First Quarter Down- Travel Bug and Would Be Cools

 
As I sit now and reflect on my New York City trip I thought about updating my Would Be Cool list- not to change it, but rather check things off and check in with myself. I suffered a slight loss of identity the last two months and fell into a deep cone of silence. This solo trip came at time to help me find a bit of myself, realize some changes to be made and lament the losses over the last few months. I spent time doing nothing, listening to music, eating and meeting some really neat people. I honored my mom on a dark day, took communion, spent too much on a ring for myself and walked around until my shins stopped being solid bone. I loved it all. I finally felt back in my element.

Mostly.

This post is less about travel and hacks and more about life lessons and self worth. I'm taking a moment to take stock of some accomplishments in an effort to just keep swimming and remind myself that being headstrong is good and being sad for one's self is wasteful. And boring. And I am far from boring.

I've truncated my list for easy reading to focus on how far I've come in the new year thus far:
  • See flowing lava.
  • Learn to surf better.
  • Visit the Simpsons store in Myrtle Beach
  • See the Ellen show live in Burbank. I tried to get tickets but wasn't accepted!
  • See one new country
  • Do more Blogger meet up events. Spent some quality time in Chicago with Bettina and Rachel Olivia to not only discuss blogging and Instagram secrets, but also bond as human people. Shout out to the gross tea at Beatnik that tasted like grass water stirred with a dirty stick and ginger roots. Ack, why? 
  • I'd like to work on Affiliations or Sponsors for my blog this year.
  • Create an email subscription list 
  • Go to NYC.  Just got back yesterday- trip of a lifetime and I never wanted it to end! I saw and did and ate and met so much! It's my new American city. Sorry, Venice! Exclamation points abound!!!
  • Do a show with my old band, or at least some of it. 
  • Meet a celebrity I met Matthew Gray Gubler at a book signing and was THIS CLOSE to a shot with Jake Gyllenhaal. Twice.
  • Learn how to make chocolate bonbons I have a class coming up
  • Explore a real, legit haunted spot again
  • Get the Dutch Liberation Day logo tattoo
  • Read 40 books. I'm on book 11 so, so far on par.
  • Be in the Pacific Ocean.
  • Scratch off/record three new states on my Travelled maps. I'm now able to cross of 2 new states- New York and New jersey, after an 8 day trip east. Saw much of Manhattan and visited my amazing cousin at Princeton.
  • Meet a llama
  • See a screaming goat in real life and also get screamed at by a goat
  • Go to more concerts Just purchased tickets for Showoff's 20th anniversary tour in July! 20 years? I'm so old I guess, but somehow still a big kid
  • Get published three times
  • Roller skate again This was the first thing I checked! Thanks to The Library Collective installations in Detroit I was able to have a spectacular and FREE night out with my Theatre Bizarre pals. And, believe it or not- I didn't even fall! Almost, but, according to Brandy, almost doesn't count.
  • Write more Started ground work for a script and am working on an idea for a theatre script or something more one act/monologue based like a one man show with two men (two one acts) or something more along the stylings of vagina monologues in the way of movement and storytelling avenues, not necessarily topic. But who knows.
  • Try that melty cheese log thing everyone's talking about Thought about it in NYC but it had $$$ next to it.
  • Try a cronut. Totally forgot to look this up in NYC! 
  • Go to a convention or event that has a free gift bag There's just something about gift bags! I did attend the Liit Exchange launch party in February in Chicago, scored some free makeup and treats and one of the best chapsticks by Savvy Derm Diva.
  • Pet more foreign dogs Both bolded and crossed off because I pet many dogs already but will continue to pet your doggos.
So, that's that! As of now, early April, I've com this far. I've spent a while beating myself up about not being this or that lately, which I'm now trying to be better about and more conscious of. So this list goes to show that accomplishments happen.

I met one of my favorite celebrity people the other day, Matthew Gray Gubler,  and it really resonated with me how stupid and unprepared for the situation I felt. I loved my encounter with MGG but regret that I didn't walk away feeling more memorable. That's not to say that I wasn't, because, after all, I have no idea what someone else remembers about me. But I know that I didn't stand out like I wanted to, and I couldn't remember any of the points of conversation that I always thought I would have had upon our meeting. I always thought I would offer a handshake (despite him having the sniffles) as thanks for the inspiration his directing style and Criminal Minds as a whole gave me in 2010 to formulate my senior thesis project for Theatre. If not for the thematic and dramatic inspirations from The Uncanny Valley, The Lesson and other episodes, I would not have created this project and I would not have graduated as strongly as I had. Nor would this project, called Asylum, have started. I had too many thoughts at once to be coherent, 15 years worth swirling around in the face of someone I admire. So I'll tell all of you instead. I did these things. Share them around. Maybe they will get back.

So, I guess if we ever meet again we will have much to discuss. For now I guess I should revel in the fact that I had a handsome and creative man gaze into my central heterochromia, tell me I have Tesla eyes and give me two hugs. Every single photo came out poorly, but a happy blur we seem to be.

My favorite spot in Brooklyn- Dave's roof.

I guess the life lesson I learned most is to look forward. Things will come together. Like Cal Hockley said- real men (women) make their own luck. Go forth and make your moments happen. Let's all check in with ourselves a time or two this year.

And be kind to one another.

I can't get this frickin bullet point to disappear. The one down there. Zoinks.

Comments

  1. Look forward os a great life lesson!

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  2. I enjoyed the updated list. Sharing the updates as you complete your tasks is a unique offering. Really liked that part of your blog.

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  3. I LOVED reading your blog!! I'm sorry you weren't able to kidnap MGG and take him home with you...it sounds like you two would have had a lot to talk about! Keep up with your list...you're doing a great job!!

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  4. That’s quite a list you have there! I hope you’re able to achieve them all. The year is still young so you have plenty of time.

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  5. Good list - thanks for sharing. You've been busy and look how much you are ticking off your list! Also, your mentioning roller skating makes me want to go -- it's been forever since I did. --Paige Bainbridge (paigebainbridge.com)

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  6. i love that you did this!! so fun to look back :)

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  7. I need to make a list too. I'm inspired. thanks!

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  8. Don't stress! You've accomplished a lot already. You will achieve your items if you have a dream and want to persue it badly you'll find a way to tick those items off your list!

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  9. Ugh, I hear you. Honestly, I AVOID my favorite celebrities like the plague because of how badly I embarrassed myself once as a teen. I'll happily watch them from afar or tweet at them or something, but no conversations. That's a really neat list you created. I can never think of these things on my own, but seeing that I'm like... Who WOULDN'T want to be screamed at by a goat?!

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    1. Haha thanks. Usually im ok, eloquent even, or at least funny! But I waited 15 years for this and I blew it! I bummed myself out but Matthew was wonderful and chatty.
      I love screaming goats, they're the funniest thing to me. But I've only seen them in videos!

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  10. I loved reading this!! and your hair is AMAZZZINNGGGGGG!!! so glad you had such a wonderful time in NYC <3

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  11. I like how you checked things off and put your note around it. I see that you have a reason to go back to NYC. Cronut is calling your name. ;-)

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  12. Hhhhhmmmmm....somebody is on track, this year....slow but steady! I am happy for you.

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  13. Love this list!! So creative. Def making one myself.

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