Progress Update

It's been a while since I have updated the progress of my list.  It's always in my mind, but I guess I get talking about other things.  My mind has never been able to section off areas, so it seems that all of these projects mingle together.

So far I have completed four items on the list, and have been reading some of my "great works of literature."

When I told my National Honor Society group that I have never caught a fish, they wanted to plan a fishing trip as one of their summer social activities. That would be quite a way to remember the task!

I am going to be meeting with my friend Becca to work on decorating the cake, so that project will be complete by May.

I have made tremendous progress in learning to play a variety of drum beats (though elementary). I have met my goal, but continue to practice. I want to get better, and it's FUN!!!

I need to call and book my reservation for the hot air balloon. A gift certificate has been reserved in my name. :-)

Road trip will be taking place at the end of May/beginning of June. I am not sure about my path yet, but it will be nice and free... Just the way a road trip needs to be! 

I need to figure out a way to learn to better create a website. I know there are manuals and such, but I am hoping to find someone that can give me some guidance. For all of my writing information, I'd like to have a central site. Besides, all of the fan mail is just getting jumbled right now... :-) There needs to be a clear process to address this...

I decided I am going to eat vegetarian in the summer, when produce is in abundance in the area, and I will have time to plan some exciting meals. 

I am working on how I am going to raise $1,000 for charity.  I'd like to come up with something creative and memorable, so I am going to keep thinking hard on this...

Fly first-class? I wish I had an airline hookup... I am taking a trip to Seattle probably this summer... I did think of amending the flying first-class to renting an awesome car for the road trip (thinking convertible). Same cost would be there, and I could benefit from having: a)dependable transportation on my trip, b) the opportunity to let the wind blow through my hair with my sunglasses on...

Then there's the running goal... If you read my post from earlier today, you will know that I am a bit down about it.  I am not sure what I will be able to do in the next seven months.  I wonder if I should downscale it to a 5K? Or keep the goal and agree to walk part of it?  I want to meet my goals and dreams, but I also don't want to cause myself any injury.  There has to be a balance, and I need to know some limits.  I sound so logical about this, but inside I am a real mess on this goal...

And the bottle of wine? That will be saved for the night of my birthday! Unless someone is dying to take me out for a drink before...

Here's the list, to remind everyone why I am even on here:

Michelle's 15 Before 30:

1. Learn to play the drums.
2. Read ten great works of literature.
3. Catch a fish.
4. Learn how to create a website.
5. Run a 10K.
6. Learn how to decorate a cake.
7. Learn 20 words in Italian.
8. Fly first-class.
9. Eat vegetarian for one month... and enjoy it! :-)
10. Ride a hot air balloon.
11. Take a road trip.
12. Raise $1,000 for a charity.
13. Karaoke... in public...
14. Buy and drink a REALLY expensive bottle of wine.
15. Get in much better physical shape- making my numbers look much better at my physical before 30.

On Pain...

"Given the choice between experiencing pain and nothing, I would choose pain."

                                                                                                                      ~William Faulkner

I have had to think long and hard about this post.  Not because I don't have anything to write on the topic of pain, but because I have always been taught to suck it up and walk it off.  I am an emotionally-intense person, but one thing I was never supposed to do is let someone see me hurting. I once walked on a broken foot (broken in seven different places) for a week before seeing the doctor.

As you can imagine, the experience of the past three years has been eye-opening.  I dealt with more physical and emotional pain than at times I could bear.  People would tell me that it was all just making me stronger.  I wanted to punch them in their faces.

Pain is an interesting sensation.  It is always a warning--that something is causing us distress or torture.  I remember watching an episode of the BBC Sherlock series, and remarking at the limp that Dr. Watson produced.  It all came from psychosomatic feelings he hadn't dealt with.  I thought that it was foolish, but part of me knows that such a thing can be very real.  Over the past few years, I attributed much of my physical pain to an emotional wound that needed time to heal.

I know being physically attacked is never a field day.  Being emotionally injured during that time was a second blow.  Add to that the vulnerability and lack of security that goes with not working, and I was a mess.  I remember at my worst I was on Percocet 10's four times a day, with tramadol buffers.  I was on valium, muscle relaxers, and tons of seizure meds.  I honestly don't remember much of a year of my life.  I wonder now if I would have survived if I was really aware of all that was happening.  I remember talking to a therapist that told me the mind only lets you deal with so much of a trauma or memory at a time.  I think the medicine and my mind did a good job of keeping me from losing my sanity.

In summer of 2011, all of the medicines stopped.  I decided that I was going to overcome everything now that I was starting a new teaching job.  My mobility had improved significantly, and I knew my emotional health was looking great.  I thought I could take on the world!!

What I forgot was that I would have pain the rest of my life.  It was a reality I had to accept.  I could pretend that I was a magical creature that found a cure, but that would be deceiving myself.  It always drives me crazy when parents deny their child has a disability.  Now I understand it--I was trying to mourn the fact that I would not have that "normal" life everyone else had.  I was shortchanged, and I tried to prove something to myself by going cold turkey.

By September, I can remember showing up to my doctor in misery.  I hadn't slept in weeks, and I honestly could barely move.  The hardest part about the pain is that no one could see it.  I didn't have a broken leg or a black eye.  And I pretended like everything was normal so no one at my new job would learn my secrets.

The doctor wondered why on earth I had gone off the medications.  I told her I was out to prove something, and had failed miserably.  So, we started back on some light stuff, knowing that was going to make me a functioning human being.  I liked the sound of "functioning."

I got back into running, and have really enjoyed my experiences.  With the help of my trainer, Jesse, I have been able to make incredible progress!  I will not lie- I have been in terrible pain every day.  I have two leg surgeries coming up, but I really want to make good progress before I am side-lined.  

I will admit to something though: sometimes feeling pain is all that makes me feel alive.  I know it sounds completely strange, but it is when I feel the results of a run that I feel most alive.  Maybe it is because I went through a few years where I felt NOTHING.  Maybe because I know in a few years I will not be able to feel this pain again.  I don't want to sound like a freak, but it is when I am sore and hurting that I feel the most alive.  I guess that is because I know I have pushed my body to do something it couldn't do, and may never do again.

I look back at the times where I was numb to the world, and look to the future and the scariness it holds. I think to myself, if given the choice, I would most definitely choose to feel the pain.

Just another metaphor...

I always like the end of the month.  For teachers, it is a pay day, but I have always liked these days.  It is funny that we watch all these television specials in December that talk about the year in review.  Does anyone ever review their months? Or for that matter, their weeks or days?

I have always been fascinated with calendars.  When my OCD was really bad, I remember having five different calendars and planners.  They all recorded the same information.  The actual information was irrelevant; it was more about the comfort of exerting some control on my surroundings.  

Right now, I only have one calendar.  It seems to be a necessity with the nature of my job.  I don't wear a watch either, which says a lot about how far I have come.  Still, at the end of every month I take a few moments to think about the successes and failures of the month.

This month was incredibly progressive.  I had a lot of adventures, tried new things, had some moments of deep thinking, and plenty of moments of laughter.  I was moved to tears a few times, and made some grandiose plans for the future.  I did a lot of dreaming this month, and a lot of reflecting on the past.

I know that no one wants to read a blog about someone that gushes about herself, but I have to give myself credit.  I look at the past 2.5 years, and am amazed at the development of my "self."  There were victories and defeats. I think I probably spent an awful lot on Kleenex....  In the end, I came out ahead.  I look at this time as tremendous growth.  I became closer to family, I developed some positive friendships, and I pushed myself to grow and engage the world around me.

I still have a long way to go, but I am getting there.  I have always considered myself a "work in progress."  Today I ran with Jesse, and we ended up heading to the top of a hill.  I think it was a fitting choice for the end of the month.  When we reached the "mount" (which is funny, because we were in town), I was able to survey the success of my journey.  I don't think you have to think too deeply to see the metaphor there..

Wow....

Well, today was a rough day at work. It was kind of a rough day for life in general.

Which always makes it hard to get to the gym...

Still got there twenty minutes early for my training session, but it was noticed that I wasn't my usual self.  Lack of sleep and a lot on one's mind will do that to a person.  I put that all aside for a pretty intense session.  I won't say I was about to die, but I think for a moment, I thought I might come close.  Then I saw a quick mental picture of me zipping off the treadmill, and the possibility of public humiliation kept me going. ;-)

What I did learn (besides the fact that I am no marathon runner) is that I am an incredibly strong and resilient creature.  I gave it everything I had, and then some, and came out still standing.  How many people can say that every day?

That started me thinking...  When was the last time you woke up in the morning and gave everything you had in everything you did for an entire day?  It's hard. We are humans, and we need breaks.  There are no superheros in the real world.  And, let's face it, we hate those people that pretend they are superhuman.

I am serious, though. When was the last time you gave everything you had for even an hour?  I mean every single fiber of your spirit...  until sweat and snot and yuckiness poured from you (and you started to vomit)... Ok, don't go that far...

This whole journey has just begun, but it has been an incredible ride.  I am having more fun and meeting more people in this short time than I had in years.  I am pushing myself to try new things for the sake of learning and fun, and I am learning so much about myself in the process.  I really am learning to love myself, which can be a hard thing to do.

You ask any person what they would change about themselves, and they can think of at least ten items without blinking an eye.  Ask them to name the things they like about themselves, and they looked at you as if you have just asked them to commit a crime. I have never been a person that likes to talk about myself, but for the sake of this project I will indulge.  It does feel good to recognize the good things in my life anyway.

So, here is a running list of the things I love about myself (in no particular order):

1. I have beautiful eyes.

2. I am compassionate.

3. I am funny.

4. I cook well.

5. I am willing to try new things.

6. I am smart.

7. I am a dedicated person, and stick to things when I put my mind to it.

 8. I am not afraid to get my hands dirty.

9. I have a decent balance of quirkiness and level-headedness.

10. I think a lot (and my thoughts have meaning).

11. I do things to help others, and to make their lives more enriched.

12. I am a good teacher.

13. I am a great mother.

14. I really do like my nose.

15. I have learned that despite my past, my legs are strong and work hard for me.

16. I have curves. I have learned to accept it, and even embrace it.

17. I speak to people with purpose, and try to inspire them to find meaning in their lives.

18. I am patient.

19. I know a lot of random information that usually comes up in trivia competitions.

20. I AM A STRONG, INTELLIGENT, BEAUTIFUL WOMAN that is creating wonderful  memories and embracing life...

The list could go on...

Have you started your own list? And have you told others what makes them great? We don't do this a lot, and it's unfortunate.  Some people are quick to criticize or belittle, but they are not as gracious with the compliments.  I would like to see a change to that.

Max Capacity

When was the last time you worked your body to the point of physical exhaustion?  I am not talking about "oh, I am tired." Or feeling a little sore...

I am talking COLLAPSING ON THE FLOOR BECAUSE I CAN'T WALK exhaustion...

I have been training hard, but never as hard as today.  It has been incredibly neat, because my body has been incredibly fickle over these years.  And there are really no guarantees over what will happen for me in the future.  The fact that I could have a workout like today was nothing short of a miracle.

The idea of panting and sweating and collapsing on the floor probably doesn't seem like fun to anyone else, but I celebrated! And I will be back tomorrow...

I am starting my drum lessons tomorrow, and will be booking my hot air balloon ride for April (when the trees are in bloom).  There are a lot of projects in the works. :-)

Perception

It is funny how many of my days can be summed up with a single "theme word."  I like it that way--there is order when one can evaluate her day and find a common thread among her activities.  Today's word is perception.

Today was a flood day at work, so I got the day off.  Yes, it rained and I didn't have to go to work. :-)  That means I reported to the gym at 8am, without an appointment.  Obviously I am free to go whenever I please, but today I decided I needed to get my workout going so I could feel great for the rest of the day.

I had a good talk with someone at the gym about perception.  We talked about how people show up for their workouts, and how they view the work going in.  I tend to have an upbeat attitude, because I know attitude is everything.  I also know that there is not a lot of purpose in being negative, and it only brings other people down.  And I perceive my workouts as being incredibly beneficial to my well-being, so I readily show up.  Regardless, it was an excellent workout, I ran well and did upper body weights, and had a great morning.

I went on to get my hair colored, because I found three more gray hairs forming a Bonnie Raitt-style streak.  I realize that I have dark hair and gray hairs are more visible, but it just wasn't working for me.  Some of you know I didn't have any real hair last year, and had to wear a wig.  I am grateful I have a head of my own hair now (it's cooler than a wig!), but I also didn't like the slap in the face that I am getting older.

In that moment, I took a good look in the mirror.  Not a passing glance, but a real look. I did see the grays, but I also saw a healthy glow in my cheeks, beautiful blue eyes, and a kind smile.  I really liked what I saw, no matter how I might be aging.  Wrinkles are already starting, and all those other aging things.  But, I know that's because I laugh often, furrow my brown when I am tempered or confused, and use expression to enjoy the life around me. So bring it on!

Later I talked to someone about single life.  We talked about perceptions of dating as one is older.  I am not old by any means, but I am not a young girl anymore.  Having kids changes everything, and unfortunately people can get a perception or preconceived notion of the way life with children must me.  I know that perceptions are based on background experience, and there are exceptions to every rule.  My life has been enhanced by having kids.  I don't have to give up on a life or dreams; if anything, I have more purpose, goals, activity and fun BECAUSE of them.  And I thank them every day. :-)  Regardless, it does make single life a challenge for some at times. :-)

I love to think, sometimes a little too much.  I feel sad when I am not able to fully-absorb the world around me.  There is so much of life to experience, and being able to experience such an intense and broad range of emotions is what makes being a human so cool.  I found it fascinating that in my day, such random events could have such a common theme.

Happy?

Today I returned to the gym to work with Jesse.  I am totally impressed with all the training that the gym has offered so far, and his tips and motivation have definitely gotten me to where I am right now.  I will tell you I am fairly impressed with where my body has brought me from 2 years ago to today.  It has been an incredibly trying process, but with that process came a lot of patience and determination.  I jogged the total of a mile today, which is a big change from barely walking unassisted!  I know I have a long way to go, but that alone gives me motivation to continue.

This evening, after dinner and assorted chores were out of the way, I settled into a hot bubble bath.  I have found this calms the soreness better than anything else.  I set the music to a random shuffle and sat back.  During one song, I looked over to the mirror to notice movement, and heard noise... Was I singing and dancing in the bathtub? Could it be? Have I moved beyond content?

Yes, I believe it is true... I am now to the point of saying I am truly HAPPY.  It's a good feeling... :-)

Let the journey begin... I am SO ready. ;-)

Ah, the significance...

Since it is raining outside, and I am on a "recovery day," today would be the perfect day to tell you about the significance of each of my goals.

Now, keep in mind that I did not sit down and put weeks of thought into these goals.  But also, anyone that knows me for more than a minute will know that everything I say and do means something (even the random things).  So, looking at this list is actually intriguing, because it shows where there are obvious gaps and room for healing in my life.

"Learn to play the drums" This is interesting because I was in band for several years, so I have a good concept of music.  I also play music CONSTANTLY (of all varieties), and there is always music on my mind.  I don't know how I had survived this many years without learning to play.  The idea for this task came about when I found a unit teaching math with drumming.  I attempted to even play some basic drumming beats, and found that my rhythm was severely off.  Anyone that knows me well would also know that I was born without rhythm. ;-)  This shall indeed be a challenge!

Learning Italian has always been an interest of mine.  I have always been fascinated with the country, the culture, and the language.  I think there is definitely a longing I have to travel to another country, or even to disappear for a while.  To be even swept up in another world.  For now, I will attempt to learn my phrases.

Catching a fish is something basic that I guess I just never got around to?  I guess it really is important to me because I have always lived life with one foot in the outdoors, and the other curled up with a book.  I have been whitewater canoeing and camping since I was a small child, and I am confused as to how I got this far in life without catching a fish?  My students are very concerned with this, and rest assured this task will be complete by spring. :-)

Designing a website was chosen to make me less scared of computers... Yes, you can laugh...  I use them often, and I will say I like what they have to offer, but there is nothing like the old school feeling of a book in your hands or a pen to paper.  I know I am too young to be saying all of this, and I need to get with it.  I also have a lot of practical needs for website design, and know I could use it for classroom projects and other things.  It is also just a good skill I can have, and something I can say I did. :-)

The karaoke in public goal was designed to get me up in front of a group of people.  It was not designed for public humiliation, though it may have turned out that way...  I did sing in front of about thirty middle and high school students for about six songs, which really took me from terrified to only halfway scared.  One kid is always a critic at school, but he told me at the end of my rendition of I Will Survive, "Ms. Winn, I can respect you now." Good stuff...

Reading the ten great works of literature is really just to get me reading good stuff again.  I do read all the time.  I mean ALL the time...  I read for fun, I read for work, I read a couple of hours out of every day.  I just wanted to push myself to read more of things that will have an impact on my life and on my teaching.  I met a guy and was talking to him about books.  I asked him what he liked to read, and he said "I'm actually taking a break from reading right now..."  Is that possible? And did he just say that to a TEACHER???

Traveling to another country and traveling first class are meant to get me back out in the world again, and to treat myself right.  I have always been a dreamer and a goal-setter, and it is time that I did what I could to make my dreams happen.  And I might as well go there in style, right? ;-)

Eating vegetarian for a month and enjoying it...  I was actually vegetarian for quite a while... I can't say I enjoyed it terribly much.  I didn't really have a love for vegetables until fairly recently, and I can say now that when I attempt this again, I will be trying tons of different foods and doing it right. :-)

We have already touched on the running goal, but it is good enough to be said again.  When someone spends periods not being able to walk, it is pretty awesome to be able to run!!  I will tell you that this training (even though it has only been four days) has been some of the hardest work I have done in my life.  I think this goal has been a project in itself!  I will go ahead and say that this goal will more than make my last goal of making all of my "physical" numbers better by my birthday.  The doctor has already been singing praises since I have lost weight, and it is only going to get better.  She is very aware of my workout requirements, and is working with me on managing my fibromyalgia during this training.  The interesting thing I have heard is the body actually responds better to intense training.  It's almost like it has overload, so it doesn't respond to the mini-stressors like it would in everyday life.

In reality, I think I am just too terribly sore from pushing my body... I don't notice the fibromyalgia anymore...

So, I know I have missed some of the goals, but I don't want to write a novel.  I will talk about the rest of them on my next day off from training.  Tomorrow I train with Jesse, and he will work me hard.  I will hopefully be able to walk to my car when I am done...  He's great in motivating and teaching me technique, but he also doesn't let me make excuses.  And that is exactly what I need right now.

Shells and Boundaries

I did go back to training today (day 4), and I survived! :-D  Today was spent on the lower body, along with some very brisk cardio at the end.  I will say that the combination between being very active and eating really well has made me feel really great.  I did take a look at what I have been eating over the past four days, and realized I have completely cut out processed junk.  I guess I knew it was going to happen because I was following a plan, but I didn't realize that I had survived the first few days of that.  In the past, when I had cut out sugars, processed junk, and cut back on caffeine, my body screamed for a few days.  Maybe it was too busy screaming in pain to notice. ;-)

I had a good conversation with someone after my training was over.  Conversations are interesting, because they can start in the most innocent and obscure places, and end up hitting the deepest points.  This person told me how he had been left repeatedly, mistreated and wronged through his life, and how he was making the decision not to carry the anger with him any longer.  This person did have a significant weight problem in the past.  It started me thinking about how we create "shells" when we are hurt.  We use food, alcohol, whatever as a crutch, and we try to shut the world out.  I know it's the mind and heart's way of coping, but it really only creates isolation... and a really big person.

I thought back to college, when I was running and I was very active and content with life.  I will go ahead and say now there was an event in my life that caused me to shut everything out, and create a physical and emotional shell.  For me, I wonder if it was more of making me look less appealing to people, or if it was the comfort of food.  Either way, I was not seeing things in a healthy perspective (obviously).  I see now that I was grieving.

I stand in front of the mirror now, and I have seen some incredible changes.  I also know my heart has endured some incredible changes and healing over these past months.  I now feel that I am able to communicate what I need and want, and am better able to give people what they need in return (in all aspects of life).  This sense of balance in life will hopefully carry me beyond this training and project, and into a healthy lifestyle.  I have many more productive years ahead of me, and I am ready to live them without my shell, thank you very much!

The Girl That Gave You a Story to Tell...

Today I woke up at about 4:20am, and I was REALLY sore...  I sat in bed and thought about how I used to be in pain all the time.  Every moment of every day.

And then I rolled over and got out of bed. :-)  I knew if I wanted so badly for change to occur, lying in bed wasn't going to make it better.

I went to work and decided to convert part of the day into a self-advocacy lesson.  The classes like hearing the updates on the training anyway, so I decided to bridge that talk into a full lesson.  It turned out to be a great motivation for them, and helped me as well.  I talked with a regular education high school class for a brief period about my project.  They were all ears, and were nodding as I told them the only person responsible for making me succeed was myself.  I am beginning to see that my daily success in this project is going to have a tremendous impact on myself and my family, but I also think it will carry over to the school. A few of the girls asked if they could work out, and were very interested in getting fit.

I redecorated my classroom door, so that all the students that passed by will get some daily motivation in all aspects of their life.  There are assorted quotes that I love, and I will add more as time goes on.  One of my favorites is on there:

I want to be the girl

that changed everything.

The girl that made a difference.

The girl that gave you a story to tell.

This was perfect for me, because I knew I always wanted to lady that grows old and has a collection of stories to tell.  But even more, deep down inside of me there was a part of me that wanted to inspire a story NOW.  And now is my time!

And I do realize that I promised an explanation of my goals and their significance tonight.  That will have to wait for tomorrow's update.  Today was an action-packed day of teaching and training, and my body has had all it can take.  The trainer has asked me today if I have brushed up on my Italian over the night.  I told him I was just going to find me an Italian man. ;-)

P.S. Today I DID train... Upper body weights, elliptical machine, and stair machine... Whew!!!

I Did Return...

I went to bed last night feeling fantastic...

I woke up this morning feeling a little bit sore. ;-)

In reality, the soreness hasn't fully hit yet.  I know it will be sometime tomorrow when I feel like I might die.  So, it was totally great that I went for a cardio workout today, right? :-)

I enjoy having some guidance from a trainer.  I also love that I found this internal motivation.  I don't know how to describe it--I feel a need to reach this athletic goal more than the other goals on the list.  Maybe it is because of the injury and wheelchair time--I want to show that my body can make a miraculous comeback?  Or maybe it is just that I have so much to do in this world, and I need to be fit to get it all done?

I don't know, but do I inspire myself. :-)

I talked to my students today about goals.  I gave them a nice speech about last night's training session, and how I was not allowed to have excuses.  There wasn't a need for them, because they weren't productive.  Any excuse I would spout out wasn't going to make me a better athlete.  Today, I didn't even think of an excuse when I started to get tired.  I knew it wouldn't do me any good--I still had to finish my workout!

So, beyond the obvious health benefits of this project, there have been tremendous emotional supports.  I took a good long look at my list earlier, and started to see how symbolic so many of those items were to me.  They each symbolized a different part of my life that I wanted to get back in order... No... NEEDED to get back in order, so that I could really be at peace and enjoy my existence on this earth.

But that's for another post...

Maybe tomorrow... after Round 2 of Death Camp... :-D

The Beginning...

The concept of this blog actually started months ago, but I pulled this post together tonight. I made my list in October, while I was in the FINAL steps of a divorce (that felt like it went on forever).  I had so many goals for my life, and was looking at turning 29. I had heard so many people talk about the things they wanted to do before they turned any milestone, and that got me thinking about what I wanted to do in life... And what I wanted to do before I turned 30...

First, a little about me... Some of you know me, and some of you will never meet me. I am obviously not 30 yet. I like reading all the time, I live with music in my head, and my running shoes are next to my bed. I teach special education during the day, and I dream of the places I could go at night.  In my spare time I love photography, and I write really bad haikus.  I love cooking, hiking, exploring, daydreaming, cloudwatching, and really at this point just existing. Life is good. :-)

Now, this is where the mission comes in. I have always had goals. I am a goal-oriented person by nature. I remember making a list of things to do before I turned 25, and I did almost all of them (except go to Russia), so I am fairly impressed with myself. I have a Masters degree, a good job, a great family, two kids, good friends, and a fair amount of free time to pursue what I like. This makes my project that much more exciting. :-)

My bachelors degree is in sociology, and I have a fair amount of social research courses between my bachelors and masters degrees. I wanted to pursue this project from a very analytical standpoint. I know some of you are already saying "lighten up and have some fun!" :-)  Now, you have to also understand that in my job my daily goal is task assessment. I write and assess the completion of goals for a living.  So, even though I am putting a rough draft of my goals up here tonight, I am sure to revise them in the upcoming days to make them concrete.  If they are vague, it will be hard to measure if I complete them. I don't do well with wiggle room.  If I can find a way to get around something, I will do it in a heartbeat! I have known myself my whole life, and I know that I will do all I can to try to skate by without fulfilling my part of the bargain. ;-)

So, here is the list of the 15 items I wrote in October.  I like the list because it is random, and it touches on many different areas of my life.  There are many areas that need improvement.  I also like it because I already did some of them (see? I already told you I would try to get by without doing work!):

Michelle's 15 Before 30:

1. Learn to play the drums.
2. Read ten great works of literature.
3. Catch a fish.
4. Learn how to create a website.
5. Run a 10K.
6. Learn how to decorate a cake.
7. Learn 20 words in Italian.
8. Fly first-class.
9. Eat vegetarian for one month... and enjoy it! :-)
10. Ride a hot air balloon.
11. Visit a new country.
12. Raise $1,000 for a charity.
13. Karaoke... in public...
14. Buy and drink a REALLY expensive bottle of wine.
15. Get in much better physical shape- making my numbers look much better at my physical before 30.

Now you can already see that some of these aren't really measurable. I will say that I like all of them, and they will remain on the list.  I have a friend that has committed to helping me with number 6 (thanks Becca!).

I have done Number 13 in December, but does karaokeing for a class of middle and high schoolers count? Wait... as I write this, I have already answered my question... of course that counted... that would have to be a group of the toughest critics out there... and they could all REMEMBER the performance!

I am working on Number 15 right now. I have so far lost 61 pounds, so I believe all of the numbers will be in my favor.  As the year progresses, I will be looking at an even better report from the doctor.  In a later post, I will touch on my past medical info that will give you a glimpse at what an awesome deal it will be for me to run a 10K again. :-)

I am absolutely thrilled to look at this journey for the next 10.5 months.  It has been a phenomenal 29 years so far, and the best is yet to come.  I have led a random life, full of stories and insight that few can attain in twice or three times the years.  I think this project will add some variety to my life, and will also give me back a little of the "social research" I had been missing when I sat in my undergrad classes long ago.  Along the way, this blog will serve as a diary to record my thoughts and progress.  It is neat to think that all of these things can and will be done in a short period of time. :-)

Happy New Year!