At first glance, I want to be bummed when I look at my “27 Before Turning 27” list; I wasn’t able to travel out of the country, and I still haven’t learned how to toss a pizza dough. But when I put the list aside, there are a few amazing moments hidden beneath.
- Hiking the Oregon Coast and staying in a yurt for the ultimate unplug.
- Winning $5,000 and a years’ supply of cheese in the Kerrygold Instagram competition.
- Hosting the “An Intimate Pursuit of a Whimsical Summer of Dining” dinner series in Columbus and meeting people from all over the city.
- Visiting Seattle, seeing the Indians victorious in another MLB stadium.
- Spending time with the Central well at Watershed Church of Columbus, giving away thousands of dollars to people in need around our community rather than having to invest in overhead costs like utilities.
- Watching the Ohio State Buckeyes have the most phenomenal year, including the National Championship.
The age of 26 has been a year of many firsts. A full year of living in just one city gave me room to grow holistically, from the physical commitment of training for hikes like the Grand Canyon and Multnomah Falls to creating healthy rhythms in my sleeping habits. While I am coming to terms that I’ll never grow a full beard, I have not yet come to accept that my adventures are over or that my best years are behind me.
In the spirit of tradition, I present the “28 Things Before Turning 28”. With 27 comes a bit of a shift.
- Complete one item on the Life List.
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- Fill in the blanks above.
Two fixed tasks; the first comes from my life list, to remain consistent with the rules I made for myself several years ago, and the last task being to fill in the blanks throughout the year. I know it looks and feels like a cop out, but as I hiked along the coast looking at the waves crashing against the beaches below me, a single phrase kept coming into my mind.
Don’t let the list define you.
For many people, creating lists is a much-needed habit to remain organized or accountable. But in this last year, I’ve seen just how OCD I can get with my organizational tendencies. I recently acquired the worst nickname ever, Senor Loggy, an homage to my love of logistics. From planning trips down to the minute to managing an abundance of Google Docs for various organizations. I’m wondering what happens when I stop pursuing a list of to-dos and, instead, fill them in as they come. This year, my commitment to adventurous trips, whimsical living, and endless amounts of love remains consistent. But as I go, I’ll be filling in the blanks rather than checking off boxes. Intuition tells me I’m going to need some extra blanks.
Thank you for being a part of this birthday tradition.
