The Ultimate Summer Bucket List: Things Every 20-Something Should Do

Are you ready to make this summer the best one yet? 

You might have work, or other commitments, but that doesn't have to stop you, it just means you have to be more intentional about your plans. 

In this week's episode, I have created the ULTIMATE summer bucket list with 8 top ways you can make the most of your 2025 summer. And don't worry, none of these are basic ideas either...

Enjoy!

Transcript

Introduction to Your Ultimate Summer List

Speaker 1 0:17

Welcome back to another episode of the 20 survival guide. This is your host, emily Astley, and in today's episode, you are in luck because I have created your ultimate summer bucket list, so you don't have to. I've created a list of things that you need to put on your summer bucket list, and this isn't like go to Ibiza or go to the pub. Dream summers don't just come about by accident. They come about by being intentional and planning the dream summer, if you know what I mean. I think when we were younger, summers were just always fun because you were off school and you had months and months just to do whatever the hell you wanted. And now you have way more commitments. You might still be working throughout the summer, you might have internships, you might be studying. There are so many things that could get in the way of you having that dream summer that you did in 2016, 2012 or when you were a kid. But the dream summer can still happen, and the way that you get your dream summer is by saying yes to things that scare you, by trying new things, by giving yourself the permission to just be off script, to not follow every little plan that you have to go and let yourself, try something new, to romanticize things. That is how you create your dream summer, and I'm gonna help you do that. So today I am about to give you your ultimate 20s summer bucket list.

Do Something Alone This Summer

Speaker 1 1:41

So, without further ado, let's get into the episode. So I'm just prefacing this, because this is not your basic summer bucket list. Guys. I'm not here to tell you the basic things. This is stuff that you have probably not heard yet and you need to write down. You need to remember, because this is going to help you. So in this bucket list of things, right, there are eight specific things that you should be putting on your summer bucket list. It might not be the full swing of summer yet, but that is why this is the perfect time for this episode, because you can plan and think with your friends how you're going to make this happen. We're going to talk about each thing. Let's get into it. We're going to start with number one.

Host a Themed Vibe Night

Speaker 1 2:28

The first thing on your summer bucket list is to do something alone that you've always wanted to do with someone else. This could be simple things that you do with people all the time, like go to dinner, go to a concert, go to the beach, go to the gym, go to the park Most of those things you will probably be doing with another person, with a friend, with a boyfriend. But there's something special in being able to go and do those things alone. And going to a concert by yourself isn't for everyone, but I know so many people who have done it gone to a party, gone to a rave without anyone, and you make friends there. But the point about going to dinner by yourself is that you're putting yourself out of your comfort zone and you have nothing to prove, but you are just doing something. That's so liberating because when you're in your 20s, you have this time you're not married or tied down to anyone specifically where you can really do whatever it is that you want to do. You can be as selfish as you want, and I think being able to just go to dinner by yourself or go to the beach by yourself is so liberating. And when you get older, I think things get in the way and life gets in the way and it just is harder to put time away for yourself. So do something this summer that you would normally do with someone else. My favorite thing would be going to the beach. If I lived nearer to a beach. It would be easier, but that doesn't really need to stop us, because you can drive to the beach and on a nice day and just completely spend the day by yourself. It's probably gonna be extremely peaceful and you're going to feel refreshed. And if you don't like it, you figured that one out, but at least you've tried.

Speaker 1 4:09

Point number two host a vibe night with no reason needed. What is vibe night? It's a great question. What I mean by this is, let's say, a dinner party. A themed dinner party. Themed outfits, themed music, candles make it really cute. Have it with your girls or your guys, get a bunch of friends together, watch a movie, a night that's purely based on good vibes and putting a theme around it makes it really fun. So this could be a theme based on like a specific era and time. This could be anything. This could just be summer dresses theme and have a barbecue and summer dresses. Something like that is just fun. It's always going to be a good night and it doesn't have to be high effort. Just a vibe night is is something that you plan, but you have a theme, you have something fun going on, you've got food around the table, it's low effort, it's intentional and those kind of nights, like those dinner party kinds of nights, always tend to be the best. They always just tend to be the best nights and they go way better than planned. And also, you just remember those nights. I personally, when I have like vibe nights, when I have themed dinner parties, I tend to remember them way more and you just create the best memories. And I think summer is the perfect time for that because you can host a vibe night outside, you can host one in your garden, you can gather people around, drink rosé, create a whole mood.

Create a Summer Hot Takes Journal

Speaker 1 5:29

The third one on this summer bucket list is my favourite one create a summer hot takes journal. This is when, every time something ridiculous or crazy or wild or unexpected happens or something funny that happened when you were on the tube, for example, you have like a little journal or a little page in your notes app on your phone and you document it and you write it down and you write down what happened. This could even be like I wore this summer dress today that made me feel amazing and I looked so good in it and it was such a main character moment. Things like that like something so random. You put them in this hot takes journal and by the end of the summer you can look back and you have all of these little mementos of things that you did, to remind you about those little moments which you might have forgotten but hit the spot at the same time. This summer journal is going to be ideal for when you're reminiscing on summer, when summer's over and you're like I missed summer so much. What was the best part of summer? You have it all written down. It could literally be like a line, not even a sentence. It could be like June 28th went to so and so's party and I had the best time ever. Something like that, such a good idea. And that is something I am 100% doing this summer because I wanna look back at those memories.

Embrace a No Plan Day

Speaker 1 6:42

Number four have a no plan day. So if you're working this summer, if you are doing an internship this summer, that is so normal, but you will still have most of the weekends to use the summer bucket list and make the most of it. So one day on a weekend if this is you create a no plan day. If you're someone who loves structure, like me, that's something that's not easy to do and I get that where you really have no idea what's going to happen that day when you wake up. Maybe that's your every day and this might be slightly different. But if you intentionally wake up having a no plan day, it is going to be so liberating in its own way, like no plans that you've made, no, no people that you're gonna see that day, and you just get up, you go for a walk, go get a coffee, go to the park and you have the whole day free. You take the day where you want it to go, maybe go and thrift shop, maybe wander over to a friend's house, but you don't really have anything planned, which sounds kind of scary or stupid or be like maybe I'm going to be bored. No, because there's something so liberating in not planning everything to the last minute, the last second, which is something I do way too much but it leaves time for spontaneous things to happen, and sometimes the best things and the best memories that you make with people are spontaneous when you just didn't know the night was going to take that turn or you didn't have anything planned that day and you just said yes to something that was totally crazy. That's why having a no plans day can lead to one of your best days, or just one of the most freeing days, because you can wake up and do whatever you want that day. It's really really nice for a reset and for your own mental health, to explore something yourself, do something that you want to do without having to plan.

Find Your Summer Signature

Speaker 1 8:27

Number five find or make your summer signature. This could be a signature outfit that you wore most of the summer, or an outfit that just looked so good and you had it on repeat like every week. This could be a summer cocktail that you've discovered and you made and you make when you go over to your friend's house. This could be a summer go-to song, the song that's stuck in your head on repeat all summer. Or this could even be like a weird niche hobby that you've just picked up, like roller skating or crocheting or gardening for god's sake, like it could be any of any of those things. But finding a weird niche hobby could be something that is also a summer signature and I really like having a summer signature outfit, like the outfit that defines the summer. So, again, when I look back and I'm reminiscing on summer, I really like having a summer signature outfit, like the outfit that defines the summer. So, again, when I look back and I'm reminiscing on summer. I'm like that outfit was the best outfit all summer and the reason why it's so fun to create a summer signature is because it's your thing. So that's your summer outfit that people are gonna remember you for and they're gonna come back to you and say, oh my God, that outfit was your outfit the summer. Like that outfit was gorgeous, like you owned it. They're going to remember you for that drink, that song, that outfit. It's kind of nice because people will associate you with that and almost be like you were the summer. You brought the good vibes that summer.

Speaker 1 9:46

Another thing that could be your summer signature is picking up your old passion or your old hobby that you used to have at high school or in school in general, and one of those things that you might have dropped because school got in the way and friends and socialising got in the way and a lot of people tend to drop their hobbies and passions when they're in school and you leave university and you realise I have all this empty time and I miss doing that thing that used to make me really fulfilled and happy, and summer is the perfect time to pick that up. It's great to socialise. It's great to spend time with your friends when you want downtime, but it's also great to have something in your life that grounds you, that's a little bit more purposeful, and this tends to be your passion, and this passion could literally be reading. Whatever it may be, this could be something that is so small, and it doesn't have to be a whole sport, but it could also be something that you used to love doing and you forgot about it or you just put it aside because you didn't have time for it, and you're now able to bring it back into your life. And there's something so beautiful about having something more purposeful in your life, something that grounds you, and you can always go back to when you're feeling like you just want time away from everyone.

Plan a Delulu Trip with Friends

Speaker 1 11:00

Number seven of the summer bucket list plan as a lulu trip. So the lulu obviously means delusional, and when I say plan a delulu trip, I mean do something kind of crazy with your friends. This could be a staycation. This could be a day where you will pack up the car and you go to the beach. You do something that you wouldn't normally do for a weekend, and it doesn't even have to be long. It could be a day trip. It could be something simple. It could be going to the spa. It could be going on a random trip to like a random little town to discover some random restaurant that's been like really well reviewed or something I don't know. That sounds really lame, but you get what I mean, like having a delulu trip planned with your best friends. You don't really need a plan when you get there, but just something that you have booked out with your friends to do something that's completely off.

Say Yes to Something Scary

Speaker 1 11:50

Book Number eight say yes to something that scares you. It doesn't have to be scaring you like full-blown scaring you, scaring you just a little bit. You don't have to be doing something in a reckless way, but some examples could be saying yes to skydiving, for example. That's actually something that I really want to do. This could be saying yes to karaoke. Take the mic, do some singing. Like, don't worry about what other people think about your singing, it doesn't matter. Ask someone out on a date. Be the person that makes the first move. Go to that event solo. If you're contemplating whether to go to someone's party or a specific event and you're not ready to go because no one's available to come with you, go solo, do it.

Speaker 1 12:33

Do something that scares you a bit. The whole point of this is to set yourself a challenge and do something you wouldn't normally do because you would feel judged by others. And when I say do something that scares you a little, that's what I mean. You're likely to overcome that thing that scares you, that fear of being judged, because you'll realise that no one actually cares that much about judging you. No one actually cares that much about you as you think. When you're going on a run and you're walking past people on the street, they're not looking at you, thinking, gosh, she's running weirdly, like she should run on the grass and not run on the pavement because she looks like a freak. No one's actually caring. No one cares as much as you think they do and no one cares as much as you do. So by being able to break the barrier of actually doing something that just scares you a little, you're going to realize that it's not that bad and you're going to feel liberated. And the perfect time to do that is in the summer, because it's good weather, good vibes, everyone's in a better mood and you're more willing to take risks when you're in an environment that's like that and at the end of the day.

Summer Isn't a Deadline

Speaker 1 13:36

If it goes terribly. You either have a core memory, something that went really well and you discovered that you aren't scared of that thing anymore, or you just have a really funny story, which either way sounds good to me. Those were my eight main tips for your best ultimate 20 summer bucket list. But the main thing that I really want you to remember this summer the way you're going to shape your summer, the way you're going to set your summer to make it the best one yet is to remember that summer isn't a deadline. As much as I say, make it the best one yet.

Speaker 1 14:19

That puts pressure. That puts pressure on your summer to be like the ultimate time in your life, where everything has to be perfect and you have to do the most wild things and you have to go to a party every single day and you know you have to make the most of every single second, because summer is just like every other month in the year where you are having highs and you have lows, so it's so normal and summer isn't a deadline for that to be like your best time in your life and then it's over. It doesn't need to be the most productive summer or the most aesthetic summer, but it can be the summer that shapes you and the summer that helps you rediscover what you like, what you don't like, what you enjoy doing, what hobbies make you happy. I think this summer should be the summer where you say to yourself internally I deserve to have fun, I deserve joy in my life, even when things aren't perfect. You might not be having the perfect month, you might not be having the perfect week, but that doesn't mean that you don't deserve to enjoy what is there, what you can enjoy in that moment in time.

Joy Is Something You Claim

Speaker 1 15:21

And the same thing goes for wearing a bikini in summer. You might not feel your most confident body-wise this summer, and that is fine, that's more than fine. But that shouldn't mean that you can't wear a bikini because you don't have washboard abs. You don't need to have the best figure in the entire universe just in order for you to be able to wear a bikini. It's okay to wear a bikini and not feel like you look perfect because there's so much pressure in wearing a bikini and feeling like you have to look the best you've ever looked in your life, otherwise you can't wear one, and it's sad because if you didn't reach that goal, then you can't fit into the bikini that summer. That's not the way that you want to live your summer, because it really eliminates that joy of you just being able to live freely and a bit carelessly, where you can do whatever you want. And just because your body might not look like a rock hard washboard ab kind of aesthetic doesn't mean that you don't get to flaunt around in a beautiful bikini and that you're not beautiful either.

Speaker 1 16:24

One thing that I'm definitely going to take with me this summer is that you don't have to look, appearance wise, like the most perfect version of yourself in order for you to feel happy and enjoy yourself in a bikini. So just remember that if you're kind of stressing for summer, for wearing a bikini, for going on holiday, for seeing people in a bikini or a bathing suit, no one cares about it as much as you do and you should be able to wear it rather than, at a party, stressing about wearing shorts on top of it because you're not confident enough. And I understand that confidence is a whole nother ballgame and it's a lot easier said than done when it comes to your appearance with wearing a bikini or not wearing one. But if you're on the fence and you're thinking I don't really look the way I want to, or I don't look as thin as her. That's not what life is about. It's about enjoyment and enjoying the summer. So, enjoy the summer, wear the bikini, own it, because you don't need to look like this curated version of how people look on social media when they're showing you their best version of themselves. You can wear a bikini and you can have a great summer, and this is a great saying.

Speaker 1 17:33

I'm going to leave you, guys, with this and this really links to this bikini point and it's that joy isn't something you earn like. It's not a body that you earn because you've worked hard and then you get to have joy from it. Joy, joy is something that you claim. It's an option. It's an option that you have to be able to lean into or to be able to hold yourself back from, and it's really up to you whether you want to embrace the joy or you want to self-deprecate and pick on all little things that you don't like about yourself. You really can be in charge of what option it is that you take.

Speaker 1 18:09

Okay, guys, that's the list of my eight top ultimate bucket list things that you should be doing this summer that are a little bit more interesting than just go outside and get a good tan, which honestly I will be bloody trying to do as well. I really don't tan that easily, but I'm going to try my best and take pictures. If you take tons of pictures, you're going to have tons of memories and you're going to have so much to look back on when it's the end of summer. These are more vibe worthy tips that I'm giving you. So if you liked any of these, let me know which one you like the most, which one speaks to you the most.

Speaker 1 18:42

Send this episode or these tips to your girls' group chat, to your group chat in general, and go and plan one for this summer. Moral of the story guys, make this summer yours and if you're working or if you have an internship or if you have another commitment, don't let that hold you back. You can still have the ultimate summer that you want to have. I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. Let me know if you did. Send me a message in the show link or send me an Instagram DM, and if you have any other summer bucket list tips, please let me know, dm me. I'd love to hear them and I hope you guys, have a great rest of your week and I shall see you next Wednesday. Bye, bye.