This is my take on a more specific version of the ever-popular “bucket/life/to-do” lists, the following items representing what I have on my heart and mind for 2010: places I want to be, people I want to see, challenges I want to hog-tie, ultimately: personal growth I want to foster, momentum I want to keep creating throughout the entire year ahead. I’ll be posting updates here as I cross items off the list.
My mantra this year: Be brave, Kerri.
Ready? Me, too.
————-A Year Complete———–
Jump into the Pacific Ocean at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Take my first solo international flight.
Hike and photograph The Great Wall of China.
Wander around Beijing by myself and see how many times I get lost. (Zero times, surprisingly!)
Finish both stories I’m currently writing.
Take the streetcar to work while I still live near it.
Spend ten amazing days in South Korea with babycarrot sister and Will.
Kayak along the Columbia River.
Kayak along the Columbia River during a full moon.
Be an encouragement to as many people as possible.
Move into an apartment or house where I’m paying less rent.
Spend a day surfing with my favorite surfing friend.
Run, run, and run some more (specifically)–
In the rain on the beach.
In Forest Park.
Shamrock Run (5k), March 14 with Rhi! and Kali! (Finished!)
Columbia River Crossing (10k), October 3
Successfully turn Iggy into a running pug. Update: Iggy is not a fan of this plan. He can hang for a mile or so, and then is fond of sitting down mid-stride and looking at me like I’m crazy.
Journal daily (which is going to be great fun thanks to this little guy).
Write letters on real paper to friends and family for no particular reason.
Tell people “I’m a writer” and mean it.
Take the train to Seattle to visit my rad Seattle friends.
Volunteer in my community, maybe helping with an after-school reading program.
Kayak with Jen! on Lake Washington.
Get back in the pool. (Specifically: swim 2-3x/week.)
Visit the Portland Chinese Gardens (pictures here) and the Portland Japanese Gardens (pictures here).
Read at least two books a month:
January: The Wild Things; The Help.
February: Treasure Island; Notes From a Small Island; How We Are Hungry.
March: The Tale of the Unknown Island.
April: Whoops.
May: Dead In The Family; What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.
June: A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier.
July: The Dread Crew: Pirates of the Backwoods; Linger.
August: The Red Pyramid; The Hunger Games.
September:
October:
November:
December:
Spend a few days in New York in August, with a plethora of lovely, hilarious ladies.
Re-read Moby-Dick.
Bungee jump, here.
Spend more time near the ocean. Exhibit: Quality Coastal Time.
Enter at least one writing contest every two months.
-Four poetry competitions entered in July.
Spend two days in Vancouver, B.C. in April. (Recap here.)
Try out for the Rose City Rollers.
Plan and finish at least three scenic Pacific NW hikes; I’m thinking:
Pacific Coast of Washington
Cape Lookout (to go whale-watching)
Harts Cove
Watch one documentary a month.
Show Jen a Pacific Northwest Good Time when she visits PDX in June October.
Bake a pumpkin pie with a homemade crust.
See Percy Jackson in February, Eclipse in June and Harry Potter in November, with a friend as excited to see all three of those movies as I am. Updated to add: Movie dates with Kali have become a monthly routine I enjoy immensely, no matter the movie we’re watching. For list-making’s and posterity’s sakes, beyond what’s listed above, thus far this year we’ve seen:
The A-Team; The Sorcerer’s Apprentice; Step Up 3D; The Expendables.
Get my buttercup (or pine tree?) tattoo.
Make a plan to be college-loan-debt-free by the end of 2011, and continue growing my savings every month.
Road trip it to Summerland to visit Angella, Amanda and their respective crews again, for a weekend this fall.
Attend an event at Omsi.
Research graduate programs for English Literature/decide if I want to teach at the collegiate level when I grow up.
Take a page from Sizz’s book and create a soundtrack for the year.
Tell my friends how amazing they are and how much I love them on a regular basis.
Laugh, a lot.