50 Things Before 50
Inspired by my approaching birthday and Mighty Girl’s latest lists, I’ve been thinking about life experiences I want to make sure come to pass. (These are, of course, separate from the professional goals — even the scholarly book, which I would want to write regardless of whether or not I’m a professor. Still, if I can combine goals from the two lists — say, a sabbatical semester of research on Chambers in London or the Britannica in Scotland, then all the better.)
1. Finish the PhD
2. Own our own house
3. Continue to have an awesome marriage
4. Really soak up the family time when it happens
5. Spend contiguous months in the UK
6. Set foot in all 50 states
7. Live in a place that truly suits both of us
8. Establish a scholarship
9. Grow tomatoes as good as the ones grown by my grandparents & father in law
10. Learn basic French and actually use it (alternately, re-learn basic Spanish)
11. Publish a scholarly book
12. Publish a work of nonscholarly nonfiction
13. Publish poetry
14. Have a dog and cats again
15. Keep a classic potager
16. Go snorkeling
17. Be an effective mentor
18. Spend All Saints Day in Mexico City
19. Spend Easter in Rome
20. Read all of Shakespeare’s plays
21. Show photographs in a gallery
22. Visit Iceland
23. Visit Norway
24. Brew beer
25. Bake multi-day bread. Successfully.
26. Achieve a consistent no-debt state of affairs
27. Cross the entire US in one trip, sideways
28. Travel Hwy 61 from top to bottom
29. See the Northern Lights
30. Related: visit Abisko
31. See the salmon run in Alaska
32. See the bone chapel in Prague
33. Host an annual party
34. Plant a tree
35. Martinis at the Algonquin with Gina
36. Take a hot air balloon ride
37. Make homemade sausage
38. Take a retreat at a monastery or convent
39. See a moose and bear in the wild
40. Master authentic Mexican cuisine (if that’s even possible for a white girl)
41. Tour the American West
42. Re-learn the piano and make it a part of daily life
43. Keep a spare room that people love to visit
44. Make a will
45. Finish that damned needle point
46. Become advanced at yoga
47. Make peace with my body
48. Run a very small press
49. Tour New England in the fall
50. Take book making classes
Comments
This is awesome! I adore lists, and I so admire folks who become contemplative around birthday time. I mostly just think about shopping ...
For number 38, I recommend:
http://www.saintjohnsabbey.org/guesthouse/
I try to do 2 retreats there each year. Truly peaceful, gorgeous setting, great food, nice monks. Ideal for writing/songwriting or just long walks in the woods!
Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PISCES!
Posted by: Sally | March 6, 2008 10:45 AM
Oh, man...I don't think I can do one of these...or if I do, it will have to be small very do-able things. Like, "Finish listening to that book on CD in my car," or, "Go to the library at least once." Yeah, I can manage that. (I only have five more years, after all!)
Posted by: susansinclair | March 6, 2008 6:40 PM
Oooh---fun! I love lists, and since it's my birthday week, it's not too late for me to make one of these for my own. I only have three years until fifty, however, so maybe my list will be shorter. Or maybe not. Hmm... or retrospective: fifty wishes I fulfilled.
Have a tip-top day on your birthday!!!
Posted by: Fresca | March 6, 2008 8:32 PM
I love this list, both the idea of it, and many things on it.
I loved it enough to tell you I'd be ripping it off on my blog this weekend (which I will still do!) but when I realized I'd have to complete on average four things a year to complete 50 by 50... ouch.
I've done #2 (if you count "have a mortgage" which I sort of think it does), also hope for #3, am doing #7 now, and have done #39 but not at the same time. Moose won't come out to the tiny northern Maine town dump to pick through your trash on Saturday night, but bears will.
Posted by: jspad | March 7, 2008 9:49 PM