It's True, I HAVE Been Missing in Action

A blog here, a blog there, I always set out on a journey to commence a blog with high hopes of writing something everyday... then maybe something at least twice a week, then every week, then every month, and before you know it, a whole season has passed. Gah, here I am almost back to the day I started the blog last year. It's foggy and cold outside again and summer seems to have slipped away without warning. Dare I say the four letter F word.... F-A-L-L.

For me, Fall inspires creativity -- writing, painting, baking and reflection. It was this time last year I began to come up with the "30 Before 30 List." And unlike my waning valor when it comes to blogging, I have only positive news to report -- I've checked off A LOT of things on that list. And, I have some really important ones to add. I don't just write these out for self fulfillment, but in hopes of inspiring others.

1. Learn Italian - I didn't become fluent, but I did take a class -- on a boat -- on the Tyrrhenian Sea.

2. Finish Learning French... just learn a new language, even if you suck at it... yeah, I still suck, and that's OK.

3. Travel to Italy - DONE

4. Travel to France (I figure if I'm in Italy, I can kill a few birds with one stone and step over the border into Italy)... travel wherever YOU want to go. DONE. I took myself to Chamonix, not quite the spot I imagined my first French adventure, but it was both scary, exhilarating and completely out of my character. Then I went to Cannes... and fell completely in love.

5. Play at least one instrument at least once this year... the one you have hidden away in your closet (I know I have a few) I heard a show on NPR this morning about a girl who picked up the Uke on her trip to Nicaragua during the off-season, maybe that'll be my goal during October and November this year.

6. Get a Mountain Bike. Get a road bike. Buy some skate skis. Buy a parachute... Buy something that you can do all by yourself... whenever you want. Read the book: What Color is Your Parachute? I can't even tell you how many new things I tried this year.... it was definitely a year of DOING. I put on an alpine harness for the first time and skied a glacier... and got in a helicopter... and tried to say YES to whatever I could. I'm sure I peed my pants a few times, but why not?

7. Run a marathon. This. Did. Not. Happen. But I have 4 Months. And I'm not ashamed if it doesn't happen. I'm sad to report that in the war between my aging body and running, my aches and pains keep me from pushing too hard.

8. Run a couple (maybe). Run some half marathons, 5Ks and 10Ks. I ran plenty in the beginning of the year and learned that running is not my body's thing anymore. But I think I tracked about 5-10 miles every five days for a solid 3 months. That's enough.

9. Drive across the US. 

10. Start swimming.

11. Embrace the artist that you are. This has been an incredible year for my art, I am so grateful.

12. Read a book. Read 10. Done. 

13. See important people speak, like Ira Glass (checking that off my list tomorrow night). See your favorite band play. Dance. Go to a TEDx event. Visit the website TED.com more often. DONE.

14. Swim in the ocean. Done.

15. Swim in a river. In a lake. In a gulf. Surf. Done. Naked and Free. 

16. Visit your grandparents. Ask them questions - questions about how the world has changed... how their perspective has changed... what they learned in their 80-90 years on this earth... ask them about their regrets and make sure not to make the same mistakes. DONE... and I've learned so much. I highly recommend this.

17. Send out birthday cards to all of your relatives... send out Christmas cards (I have yet to establish this habit). Looking forward to the holidays.

18. Do yoga more. Meditate more. Be flexible... in mind and body.

19. Worry less. AND remove all negative people from your life. Forget those who have hurt you and never let another's actions let you doubt yourself.

20. Eat more ice cream. Maybe too much. Oops.

21. Wear sandals later into the Fall and Spring colors during the Winter.

22. Kill people with kindness... and find that even the nastiest people turn around.

23. Don't worry so much about money, about where you thought you'd be in life, about finding someone else to make you happy... make yourself happy first. And find that money comes to you when you do this.

24. Always work harder on being a better person... develop a healthy addiction... a passion.

25. Volunteer. And be consistent. Check.

26. Even if you're broke, donate money to a worthy cause. Support a friend's Kickstarter campaign. Check.

27. Accept your beauty now, because beauty fades... and when it does, make sure you worked hard on being beautiful on the inside. Learning to.

28. Random Acts of Kindness -- do them all the time. SMILE.

29. Leave your phone at home for a whole day. For a week. Turn it off. Traveling abroad will help you with this.

30. Be comfortable in your skin. Love yourself. Accept yourself.  A work in progress.

So, if there's a message from this "comeback" post today, set your intentions, write them down, and get shit done.