Summer is here! It’s pretty easy to be inspired this time of year, the sun is shining and there is so much to explore! But just in case you need an extra dose, here are some great things I discovered lately.

Independent Bookstore Day
May 2 was a day to celebrate our great local independent bookstores. Here in Seattle, 17 bookstores participated by holding special events, giving out freebies, deals and more. Participants could get a passport stamped at every store for a special prize. Of course this is pretty much everything I’ve ever dreamed of and I spent days mapping out a route (which included a ferry ride) to all the stores. My last stop of the day was Liberty Bay Books in Poulsbo and I was treated like a queen. I had free stuff thrust upon me including a delicious (and much deserved) beer. I also got to hang out with Jonathan Evison and chat about the Olympics and whatnot. No big deal. To top it off I got a discount card for 25% off any purchases at the participating bookstores for a whole year. I discovered so many hidden bookstore gems in our great city and I can’t wait to visit them all throughout the year and all in one day again next year!

One Second Everyday
Recently I listened to this TED talk from Cesar Kuriyama about time and how there are so many little beautiful moments that add up to your life but you can’t possibly remember them all. So Cesar came up with the idea for an app that stitches together one second snippets each day into a continuous  video. I decided to use the app to create a video for my summer. I started on the first day of summer and I will share my video with you in a couple months. I predict lots of trails, sails and Nali tails and lots of reading in the hammock.

Nature is Good for You!
Lately it seems like the internet is abuzz with studies showing that nature is good for us. I have certainly witnessed this first hand (who doesn’t feel elated at the top of a mountain?) but it’s nice to know that there is actual science that proves things like:

Nature Walks Are Good for Your Brain!

Nature-Lovers are Happy, Healthy and Innovative!

Hiking is Good for Your Mental Health!

It Even Makes Your Kids Smarter!

Now that makes me want to hit the trails.

What I’ve Been Reading:

New Books I’m Excited To Read:

Coming Soon on the Blog:
Lookouts Galore! /  Glacier Peak Climb / Summer Road Trips

What has been inspiring YOU lately? Have you recently discovered an inspiring person, read a great book or attended an exciting event? Tell me about it in the comments!