As you started preparing for the summer of 2020, your plans probably included vacations in the tropics and Europe, cruises, camps for the kids, and many nights spent with neighbors, friends, family, and co-workers.  While that reality has changed as the year has progressed, it does not mean that this summer still can’t be one to remember in a positive light.

Now is the time to embrace a less on-the-go way of life that includes more time at home and more time with your family. Shifting your mindset can make this more enjoyable. Instead of wishing for places far away, focus on the present and a slower paced life. Many of us forget how our childhood summers were spent. While vacations came, most of the cherished memories involved light schedules, rosy cheeks, and bug bites. Days were spent on campgrounds eating charred hot dogs and diving into cold mountain lakes. Others were filled with family bike rides, homemade popsicles, and summer cleaning. While our wishes of exotic vacations will return, now is the time to build your memories at home.

The activities we enjoyed as kids can be shifted to activities we enjoy as adults. Some great ways to refocus your summer to make memories closer to home include outdoor activities. The options are endless here in the Rogue Valley and neighboring places: kayaking Diamond Lake, paddle boarding on Emigrant Lake, mountain biking the Ashland trails, road trips to your favorite hidden hot springs, sunrise Table Rock hikes, sunsets on the coast, or even sipping wine in the Applegate Valley. If you are looking to spend more time inside, home renovations, opening the book you got for Christmas, trying new or old recipes, and teaching your kids card games are just some of the ways you can fill your time. If you did have a vacation planned to another country, try bringing that country to your home for a fraction of the price. Instead of going to Italy, have an Italy themed night. Make homemade pasta or pizza, sip on limoncello for an aperitif and make aperol spritz for dinner. Finish the night off with rich tiramisu for a well-rounded night in Italy, or wherever your summer vacations might have taken you. Shifting your mindset to be positive about what you can do, instead of negative about what you cannot, will create better inner peace and allow for more enjoyment during these times. 

This is also a great time to build your savings accounts and reassess your finances. Since large vacations are unlikely this summer, put that money towards a greater and grander future experience. Create future joy by looking to plan a summer 2021 and beyond vacation or book a great mountain resort for the holiday season. Other ways to redirect that money include allocating funds towards emergency expenses, college accounts, retirement plans, or future upgrades such as cars and homes. By saving now, when the world is open once again, you will be grateful for the experiences you get to have while enjoying them to the fullest.

We often get so caught up with the outside world it overshadows the experiences we can have close to home in our own city. Taking time to remember the greatness of the community we live in can change your perspective and be a great reminder of why you chose here as your home. Since we finally have more time on our hands, spend it at home, spend it in your city, spend it with loved ones, and spend it with positivity!