In my quest to be a person this summer, I’ve committed to having fun every Wednesday. It hasn’t worked out every Wednesday, but it’s the middle of July and I’m 7 for 9 so far. Not bad.
What even is fun? Like, actually fun to me?
Trees are fun to me.
On one Wednesday Fun outing in June, I met my parents at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, 25 miles west of Chicago. The Morton Arboretum is 1,700 acres of all things trees: collections, education, and preservation and research. It had been on my must-see list for a while and my parents were the perfect companions for this type of excursion. Not because they’re tree lovers like me, but because it was an opportunity to visit a place we’ve never been but always wanted to see, meet up without little kids in tow, and, as retirees, they were conveniently available on a Wednesday afternoon.
After a quick lunch, the three of us set out on a one-hour, open-air Acorn Express Tram Tour. Our tour guide, Jim, led us through the east side, then the west side, educating us on the arboretum’s history, impressive collections, and current projects.
Jim led us back to the Visitor’s Center as a rain storm blew in and my question-asking parents lingered to ask him some follow-up questions. Some things never change. So I zipped up my rain jacket, explored the maze garden, and climbed up to the lookout platform surrounding a great Sycamore.
What did the three of us do next?
We set out in my parent’s car to do the exact same tour again. The east side, then the west side. No Jim, no tram. Just my dad driving, the three of us chatting, and me jumping out every few minutes to check a tree tag.
We talked about what Jim talked about. We appreciated the tree poetry he quoted. We asked each other questions. What did Jim say about the ginkgo collection? Remember what Jim said about Joy Morton? That [story, fact, finding] was so interesting, wasn't it?
It was a do again. Kind of like a do over, but you’re not changing much, or trying to do better. You’re just doing it again, because you enjoyed it. You don’t need variety, you need sameness.
Do agains are underrated, perhaps especially when you’re stretched thin as I tend to be in this stage of life. Kids love do agains, so much so that again is often one of their first words. They want to do again their favorite songs, books, and parks. It’s sometimes sweet and sometimes boring. But that’s part of the job with raising young kids.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about do agains as not only an obligation, but a choice to revel in easy, don’t-think-too-hard sameness. Rinse and repeat.
In my single-in-my-30s days, I went on a two-night trip to Chicago with a guy I was dating. We sipped Vietnamese coffees at Le Colonial, ate our way through Eataly, cruised the Chicago River, and stayed at a boutique hotel. We had a memorable time.
A month later, I did it again. Same restaurants, river, and hotel. Different guy. Also memorable.
I liked the itinerary, so why not do it again? Added bonus for the researcher in me: it’s a controlled experiment. A good researcher only changes one variable at a time. By keeping the itinerary (the environment) the same, and only changing one variable (the guy), I could draw inferences from the two trials.
Spoiler alert: neither guy worked out, so … do again.
Two of my Wednesday Fun activities are excellent candidates for do agains. I’ve decided a Milwaukee River kayaking paddle I did with my girlfriends would be fun to do again with my colleagues. Planning in progress.
And a trip out west this July with my bestie, Sarah, is on my wish list for future family vacations. I’ve already pictured us staying at the Snowbird Resort in Salt Lake City, driving and hiking through Yellowstone, and glamping at my favorite do-again spot, Under Canvas.
What’s your do again this summer?
Sounds like you still know how to have fun and who to invite with you. Just know your parents would do almost anything to spend time with their girl.
Yellowstone is one of my favorite NPs. Been there 3, maybe 4 times. Really want to get there in the winter. I even have do-again hikes at Yellowstone.