Well, it has happened again. It’s my birthday, and I had to try to decide what I wanted to post. A reflection on the past year? A wish list for the upcoming year?
Right now I am participating in a program called “23 Mobile Things” through NEFLIN (Northeast Florida Library Information Network for the curious) where each week we are introduced to a new app on our tablet or smart phone and test drive it for a week. Today I figured out how my new Instagram account works.
Something about that idea resonated with me – and with something I’ve already started to do with the beginning of the year. So, in honor of my birthday, I am going to try to do 38 things I’ve not done before (or that I’ve enjoyed doing in the past, but haven’t done in a long time). I want this to be a year I enjoy, and one in which I continue to grow, so the goal is a list of new thing for each revolution I’ve made it around the sun.
This will be a work in progress, but here is what I’ve got so far:
- Make a painting (done – Painting with a Twist 1/10/2015)
- Get a mani/pedi (scheduled for today, my birthday 🙂
- Attend a concert of some sort on UF campus
- See Neil Gaimen and Amanda Palmer (tickets purchased – Tampa 2/14 – Heartbreak Hotel, here I come)
- See Welcome to NightVale live show (tickets purchased – Tampa 4/3)
- Complete the Couch to 5k program; run a 5k with friends
- Go to a convention with a solid writers track (95% sure this will be GenCon)
- Submit at least 1 short story a month
- Ride/ walk the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail
- Go see Sue at the Florida Museum of Natural History
- Go to an “away” Gator sporting event (gymnastics or football, most likely)
- Complete a 2nd draft of a novel
- Learn how to play Magic
- Play a 5th Edition D&D game
- Visit the Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation
Other ideas I am considering include:
- Participate in a Month of Letters – concern my address book isn’t up to date, and this happens in February
- Update my address book
- Take a craft class of some sort (Michaels or Santa Fe Community Education course)
- Learn how to knit ; knit something
- See John Scalzi speak
- Attend a THATcamp
- Swim with dolphins
- Empty my hotmail inbox
- make a meal primarily from items bought at the farmer’s market
- Learn how to cook ______ (something I’ve not cooked before – but what?)
- Find a way to support, advocate the LGBT community
- Attend a Pilates class
- Visit Marianna Cavern
- do Karaoke
Even if I add all of those, I’m only up to 29 things. I am open to suggestions. So, my friends, what would you recommend? Any books I should read, movies I should watch, or places I should go? What would you add to your own list?
Happy Birthday, Christy!! You’re way ahead of me on my 35-in-35 list! Get it, Girl!! You’re a creative inspiration to me and I miss our writing time.
Perhaps write something in a setting you’ve never used before? Something you’ve been specifically avoiding?
Write a genderqueer character (if you haven’t already)?
Read 50 books in a year?
Learn a new language? Just 30 minutes a day will get you there in about two years, and a new language is a great resource for writing.
I don’t know which apps you’ve checked out, but a free one I’ve loved is Duolingo, which allows you to pick a language and learn it at your pace. Language is fun!
Keep us updated on the Writing Excuses homework! I haven’t started it yet (hope to within the next few days) but will soon. Morbid curiosity about how others are doing abounds…
Sounds like a great list. I’d have a hard time coming up with 38 new things (let alone trying something new for each year I’ve actually attained!)