For two weeks I’ve been entirely d i s c o n n e c t e d.
Not because I intended to--in fact, social media is crazy-active during summer--but because I spent my new years weekend in Punta Sal. Here there was no Internet signal, and if there was, it was insignificant; phones became obsolete. While many would see this as a torture, for me it was the reason I can now tick off doing “nothing” from my summer-bucket-list--and yet “nothing” proved to become so much in just five days.
Not because I intended to--in fact, social media is crazy-active during summer--but because I spent my new years weekend in Punta Sal. Here there was no Internet signal, and if there was, it was insignificant; phones became obsolete. While many would see this as a torture, for me it was the reason I can now tick off doing “nothing” from my summer-bucket-list--and yet “nothing” proved to become so much in just five days.
It’s instinctive: when you are not on your laptop, or phone (intentionally or not) you use your time creatively. Not being in the city gave me a break from work, not writing, though--which I made sure I did do--but from homework, chores, e-mail, or even the dim indoor light on the afternoon that compels me to turn on Warner Channel.
Instead, I spent a week doing things I usually don’t:
Waking up (relatively) early, swimming, playing charades, tanning on the sand, talking at the dinner table (believe it or not, in school times you don’t get to do this often), motorcycling through the rocky mountains of Piura, and eating pancakes at the Pueblo. I was trapped in a 2-hour rainfall, laid back in a living room lit up with candles (bonuses of electricity going out across the entire beach), applied to college aside a giant 3g antenna on a cliff, had a meter-and-a-half speaker fall on my foot (followed by a very pleasant visit to the nearest hospital), traveled on only my left foot for what was left of the weekend (two days to be exact), had my first meal of the year at 5 am on a Pizza place, was chased by a pit-bull dog, ate the best Peruvian dishes ever (thank you Gonchi), and forgot what time and date it was for the first time in what I’d call way too long.
Finally, I did “nothing” on the plain back home--honestly, I can’t thank myself enough for doing so.
But there’s still a bunch of things I want to complete. After all, an entirely spontaneous month can lead to an unproductive one. So I’ve made a list of habits, goals or just bucket-list-worth activities I want to work on in order to make this summer purposefully active. (Wait! Let me clarify that this is just a rough sketch: the nice thing about making a list is that you can add to it as you bump into new people, interests, etc.). Ok, here's mine:
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But there’s still a bunch of things I want to complete. After all, an entirely spontaneous month can lead to an unproductive one. So I’ve made a list of habits, goals or just bucket-list-worth activities I want to work on in order to make this summer purposefully active. (Wait! Let me clarify that this is just a rough sketch: the nice thing about making a list is that you can add to it as you bump into new people, interests, etc.). Ok, here's mine:
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1. Read Eat, Pray, Love
Explore stream of consciousness style, improve my English, start a reading habit in order to balance my consumption VS production in writing.
2. Start taking Hip-hop classes
(Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am)
Retake a skill I left in the past that made me extremely happy + Eat the frog early in order to maximize my productivity for the rest of the day.
3. Parasail
I’m afraid of heights. When I turned 17 I promised I would try, then, I chickened out…plus the whether in Lima in July is horrible, isn’t it? So, what a better season than summer to confront this fear of mine and take the leap? (And maybe take some incredible footage too.)
4. Start my own sweatpants business
A semester into entrepreneurship and I think I might be ready to start my own business; finally I get to give this initiative the time, care and attention needed in order to play with the ideas I’ve kept as ideas for so long.
5. Get another earring (ouch)
Just because.
6. Manage Gabriel Barreto’s social media sites
Having a bit of extra responsibility’s in areas I’m strong at will keep up my work ethic through the summer.
7. Promote Blendz on WheelZ
I think the purpose is clear: we want to get on wheelZ!
8. Start collecting media for the Senior Video
In the past collecting media at the last minute has only brought unnecessary stress to the work place leaving me with limited clips to work with. To get the optimal amount of moments to assemble and share with the grade I need to start networking with the mothers!
9. Run at least three times a week
I’ve never been a constant runner, but when I do, I get the best ideas and most importantly, into the best mood—definitely a habit I want to build on.
Explore stream of consciousness style, improve my English, start a reading habit in order to balance my consumption VS production in writing.
2. Start taking Hip-hop classes
(Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am)
Retake a skill I left in the past that made me extremely happy + Eat the frog early in order to maximize my productivity for the rest of the day.
3. Parasail
I’m afraid of heights. When I turned 17 I promised I would try, then, I chickened out…plus the whether in Lima in July is horrible, isn’t it? So, what a better season than summer to confront this fear of mine and take the leap? (And maybe take some incredible footage too.)
4. Start my own sweatpants business
A semester into entrepreneurship and I think I might be ready to start my own business; finally I get to give this initiative the time, care and attention needed in order to play with the ideas I’ve kept as ideas for so long.
5. Get another earring (ouch)
Just because.
6. Manage Gabriel Barreto’s social media sites
Having a bit of extra responsibility’s in areas I’m strong at will keep up my work ethic through the summer.
7. Promote Blendz on WheelZ
I think the purpose is clear: we want to get on wheelZ!
8. Start collecting media for the Senior Video
In the past collecting media at the last minute has only brought unnecessary stress to the work place leaving me with limited clips to work with. To get the optimal amount of moments to assemble and share with the grade I need to start networking with the mothers!
9. Run at least three times a week
I’ve never been a constant runner, but when I do, I get the best ideas and most importantly, into the best mood—definitely a habit I want to build on.
10. Take, edit and share pictures
Leave time for play!
Leave time for play!
11. Organize ITunes library
Organize one of the things that makes me creative—music--for clearer creation rituals.
12. Bike ride across Barranco's Malecon
Because sunny days don’t last all year long…
13. Sleep.
(PS: these tasks are not in any way or another in order—THIS is priority) Want to carry out this summer on a healthy rhythm? Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
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Organize one of the things that makes me creative—music--for clearer creation rituals.
12. Bike ride across Barranco's Malecon
Because sunny days don’t last all year long…
13. Sleep.
(PS: these tasks are not in any way or another in order—THIS is priority) Want to carry out this summer on a healthy rhythm? Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
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This bucket-list of priorities for the break might not (let me correct myself, it will not) be the same for everyone, but I think they are unanimously necessary. You know:
"Either you run the day, or the day runs you." - Jim Ron
So, I don’t know how you feel when you’re done with your own list, but I’m eager to do purposeful “nothing” all summer long :)