things before 30 musings

The general consensus about my list is that it should contain skydiving.  Also, maybe I should go skydiving.  "GO SKYDIVING DOOOODE IT'S AWESOSOOOOMEMEE,"....etc, are the comments I got from my post requesting ideas.  

So maybe it would be more appropriate to make a list of the dangerous/ridiculous/embarrassing things I've done, and then we can pick up from there.  Yeah?  Yeah, sounds like a good Tuesday chuckle.

1.  I have been skydiving.  Many times.  When I lived in Indiana, I had a friend who was certified who convinced me to go, and I was hooked.  I spent one of my Indiana summers (1999?) trying to get in enough dives for a cert, rolling my own parachute, etc.  If I can find some pictures of me doing this with crazy 18-year-old hair, I'll put em up here.  So, if it will make you crazy people happy, I'll go again, but, been there, done that.

2. I have a tattoo.  It's one of the best things I've ever done, and I love it, and I'm not scared of getting another (okay, maybe a little), but I want the one I have to be meaningful, and for me, for now, that means being the only one.

3. Someone said something about falling madly in love.  I've been married, which I know (I KNOW) is not the same thing, but I've also had a few loves here or there.  I've had the roller coaster, and I've had (have) the sweet peace of moving side-by-side through the universe with someone who is both a lover and a friend.

4. I've had a bikini wax, although not the scary naked way, but for me....well...I'm good.

5. Someone else talked about running a marathon before I'm 30.  I WOULD FREAKIN LOVE TO OK THANKS.  But.  My birthday is October 8.  I can currently run 6 minutes without falling to the ground screaming and clutching my IT band and cursing the injury gods and shaking my little indignant fist in rage.  You do the math.  So this is going on the "things to do while I'm 30" list instead, and I'm hoping for the best.

6. Travel was another suggestion.  This one is interesting.  I've done a lot of traveling in my life, but the awesome thing about traveling is that I'm never done.  However, I never had a honeymoon, and when I finish graduate school next summer, I have 2 weeks in Hawaii planned, and I have school every minute of every day until that point.  I've taken some small vacations over the last few years (ABQ. Vegas. NY. San Fran. Atlanta.) but it's been a really long time since I've gone somewhere and shut off, and I can't wait.  If I went anywhere right now I'd have one hand tapping emails and the other cramming global econ into my brain, so it's just about not worth it to spend the money.

7. Right before I got married (pre-marital crisis, anyone?), I traded in my cute little coupe for a sporty sexmobile.  It's been totally worth the giant payments and I am about 70% of the way to having it paid off.  Everyone needs to own a convertible at some point.

8. I have a job I love.  I work with some crazy-brilliant lawyers who are changing the way law is practiced, and I do it from home.  

9. When I was 25, I quit teaching and moved to Boston to pursue a career as a professional horn player.  As it happens, I am not, but it's one of those things I would have regretted not doing.  And I don't regret doing it, not one bit.

10. I've danced on the bar.  I've also fallen off dancing on the bar.

11. I've eaten the worm.

12. I've been white-water rafting.  I've written poetry.  I've climbed Mt. Washington.  I've been scuba diving.  I've been in Quebec for the winter festival and skiied at Lake Tahoe.  I've held a sting-ray (I know I have a pic of this one somewhere).  I've learned how to salsa.  I've sung my little drunk heart out at karaoke.  I have pierced many things.  I've been roller-blading.  I've picked up and moved hundreds of miles away without knowing a soul.  I've gone rock-climbing, and learned a new sport at a cranky old age (swimming counts here), and gone down all of the double-black-diamond runs, singing to myself inside my goggles so I forget to be scared.

I have a lot of things in my life to be thankful for...I have a home to live in, people who love me, and I've had the chance to do great things.  I know that I have been fortunate and I am thankful.  I don't feel like there are things missing from my life - that isn't why I am making the list.  I am making the list because I want to challenge myself to move out of my comfort zones and reach for something different.

So let's try again.  Anything involving being completely ridiculous has probably already been done, but try me.  Anything involving extensively traveling is getting saved for the "40" list due to school and cold hard cash.  And if anyone says, "go dancing in the rain," you're getting punched in the face.

P.S. If you know of other ridiculous/embarrassing/dangerous things I've done, please add them in the comments because I have a short memory of being an idiot.