Summer is by far my favourite season. I have my birthday to get childishly excited about, the ever-persistent optimism that we might have good weather in the UK and typically my family take a holiday somewhere in the UK. I love to absorb the smell of the ocean by the coast, I love to eat ice cream and not freeze to death.

This summer is special for many a reason. Baloo lives close now so it will be the first birthday we get to spend together in person. There are a couple of significant birthdays in the family which means getting together and having some fun and good food! Recently I reevaluated life as you do. I wanted to give more meaning to my life. With chronic illness quickly you feel like you have an existence and life doesn’t have the normal meaning. You can get fulfilment through the typical channels you have to find it in things people may not see.

These are a few things I want to do or work on this summer.

One of my ways of creating meaning is to try to improve my photography skills and save for a better camera. I am no pro but for family memories and this blog, I want to get better at it. I want to be able to capture the moments that mean something to me. From sandy toes at the beach to gatherings of people who are of the most important in my life.
Poor Baloo will be tired of a camera following us where ever we go this summer. I want to be able to look back and see this as the summer I was in the moment and captured the beauty I see around me. I have considered doing a photo a day style challenge but I don’t think I have it in me with the travel and dealing with ME that is going to happen.

We are going back to Scotland this year and I am very excited so I want to do what I didn’t last time we went like go on the boat tour of Loch Ness. I am fully aware that life doesn’t always go to plan but I’d love to embrace the two weeks I have and take photos in the pouring rain.

Without getting too detailed for my family we are going through a bit of a rough patch, we are concerned about the health of some family members and we are going through the process of that. I want to focus more on the present now rather than what the future holds. Family is so important and I want to try and be with them all and sprinkle love around.

I want to go to the beach! My going to the beach is modified but if I can have sandy toes then I will be happy, even if it is from the pavement in front of the beach. And the ice cream probably in the rain is a must have.

I also want to lie in my hammock and read in the peace of the back garden. It’s the little things that matter and my hammock is one of them. I love to lie in a semi-shady area and listen to the birds.

I think I am going to stop there before I add too much expectation to this summer. I just wanted to tell you what I’m excited for and my plans that aren’t exactly plans are for this summer. I would love for these to happen but I know that sometimes ME/CFS has its own plan.

Do you have any plans for this summer? Comment down below and tell me what you’d love to do this summer.