Number 57

I've blogged a little bit about it in the past, but two years ago I made a list of 100 things to do before I die. Since March 10, 2007, I have done 17 of these things - which includes things like #90 Shoot a gun, #73 Kiss someone in a foreign country, #61 Make the mix CD to play at my funeral - include Dancing in the Rain, #68 Feel infinite, #49 Wear an elaborate historical dress for a whole day, #60 Get a tattoo, and so on.

The whole idea for this list started when I was in high school, and my best friend Courtney and I would make a list each year of ten things we wanted to do that year. A couple of years we got close, but I don't think either of us ever did any of them completely. But I think it's a really good way to think about the things you really want from life, even small things that you think will make a difference to your life experience. Take #90 Shoot a gun for example. I don't really believe in guns, in fact, they terrify me. But I wanted to say that I knew what it felt like. So I put it on the list.

Needless to say, I live by the idea of my list. I think the fact that I've done 17 of them in 2 years is pretty impressive, considering that I still have a whole lifetime (I hope) to do the rest. I also made Steph and Lain do them in Ireland, though I don't know if they still have them or follow them. The trick with the list, though, is that you can't revise it. You write it at a really key point in your life (for me it was around the time I knew I was going to Ireland for sure) and you have to stick with it. Even though there are some things on my list I don't really want to do anymore, like #53 Learn Arabic, or #32 Be an extra in a movie. Another thing is that you have to put some that are easily obtainable, that you know will happen eventually (#25 Own a house, #27 See Stonehenge). And you have to have a good combination of life goals, fun things, experiences and sexual or relationship things.

I don't make New Years resolutions anymore, because of the list. But I decided to go through it again last night and pick at least 8 of the things I would try to do this year. I haven't picked exactly which yet, but here are the ones I listed:

#98. Make my own jewelry.
#82. Ride in a hot air balloon.
#75. Live alone at my cottage for a week with no phone or internet.
#74. Ride a motorcycle.
#67. Make a mix CD for each year of my life to date.
#63. Sleep under the stars.
#62. Cry in the rain.
#58. Learn 5 quotes off by heart to use in everyday life.
#56. Spend an entire day at the movie theatre.
#29. Be a vegetarian for at least a month.
#26. Get a degree.
#7. Dance like no one's watching.
#4. Leave someone behind.
#1. Fall completely, utterly, stupidly in love.

Some of them I just have to make myself do, like 67, 56, 98. Some are definitely going to happen like 26. And some I can really just hope for, like 1.

Anyway, when I was writing this list last night I realized for the first time in two years that I forgot #57. I have no #57 (obviously, I can't count). Which is perfect, because now I get to revise it just a little bit and add one. I just have to decide what.

By the way, if you're thinking I should post the list in full someday, I won't. Some of them are very personal, and though some people in my life have read the whole thing, they are not for internet publication.