J and I both love to read, and sometimes we’ll discuss the books we’re discovering. Not long ago, J read a book called 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam. Truth be told, I haven’t read it and I’m not sure if I’ll ever get around to it, but one thing J mentioned to me while he was reading it was that the author recommended writing a list of 100 dreams or goals. I thought it was a great idea, so I decided to make my own list.
And now, for your reading pleasure, my dreams (in no particular order):
- Take a picture of myself every day (for age progression purposes).
- Attend at least 2 roller derby bouts every season.
- Go someplace new once every other month.
- Feel confident in a bathing suit.
- Have a wardrobe I love.
- Read 5 nonfiction and 10 fiction books every year.
- Give a million dollars to charity during my lifetime.
- Become an activist who fights against human trafficking.
- See the pyramids.
- Buy lingerie in Paris.
Tithe a full 10% to the general fund at church in addition to the other various good causes I support.2013 and ongoing- Do a humanitarian trip at least once a decade.
- Learn to sew beautiful clothing and crafts.
- Send anonymous gifts to people twice a year.
- Visit my ancestral roots in Germany.
- Learn to make my own cleaning/beauty products (for the sake of reducing my carbon footprint and household chemical consumption).
- Visit all 50 states.
- Pray at the Wailing Wall at least one more time. Bring J.
- Call Sister and Oma once a week.
See college friend G again before I turn 35.2014- Take college friend M out to dinner before the end of 2013.
- Take a Caribbean cruise.
- Find my place in ministry.
- Create a comfortable and beautiful home that is neat, organized, and decorated.
- Become “mostly vegetarian.” Seafood excluded.
- Invest in T’s life. Become her confidante and outside support system.
- Become a prayer warrior.
- Buy roller skates and skate once a month.
- Learn to believe in true love again.
See Oma at least one more time before she dies.2014- Write R & R (sponsored children) once every other month.
- Find a best friend in my region.
Volunteer once a month.2014 and ongoing- Eat more pizza and sushi.
- See Eddie Izzard, Jim Gaffigan,
and Brian Regan (again)[2014] live. - Have $0 of debt.
- Win employee of the year.
- See a live theater production once a year.
- Keep a dream journal.
- Take a vacation with Sister.
- At least once in my life, leave a $100 bill for my restaurant meal at Christmas time.
- Get my picture taken with Johnny Depp.
- Watch a documentary once a month.
- Take belly dancing lessons.
- See Petra – the buildings carved into stone.
- Ride a camel.
- Choose and wear a signature scent.
- Take J on a surprise vacation.
- Save enough to retire comfortably at the age of 60.
- Own something from Tiffany’s.
- Take a ceramics and/or stained glass course.
- Learn Sign Language.
- Keep a daily “I’m Thankful For” journal.
- Win a trophy that I get to keep indefinitely (not the Iron Skee Ball trophy).
- Beat J at least once more time at one of our annual Iron Skee Ball competitions.
- Do the “27 Days of J” for J’s birthday one year.
- Finish a half-marathon.
- Learn to swing dance, stunts included. Or salsa dancing.
- Stay up late and watch shooting stars in a cemetery (again).
- Watch the sunrise from somewhere where an ocean is to the east.
- See Ground Zero.
- Kiss J on the top of the Empire State Building.
- Look out the window from the top of the Columbia Tower.
- See the view from the top of the Smith Tower.
- Start celebrating “Treat Yourself” day annually.
- Skydive.
- Every presidential election, take off from work the day after the election so that I can stay up late to hear the results as they happen. Have a celebratory or commiseration beverage when the results are announced.
- Take off from work and celebrate Cinco de July-o annually.
- Perform my civic duty and serve as a juror.
- Feed a giraffe.
- Hold a baby hedgehog.
- Decorate my house with 1000 white candles for a special date night.
- Stay at the Albuquerque Holiday Inn.
- Visit New Orleans.
- Get a dog.
- Make and use fabric napkins so that we don’t have to use paper towels.
- Figure out a convenient way to compost.
- Send a care package to a solder (again).
- Make a rag quilt.
- Attend a masquerade.
- Cuddle and play with the little ones at the “Hogar San Francisco de Asis” Center for Destitute and Sick Children in Lima, Peru.
- Accomplish or be part of something truly great.
- Help at a homeless soup kitchen.
- Buy a decent car entirely with $20 bills from my savings account – no financing.
- See the Northern (or Southern) lights one more time.
- See a phosphorescent red tide at night (again).
- Take a long-exposure photograph of the twirling night sky.
Get a mattress that doesn’t give me back/headaches.2013- Save the equivalent of three month’s income in case of emergency.
- Acquire enough emergency supplies in my home to survive one week without outside help.
Grow my hair long enough to donate (again).2014- Shake hands with a current or former American president.
- Get to know my brother better.
- Pet a penguin.
- Have a vow-renewal ceremony with friends for my 25th wedding anniversary.
- Look sexy in the Wonder Woman t-shirt in my closet.
- Go on a helicopter tour of a pretty place.
- Ride in a limousine.
- Go on a safari.
- Develop my vocabulary to include uncommon words (not to impress anyone, but rather simply for the sake of my love for the English language).
I know it’s unreasonable to expect that I’ll accomplish all of these, but I’ll do as many as I can!
If you’d like, shoot me a comment with some of your life goals. I’d love to hear them.