By Nikki Dabney

Staff Writer

We live for the weekend, counting down the days. When it comes, we end up sleeping more than we expect and doing less than we want. Sunday rolls around and we wish we had more time. The problem is not a lack of time; it’s a misuse of time.

Next weekend, fill your life with adventure. Try something new. Follow these steps to have a weekend you’ll always remember:

1. Go to the new Einstein’s Bagels in Coppell. It is located at 155 S. Denton Tap Rd., Suite 100. Order a Power Protein Bagel with peanut butter. Its 14 grams of protein will give you sustained energy for the rest of the day. Before you pay, grab a Doggie Bagel to bring home to your pooch.
2. Download the Charity Miles app on your iPhone or Android and take a hike through the Coppell Nature Park. The app tracks your distance and you earn money for the charity of your choice. Bikers earn 10 cents per mile; walkers and runners earn 25 cents per mile. You can get fit and help a charity you are passionate about at the same time.
3. Visit the Grapevine Market in Downtown Grapevine on Main Street. It is open every Saturday and offers an array of unique items, such as handmade jewelry and antiques. You’ll find yourself a treasure that is one of a kind.
4. If you’re ready to witness “the best manhunt in history” (and you’re 17-years-old or older), watch Zero Dark Thirty.  The filmmaking duo behind The Hurt Locker – Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal – track SEAL Team Six, the special-ops team who eventually brought down the terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
5. Take someone special on a date they’ll remember for the rest of their life – a trip to Italy! Maybe not. But they will get a taste of Italy on a gondola ride through the Mandalay Canal in Las Colinas. Prices start at $135 and include a bottle of sparkling cider, a box of gourmet chocolates and singing gondolier.
6. Go to slaveryfootprint.org and take an interactive quiz to find out many slaves you employ from the products you use and your lifestyle. This is the generation to end slavery and human trafficking and this will bring us one step closer.
7. Want to witness flight? Go to Founders’ Plaza on Texan Trail in Grapevine. It is designated as a plane-watching park, located right next to the D/FW Airport runaway. There are binoculars to view the planes closely and a radio to listen to the pilots communicating their landing and take off. It is a great place to clear your head and think about how you want your own life to take off.
8. Write a letter to yourself to be opened in six months. Talk about your weekend. Remind yourself what is most important to you. Tell yourself to enjoy life. Say where you want to be in that time. It might be just what you need to hear.

If you follow these steps, you’ll experience some of the greatest joys in life – romance, cuisine, relaxation, the thrill of buying something unique and the satisfaction of giving back. Invest into your future and, arguably more important, enjoy the present.