So I have not posted in two years, and I find that one of the things on my list to do lately is recover some of my artistic outlets one of which is writing. As I am coming towards completing 29 years on this earth and getting closer to 30, it reminds me of multiple things. One that comes to mind are these 30 before 30 lists, and the difference between my early twenties and my late twenties. Buzzfeed has some great things about these differences this link makes me laugh so hard and not feel so alone http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/life-in-your-early-twenties-vs-your-late-twenties#.mmENBzj1M. But all funny business aside, I am doing exceedingly well on my 30 before 30 list (at least 90 I'll publish the complete list when I turn 30).
Mostly because in my early twenties I had experienced so much loss in terms of family and young friends I realized that getting older is not a given and something that continues to follow me through the years. This constant reminder losing multiple friends, almost every year before they completed 23, taught me to start a to do list. Each year right before New Years since 2009, I write a list that has different categories: this year, this lifetime, books I've read (with the intention of reading one a month usually get to about 6 a year), places to visit and other unexpected achieved. As life and the universe continue to giggle at me, the best section is always the other unexpected achieved. Partially, it is the intention I am setting what I can be realistic about achieving in any given year and seek out those opportunities and on the other it is to keep me in a general direction plus recognizing the greatness that life unplanned provides. Some of the ones I find interesting on the unexpected list include: eating ants, hitchhiking, getting published in a newspaper, participating in a flash mob in an Ambassador's Residence, volunteering/translating on a Navy ship, swimming with sea lions, taking a 6 month sabbatical, backstage access in a zoo, being a maid of honor, not getting hired for the first time resulting in getting yoga instructor certified and getting engaged.
Some items remain on the to do list every single year like: change someone's life, be happy, embrace the question and learn something new. Above all other things on the list I try my best to achieve these final four, and that brings me back to the point when someone asks me how many countries I've traveled to I can only say 7 which compared to some of my Peace Corps peer group is laughable where as for my high school graduating class it is impressive. But I don't see travel to countries as a collection I may have traveled 3 times to Mexico and 3 times to Costa Rica and lived in Peru for almost 7 years. Each of those experiences was completely different an invaluable in my story but cannot be captured by the initial question.
When I started this to do list habit it came out of a genuine concern to make certain I was living life in such a way that if I died early as my peers had done that I could do so with no regrets. I write this as I read an article this morning from one of the Peace Corps volunteers I trained Shalin Shah who passed away at 22 #sunsetsforshalin and reading that another PCV in Mozambique died this past week at 25. And as I plan my upcoming trip with my mother that is yet another difference between early and late twenties, I now worry more about the time I get to spend on my vacations relaxing and spending quality time with my loved ones more than the destination itself.
I am eternally grateful that my mother and I have an unspoken pact to see one another at least once a year either her coming or me going back to the states. Which is another difference between my early and late twenties, I am now prouder than ever to say I am my mother's daughter, even her imprint. We currently have an excellent and real friendship something that came about a few years ago. I may never make it to as many countries appear on my list, but if I spend time with my family making new memories than I've lived life.
And I suppose that this article is a plea to what appears to be an evermore common epidemic of caring about likes and being able to say you did something or take a picture of it, rather than really experiencing all the positive, negative, growth stimulating, pain aching everything that is this beautiful and unpredictable life. It is a collection of experiences but not for the purpose of pictures or even blogs, but rather for the experience itself what did it teach you? We must live life very intentionally every second of everyday as there is not guarantee of time. Live your lives in a way that the day you pass, you can be completely at peace perhaps the best way to start is by living completely at peace.
