLE. If you haven’t watched this yet, it is only 7 episodes. GO. WATCH. NOW.

Stop and smell the roses, literally.

Have a game and dip night with your friends. Everyone can get together at someone’s house and all bring a different dip. Salsa, guacamole, Funfetti dip, and so much more… Check out some easy recipes at The Food Network. The options are seemingly endless! It’s a good time to be together, sharing dip and memories. (:

Enjoy drinks by the water. I know, I know… There is “not much to do” in this town, but sometimes you have to make the best of the cards you are dealt at certain times. Hop on over to Pelican Cove or Shaggy’s and enjoy a nice fruity daiquiri while watching the sunset. Simple, sweet, and fun!

Star-gaze. I have come to learn how to appreciate the beauty around me, and stars are unique because no matter where you go, the scenery and foliage around you might be different, but the stars are always the same. Star-gaze on the Natchez Trace. Sometimes it is hard to find a dark place to be able to see them clearly, but anywhere off of the Natchez Trace does the trick!