The List

Me seizing the day. Look at all that fresh powder.

I’ve mentioned this 25 Things I Want To Accomplish in My 25^th Year list before. The only rules I have for the list are 1) each item has to be something I’ve never done before 2) each item has to be attainable 3) each item has to be something I want to do and 4) no item can be reliant on someone else’s cooperation i.e. Have Sexual Relations with Donald Glover, Get Tyler Gobble to Stop Calling Himself T-Gob, Move-In With The Poetic Men of Akron, etc.

However, the more I talk about this list, the more I find friends who are interested in helping me check different things off. I think that’s just perfect. Nothing better than completing this list alongside my favorite people. As long as the item doesn't rely on their involvement. Get it? Good.

So here’s the list with brief explanations.


1.      Go Sledding – COMPLETED! Will be posting details and more pictures soon!


2.      Ride a horse – I grew up watching a lot of westerns with my grandmother and wanting so badly to have my own horse. I’ll probably never own one, but I’m looking forward to riding one soon.


3.      Ride in a boat – It could be the Flying Dutchmen for all I care, but I’d really like to complete this one. Especially since my life, my love, and my lady is the sea.


4.      Go to a Drive-in movie – This I’ve wanted to do ever since I saw Poetic Justice as a kid. I just don’t want anyone getting their brains blown out on my lap in some mistaken identity gang violence.


5.      See a ballet performance – I love to dance. Maybe more than anyone else I know. Ballet is something I can’t even pretend to know anything about, but I love to watch performances on television or on YouTube. Seeing a performance live should rock my block.


6.      Create and post eight new recipes – Cooking for my roommates, friends, lovers, etc. is a favorite pastime of mine. Feeding people tasty food that’s (usually) good for them is one way I show my love. I rarely use recipes and even when I do, I always make changes. So, I thought it would be nice to actually record how I make some of my favorite things for posterity. I’ll post the recipes on this blog. You lucky ducks.


7.      Sew a wearable dress – I invested in a sewing machine about two years ago and have since used it to make blankets, bags, and headbands. I’d love to use it to make something I could wear proudly and I love wearing dresses. I even have an inherited maiden-form! I can do this.


8.      Perfect one cocktail – When I hang out with my friends who like to drink, they know I’m pretty much only checking for some weak, fruity, mixed drink because I’m scared of everything else. I’d like to change that. I’d like to learn to make one cocktail superbly. And when I do, you’ll all be sorry.


9.      Visit my father by myself – My father is in prison. The last time I saw him, I was twelve years-old. I need to see him again.


10.  Write one hand-written letter/note per week – I’ve kind of already started this one. I’ve sent out a few notes in the past few weeks, but I’m looking forward to sending out more. I also really enjoy getting new stamps at the post office. I have so many right now, guys.


11.  Travel somewhere west of Missouri – It is a sad fact that I love to travel and yet, I’ve never been out of the country or even west of my beloved Missouri. I know way too many people who live on the west coast for this to be true. I could visit Austin, LA, Portland, or Colorado at any time. I just have to make the time and get there.

12.  Submit work to one publication a month – I love the literary community. I love knowing people who write amazing things. I need to start putting more of my work out there so I can get closer to becoming like these writers I admire. I have the potential to get there, now I just need to work and submit. Work and submit.


13.  Write 750 Words a day for 90 Days in a row – I’ll be using this site to help with this one. I can do it. I just have to commit.


14.  Finish the first draft of my novel(s) – I started working on two different novels (fiction and nonfiction) while taking a course with the incomparable Cathy Day. Now, I just have to decide which one I’m going to focus on completing a first draft of by the end of my 25^th year. As long as I finish that first draft.


15.  Go ice-skating – Another wintery play activity I’ve never gotten the chance to do. I was obsessed with Michelle Kwan for a good bit of the nineties, so I hope some of that rubbed off on me via television.


16.  Take a camping trip with friends – I love the outdoors. Seriously. And I’ve worked at two very outdoorsy summer camps in the past seven years. Somehow, in all of my love for trees, hiking, and sleeping outside, I’ve never gone on a camping trip with a group of friends. I’ve had some close calls, but nothing ever came to fruition. But now, I’m 25. So, I’m going to change that shit.


17.  Record a rap song – Because I can and I have a sneaking suspicion I’ll be better at it than anyone expects. Also, cause Yeezy taught me.


18.  Buy a set of real lingerie – I’ve always wanted to own some lingerie, not to be sexy for anyone else, but to wear under really ordinary looking clothes. It sounds weird, I’m sure, but I want to have the measurements right and everything. I want to be a bad mamma jamma.


19.  Read a list of 25 Books I’ve Never Read – I am working on this list now. It should have what some people consider classics along with some newer things I’ve wanted to get into. I will already own a third of these books. Which is kind of messed up.


20.  Learn to play a song on my guitar – Yes, I own a guitar that I don’t know how to play. Weren’t we all college freshmen once?


21.  Graduate – I don’t even want to talk about this one. I just want to get it done.


22.  Swim in the ocean – I have been to the ocean twice, but I’ve never gotten to swim in the ocean because I’ve only just learned to swim.


23.  Get a tattoo – This one is kind of cheating because I already have a tattoo. But I’m bending my own rules, because you don’t get a tattoo of the same thing. So, I’ll get a new tattoo this year. That’s not of a bluebird.


24.  Move out of Muncie – Because it’s time.


25.  Write and film a short movie – I’ve wanted to do something like this my entire life and being where I am now with the people I have in my life now is never going to happen again. I will never be in a more perfect position to make this happen. Now, is the time.

That’s my list. Nothing too ridiculous. But I want to do everything on this list. None of these things will change at their core, but I might be persuaded to up the ante on a few of them. We shall see.


I hope you’ll hang around and encourage me while I tackle this list of 25 Things to Accomplish in My 25^th Year. I promised to keep you updated.