New List

Less than 4 months away from turning 27 (wow, when did that happen?!), I am far from “young” and since it is no secret I am an obsessive list-maker, its time I finally got started on my 30 before 30. There is not a shred of doubt that its been one hell of a trip so far. I loved my 25 before 25, and my 26 before 26 wasn't too bad either - the guy calls it my “boast list”, which I think is fairly accurate! What can I possibly put on my new list? 

I am in the middle of planning something SO exciting that it makes me weep with happiness just to think about it. So knowing fully well that at least one major item (and a few minor ones too!) of this brand new list is going to be crossed off soon, here is my new - and ridiculously ambitious too, for I will have to discover a treasure and/or trade a kidney for some of these things! - life list. 

1. Go bungee jumping or sky diving. Heights are strange - half of me is pee-in-your-pants terrified, and the other half wants to scream with joy at the adrenaline. This should be… interesting. 
2. Take a foreign language class. I have been putting this off since I was 22. FIVE years is a long time to procrastinate!
3. Visit New York. I have been such a fan since FRIENDS, I cannot wait to actually be there, overrated as it may be. 
4. Visit Paris. This beats NY, so thats saying something. When most people say Paris, they think of the Eiffel Tower or the Seine, but for someone who worships F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Camus, Paris is a whole new level of special for me. :) 
5. Attend a concert / music festival. I have come close to doing this twice before, both times in college, and the opportunities have just vanished post college. I need to do this pronto before I actually get too old for such things! :/
6. Attend a comic con. And meet Jared Padalecki, Jenson Ackles, Misha Collins & totally freak the fuck out during the photo op.
7. Have enough savings to actually start generating interest on them. Seriously, its high time. Being in actual debt, can make a person truly understand the meaning of a penny saved.. 
8. Go on a road trip. Live out of a car, drive endlessly, eat at diners and pick up lots of postcards. Whats not to love?
9. Take a dance class. Any dance class. I have been meaning to do this since I was 15 (since everyone went nuts about Shaimak’s Summer Funk, which sadly I could not afford!)
10. Sell something that I made. I have been making things for friends for years. Time to bring out my crafting things just to strike this off, if for nothing else. My 64-color-set of Copic Markers need using. 
11. Get a new tattoo. Time to stop whining that my tattoo artist moved away, me thinks! 
12. Do the Leh - Ladakh trip. Yet again, one of the few things I did not do on 25 before 25, so planned to do it before 26, but then the cloudburst happened and my plans (and tickets) went for a toss..  :(
13. Make new friends. I want to be my 15 year old self again, who made & kept friends so easily.
14. Throw a self-made cupcakes party. Love cupcakes, hate cooking, love throwing parties, again, did I mention, hate cooking. Must find a balance with this one. Strangely, I really enjoy cleaning. Weird right?
15. Do ANY Project 365. Tried once before, did not make it past day 43? :P This is much more difficult than it appears, so I think I will have to get creative about this one.  
16. Read 52 books in 52 weeks (or more) from my reading list. I think I’ve read most iconic books of all time, but there is still a ton to read, many of which are just sitting by themselves on my shelf. This is a book per week challenge that I am looking forward to starting anytime now.
17. Design & code my own blog. I have designed many websites, and separately coded a few too (front end things, nothing too major, except my first project). This has been a dream project for too long, simply because the geeky me really really loves these two things thrown in together!
18. Go on a trek / camp under the stars. I am a city girl through and through, even though I do enjoy the great outdoors.. from a distance. Mostly, because having a clean washroom around is a mandatory condition on which I travel. I have never trekked in my life (I realize that reflects very poorly on me..), though I have always wanted to.. 
19. Character dress up. Maybe a Halloween party or Comic Con. Sadly theme parties and/or costume shops are so hard to come by in Mumbai. :( 
20. Go watch a Broadway musical / ballet. I have seen too many Broadway / ballet performances online, and have always being left mesmerized. Imagining what it would sound like in real life gives me goosebumps. Cannot wait for this one. 
21. Either start painting again or give away goodies to nieces & nephews (or people who actually paint!). I have not touched a paint brush in about three years now, and I refuse to part with all my lovelies. Result? My brushes, my easel and my beautiful messy palette gather dust under the bed. De-clutter. 
22. Be absolutely happy & satisfied, career-wise. I had a great career start, and seen a bunch of ups and downs since then. The quest for the "one" has been on for a while now. Sincerely hope I get this part right by the time this list is done. 
23. Visit a Wonder of the World. I have never even seen the Taj! Quelle honte!! :(  
24. Learn to whip up 5 different cocktails. While both the guy & I exclusively prefer Glendfiddich or Merlot, every once in a while I enjoy a nice cocktail. It all started with the Black Russian at TGIF about… seven(?) years ago, and it has been something of a tradition ever since. I want to learn how to mix em’ all up like a pro at home now! 
25. Study abroad. This has probably been one of my oldest dreams. Screwed up my chances the two times I came close to accomplishing this earlier.. thankfully life worked out okay. I am trying once again now, third time lucky hopefully eh?  
26. Finish our photo wall. Renovations done, amazing colored wall ready, all that remains are the pictures. Between the two of us, we have about 5 TB of pics. Joy.  
27. Pay it forward for someone. Just to see what it feels like. :)
28. Teach again. Teaching was my first job. Giving it up was very tough, but I did it anyway…. but I have always wanted to do it again. Someday... someday.  
29. Forgive. It is so much harder to close the door on a friendship than a romance or a family. A friend is supposed to be your family and your soulmate all rolled into in. Maybe, its time bygones were bygones? I dont know. This will need some soul searching..  
30. End my 29th year in style. Taking a page out of my 25-before-25, bringing in my 25th was pretty fucking amazing, so this calls for a repeat. :) 

Annie.

P.S.: Browsing through other 30 before 30 lists is making me chuckle, because.. well, been there done that. "Kiss in the rain" seems to be a popular choice. Wow. Crossing that off with flourish (and raging hormones) at 19, I thought it was more of a broke-college student with hot new boyfriend/girlfriend goal... :P

P.P.S.: I fully expect this tag that I started in APRIL, to take the entire remainder of the year to actually finish. :/ 

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