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February 13, 2006
50 Things to Do Before I Die
Over the past few years, I have tried to create a list of 50 Things To Do Before I Die, with the intent of spurring on new adventures, both meaningful and exciting. It was always hard to come up with a full list of 50; in fact, I usually hovered around a dozen.
I realized a few weeks ago that I'd accomplished most of that previous dozen--including skydiving, LASIK eye surgery, and living abroad. Currently being in a big transition phase with other aspects of my life, I thought it was high time to make a new list. And so, dear reader, I give you:
50 Things To Do Before I Die
1. See Victoria Falls
2. Read 1,000 books
3. Go skinny-dipping in the ocean (September 8, 2006)
4. Fly a plane (June 9, 2006)
5. Go on an African safari
6. See the pyramids
7. Write a novel
8. Sleep under the stars
9. Go to Burning Man
10. Kiss a girl (April 11, 2006)
11. Learn a language fluently
12. Run a 5-k
13. Live without a car for a year
14. Be a vegan for 6 months
15. Cut my eco-footprint down to 1
16. Start a charity
17. Have a secretary/assistant
18. Build a house
19. Go cross-country skiing
20. Go scuba diving
21. Get a Ph.D.
22. Have a dog (May 10, 2008)
23. Make ice cream by hand (May 6, 2006)
24. Grow a vegetable garden
25. Climb Macchu Pichu
26. Hold a public office
27. Learn to play guitar
28. Own a piano
29. Race a sailboat
30. Bake a souffle (March 8, 2006)
31. Visit a vinyard (March 2008)
32. Win an award (January 2008)
33. Learn to dance the shag
34. Speak at a graduation
35. Participate in a medical experiment
36. Act in a play
37. Meet the President
38. Get a solar panel
39. Register a patent
40. Work in an election
41. Publish an op-ed
42. Buy a Modigliani
43. Have a library room
44. Make a sculpture
45. Draw a self-portrait
46. Sing with a band
47. Throw a fancy party
48. Keep a blog for 5 years
49. See a baby being born
50. Complete all 50 things before I die
I've created a separate category called 50 Things (on the right hand side of the page), where I'll be tracking my progress. First on the agenda: make a souffle. That shouldn't be too hard, right?
Comments
For item 10, does your previous experience not count?
Posted by: La at February 13, 2006 01:27 PM
Considering the salt and sand in the ocean, I'd forego #3. Why not combine it with #1?
Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2006 05:30 PM
I can help with #33. The shag is the state dance of South Carolina.
Posted by: Elizabeth at February 13, 2006 07:43 PM
Why is La always discouraging your girl love?
Posted by: Mr. B.A. at February 14, 2006 06:28 PM
2. Read 1,000 books
based on your last "books I read last week" list, you're well on your way.
4. Fly a plane
Ooo, ooo, I did this. My friend took off and landed, but I got to steer in the air. Scary stuff.
5. Go on an African safari
Is there even anything left to see?
7. Write a novel
Just don't get dumped by that publisher who promised to publish our last book.
8. Sleep under the stars
If I recall, we slept under the stars in Sweden (not together, of course -in case you mom is reading) Or do you mean without a tent? If so, I highly recommend the greatest most memorable place I ever slept under the stars. The Great Sand Dunes park in Colorado. Never saw do many stars in my life. Just remember to bring a sleeping bag, because it gets COLD!
9. Go to Burning Man
I suppose you could sleep under the stars there -and do it naked, which wasn't even on your list.
10. Kiss a girl
Ohhhhh! I feel like a part of my memory has been ripped out! I guess I just had too active an imagination thinking of you, Jess, and Roya all alone on those cold Swedish nights.
11. Learn a language fluently
Other than English?
13. Live without a car for a year
Come to Tokyo.
14. Be a vegan for 6 months
Is "vegan" a noun, or an adjective?
17. Have a secretary/assistant
I may be looking for a job in a couple months... Can I tele-work it?
19. Go cross-country skiing
Oh crap! You totally missed your chance while in Sweden. Norway is so close and *everyone* does CC skiing. The country is literally organized around great trails. Amazing and the best I have ever done -if you ever decide to go there for a week-long ski and sleep under the stars trip, let me know.
20. Go scuba diving
Better hurry before the reefs are gone.
22. Have a dog
You mean take care of a dog, right? Not "have" a dog, as in "have" a baby, I hope.
27. Learn to play guitar
Like this?
28. Own a piano
No "learn to play" a piano?
29. Race a sailboat
I've raced many sail-boats in my kayak. It's easier to win when they are docked.
32. Win an award
Is there any special criteria as to how prestigious the award has to be, because I can make an award especially for you.
34. Speak at a graduation
Come to think of it, you were pretty quiet at our graduation. In fact, I must not have spoken to you once because I don't even remember you being there.
35. Participate in a medical experiment
Is this related to #22?
38. Get a solar panel
you don't have a solar calculator?
44. Make a sculpture
I take it mashed potatoes don't count? If they do I am extremely disappointed in your childhood imagination.
Posted by: Bastish at February 16, 2006 07:33 AM
I love your list. Here is mine.
To go skydiving September 13, 2005-have jumped 3 times
To serve in the Peace Corps1990-1992 Micronesia and 1996-1998 Sri Lanka
To learn to jump rope forwards and backwards for fitness 1988 forwards and 1993 backwards
To become fluent in a foreign language accomplished in Peace Corps
To read the entire Bible in Braille and large print 1992 large print and 2005 Braille
To learn to play an exotic musical instrument have learned to play a bamboo wind instrument from Peru
To learn to swim the breaststroke and the butterfly
To compose music for Psalm 121 2006
To go hang gliding September 30, 2006
To learn to play a Bach Fugue on the piano
To learn Spanish by translating my language notes from Peace Corps into Spanish
To set or break a record in the Guinness Book
To compete in the Golden Olympics when I'm older
Posted by: Patricia at November 4, 2006 05:42 PM
I agree urgently with Bastish-- If you wish to go scuba diving please do it soon; global warming and pollution of waterways are pretty rapidly killing off the best reefs!
WTG making a list of what you want to accomplish. Best of luck with it!
Posted by: Spirit at May 1, 2007 08:23 PM
Vic Falls in Zimbabwe.... cry Zimbabwe... I hope you get there one day.
Posted by: Safrican at July 10, 2007 07:01 AM
you can never complete the list. once you get to 49 you can't actually ever fill in number 50.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 17, 2007 05:00 AM
