The List: Year 2 Progress
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| First certified SCUBA dives in Grand Cayman, January 2020 |
Two years documented below on my 32nd birthday! So far I've completed 21 of the original 40 items plus an additional 8 bonus items - only 20% through the timeline and I've already accomplished 60%! This year's 11 achieved items are highlighted in green for easy finding!
A major theme at the beginning of this year was that you never know what opportunities will pop up, and you have to always be ready and willing to say yes! When I wrote the original 40 list, I was feeling a bit stuck in a rut, and I think that kept me from dreaming big. Some of the items I've added as Bonuses were ones that I secretly wanted to put on the list but was too afraid to. Others I did not even imagine would be possible in the next 10 years, yet alone the next two!
Then coronavirus happened, and I looked at my list and realized that most of my goals required traveling to exotic places, which was no longer an option. I crossed off baking bread pretty quickly, the Capitol Stones outdoors, and then turned to reading in French - the only activities I could do stuck near home.
2. Read Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl: Completed 12/24/19 - read all about it!
3. Union Market: Completed 9/14/19 - read all about it!
4. Smithsonian Postal Museum: Completed 9/8/18 - read all about it!
5. Washington National Cathedral: Completed 6/22/19 - read all about it!
6. Drag Brunch: Completed 12/22/19 - read all about it!
7. Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture: Completed 6/15/19 - read all about it!
8. Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens: Completed 7/5/19 - read all about it!
9. Rock Creek Capitol Stones: Completed 7/11/20 - read all about it!
10. Smokey Bear on the National Mall: Completed 8/9/19 - read all about it!
11. National Park Service Obscure Memorials Tour: Completed 9/15/18 - read all about it!
12. Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument House and Museum: Completed 2/8/20 - read all about it!
13. Lincoln's Cottage
14. Thomas Jefferson's Monticello: Completed 3/9/19 - read all about it!
16. Visit 40 U.S. states: I'm at 27 states plus DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands! New states this year were Minnesota and Iowa traveling for a friend's wedding.
17. NYC with Pierre-Antoine: Completed July 13-16, 2019 - read all about it!
18. Quebec
19. Galapagos
20. Marrakech: Completed November 9-19, 2018 - read all about it!
21. Alaska
22. Japan: Completed November 6-19, 2019 - read all about it!
23. Scotland
24. Bali/Cambodia/Thailand/Somewhere in SE Asia
26. Gorilla trek
27. See wild lemurs
28. Hug a sloth
30. Safari with PA
31. Stay in an overwater bungalow
32. Meet Irish and/or Swiss relatives
33. Plant a tree: Completed 10/20/18 - read all about it!
34. Tasting menu at a fancy (Michelin starred?) restaurant: Completed 1/13/19 and 2/8/19 - read all about it!
35. See the redwoods
36. See a glacier
37. Make galettes from scratch: Completed 2/2/19 - read all about it!
38. Make bread: Baking became a popular hobby during the coronavirus isolation period, so I joined in the trend! Completed 3/29/20 - read all about it!
39. Straighten my teeth (again): Completed on 5/15/20 - read all about it!
40. Write a letter to my 40 year old self, then respond to it when I'm 40: Completed first stage 10/15/18 - read all about it!
41. Perform a solo at a hafla: Completed 10/20/18 - read all about it!
42. Change jobs: Completed 11/26/18 - read all about it!
43. Adopt climate-smart behaviors: On-going process - read about my inspiration here! And here is a progress update from this year.
44. Do goat yoga: Completed 8/7/19 - read all about it!
45. Earn Project Management Professional (PMP) certification: Completed 9/4/19 - read all about it!
46. Washington Monument: Completed 9/15/19 - read all about it! Because of my volunteer work pruning the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin this summer, the National Park Service invited me to do a preview tour before it officially reopened to the public on 9/19/19!
47. Get scuba certified: In January, we took a trip with Blue Planet DC to Grand Cayman to finish our open water certification! Now I'm already itching to get my advanced certification :O Completed 1/19/20 - read all about it!
48. Join a non-profit board: I was elected to the Tree Stewards board as VP Communications in 2020. Completed 1/18/20 - read all about it!
49. New Zealand for lupine flowers and glow worms
50. Egypt and the pyramids (and scuba!)
And many more... More DC Ideas: Art Museum of the Americas, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Heurich House Museum, Anacostia Community Museum, and Kreeger Museum!
A major theme at the beginning of this year was that you never know what opportunities will pop up, and you have to always be ready and willing to say yes! When I wrote the original 40 list, I was feeling a bit stuck in a rut, and I think that kept me from dreaming big. Some of the items I've added as Bonuses were ones that I secretly wanted to put on the list but was too afraid to. Others I did not even imagine would be possible in the next 10 years, yet alone the next two!
Then coronavirus happened, and I looked at my list and realized that most of my goals required traveling to exotic places, which was no longer an option. I crossed off baking bread pretty quickly, the Capitol Stones outdoors, and then turned to reading in French - the only activities I could do stuck near home.
COVID-19 also led to the closing of my dance studio - and second home - Saffron Dance. I had to decide where to put my time and energy after investing so much in one place and community for 6 years. So far my answer is SCUBA! I took advantage of time at home to complete PADI certifications in Coral Reef Conservation and Enriched Air Diver, and I'm hoping we can go on a Caribbean diving trip this fall or winter.
In the coming year, I hope international travel picks back up! I will certainly be trigger happy booking flight deals in the years to come :P
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| Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto, Japan, November 2019 |
Books
I got some good reading done this year - 38 books since my last birthday! My book club from 2013 is still going strong, including a few months of virtual only meet ups under stay at home orders.
1. Read 5 books in French: Started reading Le Zahir in French - wish me luck!
DC Area
13. Lincoln's Cottage
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| Trekking to the Capitol Stones in Rock Creek Park, DC |
Travel
15. Visit 50 countries: I've been to 41 countries as of August 2020. The only new country this year was Japan. A repeat country was the Cayman Islands.16. Visit 40 U.S. states: I'm at 27 states plus DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands! New states this year were Minnesota and Iowa traveling for a friend's wedding.
18. Quebec
19. Galapagos
21. Alaska
23. Scotland
24. Bali/Cambodia/Thailand/Somewhere in SE Asia
Animals
25. Swim with whale sharks26. Gorilla trek
27. See wild lemurs
28. Hug a sloth
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| First picture with my braces off in May 2020! |
Experiences
29. See the Northern Lights30. Safari with PA
31. Stay in an overwater bungalow
32. Meet Irish and/or Swiss relatives
35. See the redwoods
36. See a glacier
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| My first loaf of bread baked during COVID-19 lockdown |
Bonuses
49. New Zealand for lupine flowers and glow worms
50. Egypt and the pyramids (and scuba!)
And many more... More DC Ideas: Art Museum of the Americas, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Heurich House Museum, Anacostia Community Museum, and Kreeger Museum!
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