As of yesterday morning, I am officially a quarter of a century old. I’m not in denial, nor am I overwhelmed. Whenever I hit that time in my life where I feel like I’ve finally reached “old”, I’ll start referring to myself as “___ years young”. This years’ “25 Things to Do Before Turning 25” was a bit more difficult than the years past. While some of these opportunities were incredibly unique and just required a day or two of time, many of them had me up against a wall, sometimes lacking committment to the project. While the abstractness of “start a social movement” can be quite intimidating at times, I realize that just like “ride a gondola”, some things are meant to be done at the appropriate time with the perfect person or purpose behind it. A social movement, song of worship, or spiritual retreat can not be thrown together simply to cross of a task on a list. That’s why these tasks will continue on with me through this year, and as long as it may take to do so.
That being said, here’s a fresh look at the “26 Before Turning 26” list. This years list is focused on my community, and the expansion into other communities. The biggest blessing so far in this new year has been the abundance of support, encouragement, and love shown from my friends and family. Someone recently asked me if I actually knew all 184 people that wrote on my Facebook wall, wishing me a happy birthday- it’s a pretty outrageous number. I spent some time going through each one and proudly reported with affirmation that each of these people were known, cared for, and appreciated.
Many of the tasks on this years’ list are not going to be easy; in many instances people may just think that I’m crazy. But that’s what makes this so much fun. So, if you see an opportunity to be a part of my 26th year of life list, let’s learn how to make it happen.
To a new adventure,
- Learn a new coffee-brewing method
- Visit 2 new countries
- Connect with someone on the Fantasy Factory team
- Run in an official 5k/10k race
- Find an illustrator for the children’s book
- Connect with a Twitter follower I’ve never met
- Visit the set of a TV show
- Attend baseball games at 2 new stadiums*
- Play board games for 10 hours straight
- Finish an Abe Lincoln biography
- Write thank-yous for the small things
- Learn to Toss a Pizza Dough*
- Attend a 100th Birthday Party*
- Develop mixology skills- create my own cocktail
- Attend an event promoted on craigslist
- Check out a new museum
- Spend a day out on a boat
- Speak/Teach in a class
- Make a meal that I’ve never made before
- Conquer something that has conquered me.
- Make something for the home
- Learn to become productive in the morning.
- Pay off half of my student loans
- Drive a convertible
- Rebrand the Website
- Choose Your Own Adventure: Submit your Challenge to Me