What to do with summer fridays?
May 19, 2017 8:56 AM   Subscribe

I'm lucky enough to get summer fridays but every year end up feeling like I've "wasted" them. Looking for themes or ideas that can help me feel like I've put my extra 60 hours to use!

Here are things I've tried in the past:
- completing the Artist's Way to boost my creativity. This was my most perfect idea because part of the premise is taking yourself on a date each week, and my four hours were the perfect window to do that.
- going to a new neighborhood every week. This failed, mostly because I'm one of those people who feels self-conscious doing new to me stuff alone...so I would be somewhere but feel very awkward about stopping to get a bite to eat, for example.
- going to a new museum every week. This was fun at first, but felt kind of boring and like homework after a while.

Other relevant info:
- I love nature activities -- hiking, the beach, long walks, dog-walking, meditation, journaling, etc.
- I am always trying to increase the amount of time I spend creating vs. consuming, but struggle with this.
- I already have a good gym routine I don't want to mess with.
- I don't particularly like the idea of a standing commitment that gives me no flexibility.
- I have the aforementioned reluctance to do something new in public by myself. It's just a mild anxiety but serves as an obstacle in this situation. I can occasionally, but not always, have buddies who are also taking time off.
- I am giving up my smart phone for the summer!
- the idea of a self-guided 12-week "course" like the Artist's Way really appeals to me

I have a hard time using these hours in an organic way, so would love ideas that help me explore a theme or build a skill or have something to show for it, even if it is just cool photos & stories.

Really any and all suggestions are welcome. I'm happy to spend money on solving this "problem."
posted by neematoad to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total) 15 users marked this as a favorite
 
Make it a goal to go to all of the parks/nature preserves in your town/county/general area. A lot of people do fitness-type stuff by themselves so maybe that wouldn't bother you too much?

Other than that, if you can't think of what to do with yourself,maybe use the extra time to knock out any annoying errands that you have to run (especially places that tend to get super-crowded on weekends) thus freeing up valuable weekend time to spend with other people.
posted by eeek at 9:07 AM on May 19, 2017 [1 favorite]


By "Summer Friday" do you mean you get to leave early (like at 12pm) or that you get the whole day off? Answers will vary depending on how much time this really is.
posted by schroedingersgirl at 9:07 AM on May 19, 2017


Does your town have an art space with open studio hours? These can have reasonable fees and equipment such as pottery wheels, printing equipment or easels which members are allowed to use.
posted by bunderful at 9:30 AM on May 19, 2017


I get every other Friday off in the summer. I use them by trying to do something adventurous. Go for a Mountain Bike Ride, go for a hike, go climbing, etc... I also use them to kick off longer trips that I can do over a weekend. Go backpacking for a few days. Visit a friend in another town. And then maybe once in a summer, I'll use a summer friday to do absolutely nothing. Sit around, watch TV, hang out in a bar all afternoon. Whatever.
posted by trbrts at 10:04 AM on May 19, 2017


I love going to the movies during the day. maybe even seeing a double feature for extreme luxury. Something about seeing a movie during work hours makes it more fun. Once the lights go down, it's like a personal theater.
posted by PeaPod at 11:02 AM on May 19, 2017 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: To clarify, I don't get the whole day off but can leave at 1pm
posted by neematoad at 11:21 AM on May 19, 2017


Do you do any volunteering? I think I feel similarly about doing novels things by myself in public as you do, and I needed something to do with myself when no one else was around to hang out. I recently started walking dogs at the local humane society and it seems like it might be a nice fit for your Fridays! I don't have a standing commitment, which would take the fun out of it for me, but I've gotten into a routine with it anyway. Plus, it's fulfilling because DOGS.

For learning new stuff, Skillshare has a ton of fun stuff to learn ranging from craft to professional skills. I'm a graphic designer and was really impressed at who they have teaching their design courses and assume they have similar experts teaching the others subjects! (If you're interested in design, I'd look at courses taught by these impressive folks: Aaron Draplin, Jessica Hische, Ellen Lupton).
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 8:44 AM on May 24, 2017


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