I've been procrastinating on this post. Partly because I've been working a lot (a good thing for a freelancer!), and partly because I feel like I didn't tick off as much as I had hoped to this year.
But if I'm honest with myself, I did so much more for the first time that wasn't even on my radar that I can't really be frustrated.
As with last year, and likely every year I keep this going, I learned more about what I'm really interested in, and what I'm not. What I wanted to make time for, and what I didn't. What I do regret having not completed — and that just because this particular timeline met its deadline, doesn't mean the pursuit has to end.
Thanks to all of you who keep on following along. I do love sharing this journey, and encouraging others to get out there and try something new!
Below is my "report" (fully completed items have a line through them, some notes on the others) — and soon I'll post my "42 before 43" list. Best.
• 41 Before 42 •
Choreograph a country line dance (and see if Barb will teach it at Cowboys) — I've picked the song I want to use and started choreographing. This will stay on my list.
Plant and grow garlic
Watch every episode of MASH — My parents bought us the entire collection for Christmas so we're moving faster now that we don't have to wait for the library. We're almost done with the fifth season. This will stay on my list.
Try aerial yoga and/or aerial silks
Plan my next trip to France (perhaps running a retreat at Little French Retreat)
Attend a Switchbacks match — Ugh. Missed out because I wasn't paying attention to the calendar. Definitely this summer!
Try kayaking
Learn barista basics
Plant flower bulbs this fall
Take a birding and/or bird banding class — Pitched a story on this, so hoping for it still to happen as a part of that research.
Continue to reduce my wardrobe, a la Project 333
Take French language lessons — Using Duolingo, but still would like to take some formal one-on-one classes.
Read at least 75 books (Hey! I hit 81! Gonna up the number again for next year.)
Take classes on how to use the manual functions on my DSLR camera — I did get some tips from a photographer friend, but honestly I'm looking at purchasing a new, much smaller and lighter camera to use on my travels so I'm less interested in this.
Have at least one item of clothing tailored to fit
Learn to bake croissants
Get will and living will in order
Have a bouquet of flowers in the house, fresh once a month
Attend a fest in Telluride — I had this on the calendar and then we had some family issues that meant I had to cancel.
Take performance driving lessons
Add a piece of original art to my collection from an artist I have not yet met
Stay up once all night until sunrise
Perform at a poetry slam/open mic
Learn to bake French macarons
Attend the Santa Fe Opera — Going, again, on the not-gonna-happen list. Missed the summer season. This year!
Be involved with a stage show in some way
Bake a pie, with homemade crust, from scratch
Visit at least one new-to-me museum— Thanks to my travels, hit more than a dozen!
Watch one new-to-me movie and one classic film a month— Watched many more movies this year than I have in a long time so I consider this a success.
Play Settlers of Catan — Found friends who have the game and want to play.
Stay at the Beaumont Hotel in Ouray
Take an oracle card-making class
Research and read more about walking the Camino de Santiago
Travel (again) with a girlfriend
Fly a kite
Send postcards to friends once a month just because
Try fly fishing
Visit Shambhala Mountain Center
Do a Georgia O'Keeffe tour around New Mexico (Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, etc.) — No tour yet, but I did get back to the O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, and saw a great O'Keeffe exhibit at the New Mexico Museum of Art.
Do a not-just-head-shot photo shoot — See photo above! I participated in a locals' photography project by Aaron Anderson. It was pretty dang cool. Mainly because he's pretty dang cool.
Get off my ass already and pitch the nun story to Oprah Magazine — Have decided NOT to pitch it to O, but am continuing to research options. And I did write another monastery piece for 5280.
The "Miscellaneous Stuff I Did that Wasn't on the List" List
- Tried archery for the first time
- Played paintball
- Rode a horse
- Stayed at a dude ranch
- Learned to stand-up paddle board
- Learned to shoot air rifle with an Olympic hopeful
- Hiked a chunk of the Appalachian Trail
- Learned to make tortillas
- Took a wildflower identification class
- Sat a few rows away from George R.R. Martin as he honored Gena Rowlands at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival
- Acquired a ukelele for Christmas and have started online lessons
- Took a Fosse-style dance class
- Indoor rock climbing — top-rope and bouldering — a few times a week
- Learning, slowly, to walk a slackline
- Taught my first two yoga/writing workshops
- Earned my Relax & Renew restorative yoga certification from Judith Hanson Lasater
- Started working on a documentary (and helped run a successful crowdfunding campaign)
- Finally had a slice of pecan pie at Front Range BBQ (and it was good)
- Started using Trello (which I, um, love)
- Met President Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and America Ferrera
- Took a couples' trip to California wine country and rode in a bright yellow Camaro
- Learned to make sauerkraut and cheese while visiting Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the first time
- Travelled for the first time to Crested Butte; Roanoke, Virginia; Santa Barbara, California; Scottsdale, Arizona (where I learned to Arizona two-step); Portland, Maine; Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada; and Door County, Wisconsin.