Mildly Thriving
Not crushing it? Neither are we. Mildly Thriving is our laid-back corner of the internet where two millennial women (hi, that’s us) try our best and mostly make fun of ourselves along the way. From daily wins and WTF moments to the weird and wonderful realities of adulthood, we’re sharing honest conversations about what it really means to be mildly thriving. Because honestly? Mildly thriving is thriving enough.
Mildly Thriving is produced by Mildly Thriving, LLC.
Mildly Thriving
Can We Bring Back Summer Vacation?
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On this week's episode of Mildly Thriving, Kimberly and Meredith tackle a tough question: Why did summer stop feeling like summer? You know the feeling. Somewhere between PTO requests, grocery shopping, and remembering to schedule your annual dentist appointment, the season of freedom lost a little of its magic.
The ladies dig into why summer doesn't hit quite the same as it did when school let out for three glorious months and discuss the modern adult struggle of wanting to be spontaneous... while also needing to put everything on a calendar three weeks in advance.
To help reclaim some summer fun, Kimberly shares her latest scheme: creating a custom Summer Bingo Card packed with mini adventures, novel experiences, and excuses to leave the house. The goal? Squeeze every last drop out of the season before pumpkin spice inevitably shows up. And if you black out your card? The prize is whatever your little heart desires.
Whether you're planning an epic summer or just hoping to make it to Labor Day with a few good memories and fewer regrets, this episode is packed with ideas to help you make the most of the sunshine while it lasts. ☀️🍉🍹
Insta: @MildlyThrivingPod
Original audio by Patrck Joseph (Thanks Patrick)
Insert legal disclaimer and jargon here... but like... don't steal our shit?
Welcome to Mildly Thriving. I'm Kimberly and I'm Merry.
SPEAKER_02We're two average millennials who aren't failing but aren't always thriving either. And we're out to prove that Mildly Thriving is thriving enough.
SPEAKER_01Please make sure you're subscribed and following us on the social medias.
SPEAKER_02And if you're feeling really nice, you could give us a five-star review wherever you listen to podcasts.
SPEAKER_01Now let's dive into this week's episode. Hi, hi Meredith.
SPEAKER_02Hi, Kimberly. How are you today? I am great. Fake it till you make it. Let's fucking go. You want me to keep going or did you did you smoke crack before we No? I am literally just getting a second win from talking to you. Doesn't that make sense?
SPEAKER_01Yes, because I'm also feeling like we just recorded an episode and now we're recording a second episode. And I feel like energized and I feel jazz. I grabbed jazz hands. Rejuvenated. Rejuvenated. You're just the rejuvenator.
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh, I've never felt so cool in my life. Same to you. If we could bottle you up and sell ya. Not based on that last picture. If that's the label, nobody's ever gonna buy it. No. Like, wow, do I want to look like a swamp witch? I don't even know what that is, but that is literally how you look like. I uh I've never wanted to get a nose job more in my life.
SPEAKER_01I I think it just kind of looks like somebody like a ghost is punching you in the face.
SPEAKER_02It does, it doesn't even look like I could naturally distort my face like that. What is wrong with me? But you did. But I that's I'm concerned. You did, yeah. Concernificus. Ugh. Anyway. Anyway.
SPEAKER_01Do you want to know what we are talking about today?
SPEAKER_02Yes, but yes, can I tell you my Uber shitting pants story really quick?
SPEAKER_01Oh my god, yeah. You shit your pants. I I did have a friend call me today, and she's like, I called you because I wanted to tell you these three things. And then she was like, Oh yeah, and I shit my pants on the way home.
SPEAKER_02I love this. I love this. No, I don't call me to tell me that. See, this that's that's all I wanted. That's the only reason I wanted to tell the story because it's just become a thing in our lives now. Uh, to the point where we talked to our Uber drivers about it over the weekend. Like, I didn't shit in an Uber, but we were talking to this Uber driver about the worst things that have happened in his Uber, and he was telling us this vomit story that was crazy. But we were like, No, you don't. Uh, and we were like, Do you did have you ever had to cancel a ride on your end or like stop halfway through? And he was like, Yes, I made a woman get a different ride. He was like, I asked her very politely if I could drop her off somewhere and have her get another ride because that was the better alternative than me shitting my pants while driving someone around. He's like, I dropped her off, immediately went to a gas station because I almost shit my pants. And I was like, Well, see, we're all normal. We we all almost shit our pants.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we're all in this together.
SPEAKER_02All in this together.
SPEAKER_01And then to today we had friends sending us um a video from Seattle saying, Okay, well, next time we're there, they now have these like new public bathrooms.
SPEAKER_02In case Kimberly needs to shit again.
SPEAKER_01So I was like, thank you.
SPEAKER_02Actually, the support is real. Okay, that was all I wanted to say. Even strangers are telling me their poop pants stories, so I feel pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01I love that.
SPEAKER_00Thank you.
SPEAKER_01So today's theme is getting the most out of summer.
SPEAKER_02Ooh, I like this, especially. I like this.
SPEAKER_01It sounds like you're gonna start crying.
SPEAKER_02You know, I used to think that I was getting the most out of summer, and I probably am. But but but I'm so tired doing it. I already have half of my weekends for the summer just filled filled up, full up. And, you know, sometimes I just want a weekend to be like, I'm gonna figure something out spontaneously. And if that spontaneous thing is taking a nap, then so be it.
SPEAKER_01Then why don't you book out a weekend for spontaneity? Well, Kimberly.
SPEAKER_02I'm glad that you have the ability to tell people no.
SPEAKER_01Or sit still. You just say, Oh, I'm busy that weekend. Because that can literally be a plan. You're right. You're right. Problem solved. End of episode. Let's go.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I hope you guys have a great summer. XOXO. Love Meredith, never change. See you next year. Did you just sign my hairbook? Exactly. I'm glad you caught that. Oh, Kimberly, tell me how to get the most out of my summer without killing myself from exhaustion.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so I feel like this ties in with our conversation that we just had about third spaces or our last episode.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01Um, but this is kind of a little different. So summer when we were kids was like the thing that we looked forward to all year. Like you, you know, it was school was done and you had like I don't know what, eight, twelve weeks. I think when I was a kid, it was more like 12 weeks of summer.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we were out mid-May and didn't go back until the end of August.
SPEAKER_01We went we were out the beginning of June and went back after Labor Day. So that's Oh shit. But I mean, same, same. Same, same. But now you still have to go to work. Like there's no break unless you're a teacher and our teacher friends can just stop bragging. Um but we don't have the like what?
SPEAKER_02I was gonna say, but teachers also get paid peanuts.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's true. But you also get your summer off. So you have I I don't know. And you get a lot of breaks. You get two weeks off it for winter break. Touche.
SPEAKER_02Touche.
SPEAKER_01You get a spring break. I don't, you know, corporate America doesn't give you those things.
SPEAKER_02Even hearing the break options, I the one job I knew I never wanted to do was be a teacher.
SPEAKER_01Oh, really? I thought I would be a teacher or whatever. Oh god, no.
SPEAKER_02I bless all of you teachers. I don't have the tough skin, I don't have the patience. There's no fucking way a kid would make me cry daily. Daily doesn't matter the age. Anyways, continue.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Okay, anyway, back to summer.
SPEAKER_02God, fuck.
SPEAKER_01I feel like we had so much stuff that we looked forward to, just like all this free time, riding our bikes, being outside. You know, as you got a little older, you could go drive around with your friends, you would have bonfires, you could go to the beach, you would have can lines, oh yeah, romance, swimming.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, summer camp. And then at the end of summer, you got to go on a shopping spree.
SPEAKER_02Dude, so true. Back to school shopping. It was like the softening the blow to going back to school. It's like, oh, but I get new stuff.
SPEAKER_01Mm-hmm. And so now, as adults, we don't have those those traditions. We have other traditions. Like, you know, we do things like maybe we go on a trip, or maybe we're getting a little more vitamin D, especially because you and I are in the Pacific Northwest and we're just like sad for nine months out of the year, and then the sun comes out and we're like, oh my god, speak for yourself. I'm sad for ten. No, I'm just kidding.
SPEAKER_02No, okay, a thousand percent true. Uh yes, as the never mind.
SPEAKER_00You're right.
SPEAKER_01I I feel like summer comes and goes every single year, and I'm like, what did I do? Yep.
SPEAKER_02Because we we're doing it again. We're like, oh I've said it for the last two years. The first year I got here, I made so many fucking plans, and then I was like, next year, I'm not making plans because I want to be able to say yes to more things, and then happened again, and guess what? Here we are. Um not complaining about anybody that I have plans with because I am excited about those plans. But about what? I I just I would like to be able to spontaneously say yes to something. Like, what if something comes up that sounds fun and now I can't go? But I am excited about Porch Fest.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um and that's a tr that can be a tradition now.
SPEAKER_01Yes, it can. And a couple years ago, I realized that the months that I want to be in the Pacific Northwest are May, July, August, and September.
SPEAKER_02Why not June?
SPEAKER_01June's always shitty. It's January. Like, yeah, but there's fun shit going on. Mm. It's just like shitty weather. I don't know. Okay, fine. Continue. And and plus somehow we always end up having some kind of trip in June, which is always an accident. So I'm going to make it sound like it's intentional and it's actually not, but guys, she's gonna be gone this June, too.
SPEAKER_00So fucking crazy, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Well, some of that wasn't my doing. So thank you very much. So I think that that is a very real thing. It's like deciding the months that you want to be in your hometown and not not planning stuff. Like we can only travel in Washington.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I like that. I can already think of reasons that I'd or like times that I would want to stay and reasons why. But I do think over the last couple of years I have implemented some annual things to look forward to, like Porch Fest now potentially being one of those things, or the boat races that I go to with my friends down in the room.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you've got traditions, but that's like not, you know, a lot of people are like, oh, in the summer I travel and we go and do things. And it's like, why? Like, here is where you want to be. Like, why don't you go try? And obviously, if you're like a teacher, that makes the most sense because you're like, I don't have to take vacation time. But um, for the rest of us, it's like, wait, why are you leaving? The other thing that is an idea is because we don't have summer break, but you could do the whole summer Friday thing. And it wouldn't cost, so like even if you did it for a month, that's four days of vacation. I like if you did it for two months, that's eight. Okay, that's kind of getting to a point where it's like how much PTO time do I want to use? Yeah, exactly. But if every if you have a travel ban and then every weekend turns into a three-day weekend, and by travel ban I mean like not traveling outside of well, I'm saying like um not traveling outside of like the Pacific Northwest because it's summer, like okay, maybe I'll go to Idaho or Montana or whatever, but Yeah.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_02Not getting on an airplane.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like not going to Mexico and or you know, something like that. Because I'm always like, wait, why would you why would you do that?
SPEAKER_02So well, I say every year that I want to go to more Mariners games, and then I didn't even go to a single one last year.
SPEAKER_01They're so expensive. And then the parking is more than the tickets.
SPEAKER_02Take the light rail.
SPEAKER_01I know. Um so I'm creating a bingo card for myself this summer.
SPEAKER_02Oh I love this. Man, you're just full of good ideas.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, thank you. So my bingo card, I haven't I haven't made it quite yet.
SPEAKER_02Can we do it together? I mean can I also make one?
SPEAKER_01Yes, or we could do it together. So oftentimes I find myself in this situation where I'm like, summer, I can't wait for summer, you know. And then I go, oh, like you kind of let life take you away, and you're like, oh, I'm gonna do this project, and oh, I'm gonna go do this thing. And then suddenly you're like, all the summery themed stuff that I wanted to do, I didn't do any of it.
SPEAKER_02And now it's over.
SPEAKER_01And now it's over, and now I'm sad.
SPEAKER_02And rainy season is back, and I'm forgetting what the sun looks like again.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So I wrote up 15 different ideas that I had that are just like kind of generic, but also things that like I want, I want to do.
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh, I want to write this down. Hang on, continue. I'm I'm paying attention. I'm just writing this down.
SPEAKER_01You can also send it. I could also send it to you.
SPEAKER_02No, no.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_01I'm listening. Go. Um, buy and use a disposable camera. So instead of like taking my phone, just using a disposable camera. Number two is take a day trip. A couple years ago, Josh and I went out to Bashon and like we went and we had lunch and we like went and saw one of those um trolls, and and it was just like such a nice kind of novel experience. Number three that I put down is go barefoot in the grass. So just like going to the park or like great one, even being in my backyard, like touch the earth. Yes, touch grass. Um, number four, skip work and go to the beach, like call and sick or or plan just like okay, I'm gonna take Wednesday off and I'm gonna go to the beach. And if you can get a friend, if you can get a friend to do it, then great. Okay. Um go to the farmer's market and get a seasonal vegetable and then learn how to cook it.
SPEAKER_02I love that for you. I do that. That's one of my favorite things to do.
SPEAKER_01I don't do that.
SPEAKER_02I love you you bitch loves the farmer's market.
SPEAKER_01Uh number six is go out for ice cream.
SPEAKER_02Oh, that has Kimberly written all over it.
SPEAKER_01This girl loves the ice cream.
SPEAKER_02She does.
SPEAKER_01Uh, number seven, make friendship bracelets. I used to make friendship bracelets all the time when I was a kid. And I want to make them again so badly. I had the Klutz book. Did you have the Klutz book? What? Nothing? No. Do you remember that? Klutz? It was a brand. It starts with a K.
SPEAKER_02Mm-hmm. It sounds familiar.
SPEAKER_01They had like a face painting book, they had a spa book. I had the spa book. I still make the sugar scrub or the salt scrub from their spa book. But they had a friendship bracelet.
SPEAKER_02I I recognize this, but I wouldn't have been able to come up with it on my own. I do remember that.
SPEAKER_01I wonder if I kept it. Maybe I'm gonna buy a new a new book and then I can make um remember how to make and no, I yeah, make some friendship bracelets.
SPEAKER_02I'd say we could have like a a craft night, but I know not all not all of our friends enjoy enjoy the crafting parties. So maybe this will be an individual.
SPEAKER_01I don't know.
SPEAKER_02I I need friends that don't show up early to my house. We love you. She's not listening.
SPEAKER_01I don't know. Maybe she does. Maybe she doesn't. Maybe we should just talk a lot of shit and see if she listens.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah. This I like uh uh we got a text from a friend the other day about what we said on.
SPEAKER_01She's like, I know that the snoring was you're talking about me. And I was like, actually, I did, I think I did hear her snore one year at Bakesgiving. So Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, back to what I was talking about.
SPEAKER_02Oh my god, sorry, Vine, go. Sorry, I'm being vested in your topic.
SPEAKER_01Number eight, I numbered my list this time, so I should get points for that.
SPEAKER_02You should.
SPEAKER_01Um, make a fancy mock tail.
SPEAKER_02Oh. Did you make this with me in mind?
SPEAKER_01No, I was totally thinking about myself, but wow, okay, bitch.
SPEAKER_02I'm kidding, keep going. I love this all so much.
SPEAKER_01Number nine is visit a new park and maybe give yourself some ideas and suggestions of parks that you've like wanted to visit. Um, number 10 is have a picnic. Gasworks. Sorry, picnic, great idea. Continue. Um, I've been, I was just at Gasworks on Saturday.
unknownOh, you bitch.
SPEAKER_01Uh, but like a picnic can literally be you go to a park or your backyard and you take a blanket and you order pizza. You pick up to go pizza. Where I think you can sometimes order Uber Eats like two.
SPEAKER_02You can definitely order dominoes to the park. Dominoes, there was like that whole ad campaign where they're like deliver to the top of a mountain. You can order dominoes anywhere. Uh, but are you using pizza as an example? Because you and I went to Point Defiance and got SIG. Yeah, shit was delicious.
SPEAKER_01I've done that with a couple people. It just wasn't just you.
SPEAKER_02I'm not special. Okay.
SPEAKER_01No. Uh the pizza in the park is uh not monogamous.
SPEAKER_02Rude, but I do love the alliteration. Let's just coin that really quick. Pizza in the park. Are we creating a third space? Pizza in the park.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, maybe. Let's try it. Maybe we can invite people.
SPEAKER_02Um love it. Okay, continue.
SPEAKER_01I know. Okay, um, number number 10 was have a picnic. Number 11 is bird watching.
SPEAKER_02Uh your girl's on board. Guess who added two new birds to her lifer list on her San Diego trip? If no one's familiar, uh Cambridge University does an app called I regret bringing up bird watching. Shut up. Getting old sneaks up on you, okay? Those hobbies are gonna pop out of nowhere. Um uh Patrick showed me this app, the Merlin Bird ID. And you can, so you create your like list of birds that you've seen, um, and you can add them by sound. So it's like Shazam for birds. You literally report them. Or you can upload a picture and it'll help identify your bird based on the location and time of year, and blah, blah, blah. And I feel like I'm way too excited about this. Anyways, yes, great addition to the list. I will be doing that.
SPEAKER_01You're over 35 is showing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, that's not the only way it is. I told you these bags aren't from aren't from nothing. Okay.
SPEAKER_01Okay, number 12 is throw a frisbee or like a football.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Frisbee, yes. Football, no.
SPEAKER_01But okay. I, okay, hear me out. Um, this was the thing that when my ex-husband and I were on our big long road trip across the US, we found a frisbee in a park and we, for whatever reason, we brought a football with us. We threw that football almost every night and the frisbee every once in a while. Like it was just such a nice thing to like go and be. Obviously, we were in like living in a truck camper, so like you kind of had to be outside. But it was such a fun way to just be like, you want to do this? And we would, you know, chit-chat, and then we got divorced. So maybe it's not such a good idea.
SPEAKER_02That story took a turn. I was gonna say didn't see that coming, but uh, you started the story with ex-husband. So I I did know that was happening.
SPEAKER_01Okay, okay. But I just remember that being a really fun thing that we did, and like, why don't I do that? I appreciate the sentiment. Yes, love it. Or like you could throw a ball and or volleyball. Love volleyball. Bad mitten? Yeah. To practice. You don't need a net for that. You just you just hit that shuttlecock.
SPEAKER_02Pickleball? You don't need a court, just slam it at the door. It's fine. Just play in the pack and lat. I'm glad my my East Coast accent is catching on.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Uh so number 13 is go back to school shopping. So obviously that's at the end of summer, but like treat yourself to a new like physically go shopping. Do not do it online.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you dumb dumbs.
SPEAKER_01You like kidding, I love you all. You go to the mall and you buy a new outfit.
SPEAKER_02And you treat yourself to Auntie Ann's pretzels. Because who doesn't love an Auntie Anne's pretzel?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and like you're well, maybe you get some new socks and some new underwear, and then you just have this like whole new outfit, and maybe you get like a new work bag.
SPEAKER_02But then what's your mom gonna buy me for Christmas? I'm just kidding. That's a that's it. I'm kidding.
SPEAKER_01Your mom buys you socks?
SPEAKER_02Uh no, not unless I ask for them. No, that was like the the standard like what you get your son for Christmas at a certain age is like, yeah, he probably hasn't bought new socks or underwear in five years, so gonna have to do that. I was just making a joke and it was clearly bad.
SPEAKER_01So well, my dad once told me that if you get socks for Christmas, it's proof that nobody loves you.
SPEAKER_02So wow. Don't tell boat guy that he loves socks.
SPEAKER_01Oh. Well, I think my dad had also gotten me socks that year. Wow, dad, are you trying to tell me something? Am I adopted? It's fine. I think they would probably love me more if I was adopted.
SPEAKER_02Um is Sean the favorite?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um stay one night, number 14. Stay one night at a hotel with the best pool in town. Grab your friends.
SPEAKER_02You are really on this pool kick. I I love a pool. Kimberly loves to play mermaids. That is to be mermaids. That is that's her dream.
SPEAKER_01And then number 15 is go to music in the park.
SPEAKER_02Wait, we do there, we have a music in the park. The Gunnison did that, and I love doing that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there's where's our music in the park? There's one, there's one in Puallop that's pretty good. And I'm sure that there, oh, another one was um watch a movie outdoor. I know like you have to go to Marrymore. Marrymore Park does that, but it's like free and whatever.
SPEAKER_02Amy's got a projector. Amy, we're inviting ourselves over. Let's have that twister party we talked about.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Whoa. This really this really escalated.
SPEAKER_02We Amy and I have been to a few outdoor movies thrown by people with projectors. And it's fun.
unknownMm-hmm.
SPEAKER_01It's just a nice way to like be outside. Um, so then so I'm gonna make my bingo card.
SPEAKER_02I I lied. Will you actually send me that list? Because um, I would like to make one and I'm gonna reference some of those.
SPEAKER_01I will. Thank you. I will. We should, and then we should share our our bingo cards.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Let's share it in an Instagram. You know what?
SPEAKER_01I will. I will make I will we can make our cards and then I will make one that doesn't have um anything on it. And then if you get a bingo, you can give yourself a treat of some sort.
SPEAKER_02Built for an ADHD or dream.
SPEAKER_01Dream actually.
SPEAKER_02I get a reward.
SPEAKER_01Oh, and then if you black it out, then you get like the real prize.
SPEAKER_02I am the real prize. Wow, not the reaction I was hoping for, but I've seen your ogre photo. Oh my god. I can't believe that. I mean, I can. I know what I look like, but that is I mean, even knowing what I look like, that is bad. Can't wait to show Boat Guy.
SPEAKER_01He's gonna be like, wow, I won the lottery.
SPEAKER_02He's gonna be like, um, I'm busy forever. Never talk to me again.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so I know that we were talking about spontaneity and stuff like that, but my thought is that you should plan some of these things.
SPEAKER_02No, I think, yeah, I think there can be a good mix.
SPEAKER_01Like music in the park.
SPEAKER_02Oh, so so you can go to the actual music in the park?
SPEAKER_01Well, yeah, like putting them on your calendar so you know when they are. And I did that.
SPEAKER_02Sorry, I just wanted you to be proud of my organization moment. I did that at the uh when I was coming up with things that I like reasons to like do more in Tacoma and get myself out. All of the farmers markets are on my calendar for the next six months. There you go. And all of the free national park days are saved on my calendar. Um, and any other like local markets that I thought looked interesting are all saved. I love it. My calendar.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I love it. Um and then my other, my just like last thought is that you can do this like per season if you wanted to. And I mean, you could do this for fall, you could do this for winter. And I think it might be especially important for us Pacific Northwesterners in winter because my god, winter is long. I cannot think of a single activity other than like getting stoned and watching TV in my wool pants.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_02Uh, you know, if you're doing it with other people, then maybe that's not so bad. But uh yeah. The first winter was rough. The second winter, we were really good at keeping up with pickleball. And then this winter, I think the podcast helped. Yeah. Look at us. We are way more than mildly thriving. Who's new?
SPEAKER_01Alright, that's that's it. That's all I've got is that you should make a I'm gonna make a bingo card and you should too.
SPEAKER_02I love this. I love this for everybody. Um, let's all make bingo cards. I want to hear about it though, so please message us. Or find us on Mowdy Thriving Pod on Instagram. Or message us wherever you get your podcasts. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Be our friend. We love it.
SPEAKER_02We're pretty cool. And we've never shit our pants.
SPEAKER_01Not yet. Our days are numbered.
SPEAKER_02It's coming.
SPEAKER_01It's coming. Um, all right. Well, is this episode a good reminder that mildly driving driving is driving the biggest?