It is officially hiking season and I could not be more excited. It’s been a rough summer with no hiking (I’m not a fan of waking up really early to beat the heat) so I’ve had to settle with hiking up North or in other states (California, and Colorado mostly).

But it’s finally hiking season here in Arizona! To celebrate and to encourage you all to get out, hike and enjoy some nature, here are my favorite 5 hikes in different parts of the valley (Central, North, East, South, West). Plus, find out how you can get a free pass to any Arizona State Park for this Thanksgiving holiday break!

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This post is sponsored by Vertuccio Farms. All opinions are my own.

It is October, summer is FINALLY officially over and we are in full Fall mode. And when it’s Fall, you know that we are all thinking the same thing: PUMPKIN PATCHES. At least I am. If you’ve never been to a pumpkin patch, you need to add it to your bucket list right now. If you’re not sure why I’m telling you to do this, keep reading and let’s see if I can convince you that checking out the Vertuccio Farms Fall Festival (which includes a Pumpkin Patch) needs to be on your list.

This week, I’ve teamed up with Vertuccio Farms to help you cross off that very special bucket list. A big thank you to Cono & Angela Vertuccio for partnering with us. They have graciously donated 4 tickets for 4 lucky readers to check out their pumpkin patch. This giveaway will live all over social media (Facebook, The Blog, Instagram & Twitter) and the winner will be announced on all of my social media channels this Friday. Read to the bottom of this post for the full details!

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People always ask me ‘Why do you have a bucket list?’ and I always end up talking way too long about why I have one and why I think everyone should have one. It’s kind of like when people ask you about your favorite hobby or your biggest passion and your face lights up and you ramble on because you love that topic so much. That’s how it is with me and bucket lists. And because I tend to ramble, I’ve decided to sit down and give you a quick and concise list of 7 reasons to have a bucket list.

But first, let’s tackle the elephant in the room. One of the biggest issues people have with bucket lists is that they think they are too young to have one. Many people associate the term ‘bucket list’ with death, or the end of life. To me, however, a bucket list isn’t a list of things that I want to do before I die…it’s a list of things I want to do in my life. I think it’s better to start the bucket list mentality when you are young, when you have more time, and when you have more flexibility. Check out the 7 reasons and let me know if I’ve convinced you!

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Mexican Independence Day was a few days ago (September 16th), and yes Mexican Independence Day is in September…not on May 5th. If you’re still confused, feel free to check out a past blog post where I teach you about 5 de Mayo AND tacos!

But back to Mexican Independence Day…I think the saying is true that you will always recognize things that are familiar or similar to you. Just like when you buy a red car, all of a sudden you begin to notice red cars everywhere. That was sort of the case for me when I (a Mexican) traveled to Montreal, Canada. I swear it was almost like Canada knew I was coming and decided to give me A Very Mexican Vacation in Canada!

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Two weeks ago, I crossed off bucket list item #542: visit Horseshoe Bend in Page, Arizona and IT. WAS. BREATHTAKING. I’ve seen pictures of Horseshoe Bend online, but trust me when I say that the photos do not do this beautiful place justice. Like at all. It’s such a ridiculously wondrous place that it almost looks photoshopped (even in person!). It looks and feels surreal.

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Since Enthusiastic About Life started with my graduation bucket list when I was at the University of Arizona, I figured I should share the Ultimate University of Arizona Bucket List. It’s the perfect time to share because classes just started! Senior year FLIES by so definitely start crossing some of these items ASAP.

But I have to remind you, it’s not about how many items you cross off, but how many memories you make and how epic you make your last year at the best university in the world! Let me know if there are any other bucket list items that I may have missed, enjoy!

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Can you all believe it?! A year ago today on a sunny afternoon, Enthusiastic About Life went live. Today Enthusiastic About Life is now officially 1 year old. I can’t believe that it’s been 1 full year of the blog! Get the champagne and let’s start poppin’ bottles to celebrate.

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Three weeks ago, I was able to cross off a bucket list item that I have literally been waiting years to cross off! Item #390: go to a midnight release party for a book.

When I was younger and reading the Harry Potter series my parents never let me go, because I was too young but I’m old enough now! Attending the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Midnight Release party was the perfect excuse for me to go relive my childhood.

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The month of August is a great time to get creative and maybe discover a new hobby! You may be asking yourself ‘But why is August a great month to get creative?’….well the answer is simple. The entire month of August, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona and As You Wish Pottery Painting Place have teamed up.

Up until August 31st, if you go to any As You Wish location in the valley, you will have the opportunity to ’round up for charity’ and help a fantastic organization (BBBS) reach even more kids.

Here’s how it works:

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Original post published on 7/13/16. Updated on 8/2/16 to add interview at end of this article. Click here to skip to interview.

Yesterday was a pretty eventful day. I found out about an awesome organization in Phoenix AND I also crossed off bucket list item #32 with my little sister: be interviewed to be on the radio!

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