A Phineas and Ferb Summer

I don’t know about you, but when the Disney show, Phineas and Ferb, came out, I thought it was pretty fantastic. This cartoon followed two adventurous young brothers as they made the most of their summer vacation, all while avoiding the wrath of their nosy older sister. The theme song for the show, which I may or may not still know by heart, went a little like this, “There’s 104 days of summer vacation, then school comes along just to end it. So the annual problem for our generation is finding a good way to spend it. Like maybe…” The song then went on to share some of the greatest adventures of Phineas and Ferb which included giving a monkey a shower, locating Frankenstein’s brain, and painting a continent.

Source: http://phineasandferb.wikia.com/wiki/Phineas_Flynn?file=We%27re_gonna_build_a_rollercoaster.jpg

Getting to the point here, as I sat down to write today, I came to the realization that I will be heading back to Penn State for my junior year, exactly 104 days from today. So like my favorite adventurers, I have 104 days of summer vacation. While my summer plans may not include fighting a mummy or climbing up the Eiffel Tower, I decided that today would be a great day to do some reflecting and create some goals for the next 104 days, so here goes!

Be more intentional in my devotions
During the school year, I often find myself pushing off my daily devotions because there just seem to be too many other tasks waiting on my to-do list. For the next 104 days, I want my time with God to be an absolute top priority, as it should be!

Spend quality time with the fam
I really don’t come home often during the school year so I want to be sure to make the most of the next few months with my family!

Go fishing
Every summer I find myself saying that I want to fish more, but when it comes down to it I just get too busy. There’s got to be a study out there that shows how great fishing is for you. While fishing may not necessarily be a productive use of my time, I am a firm believer in that fact that you can only be productive if you take care of your physical and mental health first, so fishing is my me time! This summer I hope to spend a few extra days on the lake and have the tan lines and fish stories to prove it.



Read
Reading is another one of those things that I always say I wish I could do more of but never really make the time for. This summer I’m hoping to take the time to do some more reading, suggestions welcome!

Run a half marathon
I really do enjoy running but man, do I struggle to stick with it. I’ve always wanted to run a half marathon, and maybe some day a full 26.2 miler, and there’s no time like the present! By the time fall rolls around, I want to be ready for my first half marathon.

Be a stellar intern
Out of everything this summer, I am absolutely the most excited for my internship with the Conservation Education Department at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. I will be spending most days this summer caring for animals as well as facilitating zoo tours, nature hikes, stream studies, zoo camps, and more! I have no doubt that I will enjoy every second of this experience and will learn so much. One of my biggest goals for this summer is to really do a great job at the zoo and make the most of every second.

Well, 104 days from now we’ll see if my summer lived up to the great expectations of Phineas and Ferb. I hope that through the good days and the tough ones I remember that every second is precious and that every day brings new opportunities to learn and grow. Happy summer everyone!