#18

#18 Make a Discovery

This really should have read "make a personal discovery" because that's what I intended it to be. I wanted to do this because I think it's important to constantly "rediscover" who you are and who you want to be. I know, for me, it's easy to grow complacent and forget that I am a multifaceted individual, capable of extraordinary things, I just have to discover them.

Yesterday, I did something extraordinary. I played wiffle ball.

For those of you who know me personally, the idea that I willingly played a sport is at best comical and at worst downright incredulous and hysterical. I am not an athletic person. In fact, I often claim to be the most nonathletic person in the world. Because of this non-talent, I feel embarrassed when I play sports, and since I hate to be made fun of, I take all the jabs made when you participate in an activity such as a sport personally.

But, yesterday, at a family cookout, I was somehow persuaded to play wiffle ball. I wasn't very excited at first, but once I got into it, I had fun. I was even able to take all the jabbing of, "Oh, Katy is at bat, everyone move in!" in jest. And you know what? I wasn't even half bad at it. I even made a couple runs.

I've always thought since I'm not good at sports, playing them would be unbearable (I blame years of P.E. in school). But, yesterday, I learned it's okay to make a fool out of myself and play a game, even if I'm not athletically inclined. It can be fun, and dare I say, enjoyable enough to do again in the future, name-calling and personal insults included.

(When I told John this, he basically said, "Yeah? That's what I've been trying to tell you!" File this under "Things I need to learn on my own, which is why I didn't listen to you in the first place, sorry.")

#48

Yesterday, I vowed to start my list with something I've been meaning to get to for quite sometime. So, after savoring my last Americano for what will conceivably be a long time yesterday afternoon, today I started #48, kicking my caffeine habit.

And, as fate would have it, I woke up at 7 a.m., on a Saturday.

This will be harder than I thought.

Parameters

Rules. Life is full of 'em. This project is no exception.

The list took me a long time to figure out, but deciding how I was going to go about it was even harder. Alas, rules must be made (what would you break later without them?).

1. All items must be completed by my wedding day. (ETA: Now set for June 11, 2011).
2. No killing two birds with one stone, e.g., by riding a bicycle made for two, I can't be taking on a physical challenge. A caveat: One of my biggest fears is clowns. I need to conquer this fear. I also have to go to the circus. Since clowns are in abundance at the circus, these two will probably be accomplished together, under the assumption I will not be going to the circus solely for the clowns, which I won't.
3. Once the list is live, there is no going back. All the items must be completed. No substitutions because I changed my mind.
4. A buddy can be used for moral support, unless the item necessitates the cheese stand alone.
5. I will document each item as I cross it off within 3 days of accomplishing it.

Well, there they are. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The list

So, here it is. The master list of things I want to complete before saying "I do!" next year. All 55 of 'em.

Quick note: Why 55? 55 is a multiple of 11, my favorite number. Also, it is 5, 11 times, and that's 2 prime numbers, and I really dig prime numbers. And? It seemed like a good place to stop.

55 (realistic) things to do before I get married:

1. Ride the world’s biggest roller coaster (in this case the tallest and fastest steel coaster, which is in Jackson, NJ)
2. Dance on a bar
3. Start a pointless collection
4. Conquer my fears
5. Go to the circus
6. Learn to sew
7. Find a (fulfilling) hobby (and actually do it)
8. Write a children’s book
9. Ride a horse
10. Take an artistic class
11. Learn how to change the oil in my car
12. Be a better daughter
13. Be a better sister
14. Get a job
15. Become a big sister (like, in the mentoring way, not biologically)
16. Buy something completely frivolous
17. Meet a favorite celebrity
18. Make a discovery
19. Become a better crunchy-granola-earth-friendly hippie girl
20. Learn to love red wine
21. Actually keep in touch with people far away from me
22. Take on a physical challenge
23. Eat in a restaurant by myself
24. Become more “fiscally responsible”
25. Cleanse myself and my belongings
26. Go to NYC
27. Be less envious
28. Let John teach me something
29. Expand my pallet
30. Accept the fact that I will never join a gym, and find a fitness program that actually works for me
31. Go fishing
32. Build a thicker skin
33. Shoot a gun
34. Ride a bicycle made for two
35. Fly a plane
36. Plant some plants
37. Donate blood
38. Sleep in a (truly) haunted house
39. Go on a spontaneous trip
40. Write a letter to the editor and get it published
41. Send a message in a bottle
42. Go camping
43. Make a time capsule to share with my kids one day
44. Get my fortune told
45. Listen to my iPod right through without hitting shuffle for a week
46. Take a vow of silence (for a day)
47. Teach someone something
48. Kick my caffeine habit
49. Fold 1000 paper cranes (that’s approximately 3 a day for the next year) and give them away
50. Learn how to do my taxes
51. Take pole-dancing lessons.
52. Live without my cell phone for a day
53. Make it through a scary movie
54. Be less whiny and more appreciative
55. Plan my wedding without being a bridezilla

A lot of thought went into this list. It's a product of several weeks of intense thought and reflection. Each item is designed to challenge me, push me to my limits, test the boundaries or scare the crap out of me. Inevitably, each teach me something about myself or life, or in the best case scenario, something about both.

The quest

Getting married is a big deal.

I'm told that in order to have a successful marriage, one should be completely at peace with oneself prior to marriage. Totally happy with who you are as an individual. Or something to that effect.

I'm getting married next year. I am truly excited, and I honestly cannot wait to be the Future Mrs. So-and-So. While I am mostly happy with who I am (I haven't met anyone who is 100% happy. Everyone has some issue with themselves. I mean, nobody's perfect), I recognize, realistically, there are things I should probably do before going to the chapel.

Why am I doing this? I want to become the best possible version of myself before getting married, and by taking on this project, I can do that. Marriage is work, and I know it won't always be easy, but in all honestly, if I can make it through a horror film, conquer my fear of heights and clowns and go camping in one year, I can be one half of a happy marriage. In a way, it's a gift to my future husband, as I hope that becoming this better version of myself, I will become the best wife I can be.

From this point forward til my wedding day (tentatively scheduled for sometime in June 2011) I will take on my personal Everest and document every terrifying, exhilarating, amazing moment.

So, welcome :).