Staff Bucketlists
Summer comes but once a year and it can be difficult to keep track of all the fun plans and ideas you had at the beginning. Writing them down and creating a bucket list is one of the simplest ways to set those intentions and meet your summer goals! I wanted to see how our Tala team would do when tasked with setting those plans in motion- and got to check in to see how it went! I used our summer kickoff cookout to reach as many friends as possible to find out their summer plans and even get some inspiration for some of my own!
Sometimes the best way to approach your first few bucket list goals is to utilize the plans you already have in motion, like Emily, who achieved her plan of visiting her friends in Oregon! That wasn’t the only PNW adventure taken by the Tala folks, though; Mia had an amazingly memorable trip to Seattle, where she visited a friend, met new ones, and drank LOTS of coffee! Maybe your summer travel plans looked a little more like Mary’s, who spent so much time outdoors to reach her goals of kayaking somewhere new, starting a campfire, and visiting a beach in Michigan! The beauty of the Midwest did not go unexplored by us, with Grace and Carl both finding time to also get up to Michigan and enjoy the gorgeous dunes and state parks. Clearly, time off is not taken in vain here; check out the photos from everyone’s awesome travels!
Maybe your bucket list was filled with activities closer to home, like Roni, when she was able to check off her tattoo goal and take some dance classes. Justin was able to work through his bucket list while here, too, taking lots of intentional “me” time and really learning a lot about video game design! Check out some of his visuals and what he was able to create! Rachel found that her goals of a farmers market and visiting a beach can be accomplished wherever your journey home takes you, and for her, that’s now in New York City! Grace had the privilege of growing her home just a little with her goal of getting a cat, named Gally. She isn’t the only new mother to mention: Jenna achieved her goal of becoming a proud new owner of a Labubu, an essential part of her bucket list!
A bucket list is a great framework for your summer fun, but so many Tala folks also showed me that deviating from the plan can end in amazing memories, too! While Carl never made it to a baseball game this summer, the WWE Smackdown he attended with his son was a pretty awesome substitute. Mary was only two books away from finishing her bucket list while Roni was a shot of Malort away from hers… (and I can hardly blame her for leaving that one untouched). While it can feel daunting to have a short task list for a successful summer, many of us have proven that it is only a jumping-off point for finding amazing ways to spend these few months of sunshine!
Reflecting on this summer here at and away from Tala, I can’t help but feel inspired by these full and spirited humans! Nothing brings us joy like others experiencing it themselves and sharing it with everyone. These lists are a true testament to the lives we seek to live year after year and the elation that comes from those memories. I hope you feel it in each cafe, in each drink, and in each interaction with a member of our Tala team.
Mel Kreppein
Meet Mel, a Gurnee native who has a passion for people, planet, and coffee. Managing and crafting at the Libertyville cafe, she spends her free time going on walks, doing art, and hanging out with her cat Prudence.
