Half Birthday; But a Lot of 25s Left to Do.

Number 8, take a trip with brother, is officially done. This past weekend the two of us went to Charleston and also tackled number 5 to break out my should-have-been-used-by-now tent. 25 by 25s getting checked off all just in time for the half-way mark today; my half birthday (not something I celebrate, PS).

In the things that were my favorite of the three days, not to be missed are:

– An abundance of Chacos weather,

– Campfires,

– Road trips with bad food,

– Sleeping bag conversations,

– Wandering downtown Charleston and Fort Sumter/Moultrie,

– Running one of the most fun races I have ever been a part of.

The Cooper River Bridge run was incredible. 40,000 people is astounding. And running in the midst of that many people? Overwhelming. But the adrenaline seriously carried me through at least half of the race. Then I just purely enjoyed the back half. My pace was actually a little slower than I felt capable of but because of the people and I had never raced that far I kind of cruised a bit. Still finished in under 53 minutes; so I was quite happy.

Overall, this weekend was awesome. Now I’m just sad that it’s over. I guess now I can shift focus to Nashville. Cue butterflies.

Six months to go and 14 to-dos remain, some scheduled, some ongoing and some that I need to make a move on. Need to start making some more plans for books, education, acting, shooting, publishing and traveling – ha.

What Remains:

1. Learn to play guitar. In progress.
2. Get a stamp in my way-too-empty passport. Canada in January…but no stamp, so not 100 percent done.
3. Write a book proposal.
4. Run a half marathon. April 27, 2013
5. Volunteer time somewhere that really counts. Find a non-profit to dedicate passion.
6. Re-immerse in the arts: read more, listen to bands I’ve never heard of. Ongoing.
7. Continue my education. Enroll in a class or make a point to find non-traditional ways to keep challenging myself and growing.
8. When you see family members are calling, answer it. When you see long-distance friends are calling your phone, answer it. When you don’t want to call, don’t underestimate the power of sending the unexpected letter. Ongoing.
9. Be outrageously spontaneous at least once. Want to watch a sunrise on the coast? Go. Want to see that band that only plays on weeknights at a hole-in-the-wall in New York? Make it happen.
10. Try for other acting experience.
11. Learn how to handle a firearm. Okay, and maybe shoot one too.
12. Be published in a news forum that I haven’t been published in before.
13. Be vulnerable. It’s OK to tell people how I feel every so often. In fact, I should tell some people every single day.
14. See a play on Broadway.