My Fall 2024 Bucket List
Yes, I know it feels early — and frankly, it is! But after seeing so many stores bringing in their Halloween & fall decor (I’m looking at you, HomeSense & Michaels!), all I can think about is how I cannot wait until the cooler weather rolls around, the sun starts to set a little bit earlier and cozy season begins again. I absolutely love fall — it’s undeniably my favourite time of the year, and I’m going to blame the fact that my birthday is in October as the reason I love it so much. With all of the thoughts of fall in my mind, I start thinking about all of the things I cannot wait to do this year, and therefore, figured I’d share all of the my fall 2024 bucket list items on the blog today.
01. “Reclaim” October
You may be wondering what on earth I could mean by “reclaiming” October. Well, if you didn’t know, I actually was laid off last October, 2 weeks after my birthday. It was the first time I had ever experienced a lay off, and to say that it was probably one of the most depressing, dehumanizing experiences I’ve had is an understatement. I went from being so excited about fall & Halloween, to wishing away the rest of the year and just coasting. This year, I want to reclaim my favourite month & season. Now that I’m in a much better headspace, I know I’ll be able to love my favourite time of the year again.
02. Spend More Time Outdoors
I think I say this every year, but I really just want to spend even more time outdoors. I feel like overall in 2024, I’ve done a better job of this, even in the months that I don’t particularly love to be outside (Yes, I’m talking about you, July & August). I’ve gotten into gardening more now than I ever had, and am craving time away from my computer & screens overall. Fall being my favourite season with some of the best outdoor activities makes it easy to enjoy, and I just want to encourage myself (and my husband!) to get outside even more than we already do; in fact, maybe we even need to start going out more during the week instead of just living for the weekends!
03. Go to Oktoberfest (again!)
Last year, my husband, brother-in-law, sister-in-law & I all went to an Oktoberfest event, and it was so fun! Plus it happened to fall on my birthday, which made it even more fun for me. I’d love to go back to another Oktoberfest event again this fall – I know my husband loved it too since he’s a beer lover, and we went to one of his favourite breweries for this event. I’m pretty sure we’re both already counting down the days until tickets open up again, and the Oktoberfest beer comes a comeback for the year.
04. Take a Special Trip
As I just mentioned, last year we spent my birthday at Oktoberfest, but this year, my husband and I are thinking of taking a special trip away for my birthday. In fact, it was actually his idea, not mine… I won’t reveal the details quite yet, but it’s definitely in the works, and I’m super excited about it (hint: it’s somewhere I’ve been before, but he hasn’t!). The only downside of this potential trip is it really hard leaving Freddie behind, but we’re lucky that we have family that loves to stay with him, and he equally loves them too.
05. Bring Freddie on more Fall Outings
Speaking of Freddie, another bucket list item for me is that I want to bring him on even more fall outings. This dog is a cold weather lover. The summer is a tough time of year to be a Bernese Mountain Dog, so whenever the temperatures start dropping, we try to bring him outside whenever we can, and get him tons of great exercise that’s a lot harder for him to get in the hot months. Some of my favourite things to do with Freddie in the fall are taking him on trail walks / easy hikes (note: if you have a Berner, they are not meant for difficult hikes, despite what their breed name suggests! Always consult your vet) and to the park to just run around & play together.
06. Lean into the Halloween Season
I know you’re probably thinking “Emily, you definitely already lean into the Halloween season”, which is absolutely true! But one thing about me is that I struggle to live in the moment. I get excited about fall like three months early (hence why I’m writing this in July), and then by the time October rolls around, I’m kind of over it, and ready for the holiday season. I definitely decorate for spooky season, but it always feels like a countdown until I can swap all of it with my Christmas decor. Not this year! I won’t allow myself to not enjoy every moment. Plus, we always do a cute little family costume (including Freddie!), so stay tuned to see what we’re dressing up as this year 😉
07. Visit the Apple Orchard & Pumpkin Patch
This kind of feels like it goes hand-in-hand with “reclaiming” the month of October, but it felt like it needed its own number on my bucket list. Two of my favourite things to do in the fall is go to the apple orchard & pick our own apples (though I can’t actually eat raw apples… so I just have to do a lot of baking!), and picking out a pumpkin from a local pumpkin patch. However, I like to limit myself to one locally picked pumpkin since they’re so expensive. Don’t get me wrong, I love to support local farms, but this economy is rough! 😂
08. Remind Myself to Slow Down
Again, this feels reminiscent of what I said about leaning into the Halloween season, but this applies overall to every aspect of fall. I struggle to live in the moment year-round; I’m always looking forward to what is coming next instead of just focusing on the fact that what I was so excited about is happening right now. I do this all winter, looking forward to gardening season, and then when it arrives, I can’t wait until the fall & so on. I’m hoping that my husband will also help me stay accountable on this one because I’m tired of living faster than I need to!
Well, there it all is – out on the internet for your consumption! This is my fall 2024 bucket list, and while I’m anxiously counting down the days until I can cozy up in my sweaters with the windows open again, I’m going to actively start working on number 8 right now, and try not to wish the rest of the summer away! Before I know it, months of cold, grey weather will be back & that I am definitely not looking forward to yet.
