25 Life Checks from the First 5 years of my 20s

1. Learn to ski
1. Cross-country
2. Downhill
2. Start a blog
3. Move somewhere not knowing anybody
4. Keep in touch with friends
5. Learn to cook Indian food
6. Room with a stranger
1. And become friends
7. Live by myself
8. See my students graduate
9. Roadtrip to visit friends
10. Stay in a hotel by myself
11. Write something I’m proud of
12. Ask a stranger to dance
13. Go on a real date
14. Learn to use a pottery wheel
15. Go on a backpacking trip (even a short one)
16. Build a one-match fire
17. Track down a teacher to say thank you
1. Ditto for a camp counselor
18. Go to free concerts and dance by the stage
19. Learn to be okay when people around me are drinking and I don’t want to
20. Take a photo that I’m willing to frame and display
21. Organize a meet-up with people I only know from the Internetz
22. Meet a guy in the library
23. Go to another country
1. On a religious pilgrimage
2. To visit a friend
24. Stay close to my family, despite the distance
25. See a movie on opening night

Inspired

In one of those twists of web surfing, I found several sites where people are making life lists. Or things to do before I'm 25. You get the idea.

Before I join in, I'm going to spend the rest of the evening reflecting on the past 4.97 years (plus a few months maybe?) coming up with a life list of things accomplished. Then I'll have two weeks to come up with a list to do before I'm 30. (And please, if you have suggestions for me, let me know in the comments.)

Wishing for some magic

The first installment of summer fling meet the friends went reasonably well.

(Why yes. We do have some gossip to catch up on. Let's set up a skype date, shall we? Warning, I'm out of town this weekend.)

Everyone seemed to like everyone else. Which made me realize how incredibly much I value some people's input.

~~~

S.F. commented that amid his moves and not knowing where home was anymore he doesn't feel like he has the strong friendships as much right now. I looked back up at my apartment thinking through the past five to seven years.

Those friends are quality. We're keeping in touch--no matter where our lives take us. I mean, I moved to the country and S. was still one of my biggest supports. And A. got extended debriefs when I saw her. Now she's in another country, and, even if we don't talk as often as we should, she's someone I trust with stories and secrets. And the two of them have been supports for each other as well.

I thought back to our dinner. How fun it was to have A. with me to team up when teasing S. (Sorry. It's true. :) How comfortable it was being with them.

I'm not sure how to make that happen. A bit of bonding experiences. Mixed with time. Probably a pinch of magic.

~~~

Kinda hope this fling has some magic in it too.