It is officially the Eve of My 30th Birthday. Tonight I sit down to my “last supper” I will have as a “twenty-something”, and tomorrow was supposed to mark the end of this journey I started just over ten months ago. But as the sun sets on the last day of my twenties, nothing is clearer to me than the fact that this year’s journey was only the beginning. This year’s bucket list was the first of many.
Tomorrow I will write about what an incredible emotional journey this has been… but tonight I’m going to focus on “The List” itself and what I plan to do with it.
Unfortunately, I did not get everything on my “20’s Bucket List” done. There are 3 things that have not yet happened:
1. Smoking Pot ; This shockingly took more planning than I anticipated! I’m never really around anyone who smokes, so the opportunity was never naturally presented to me. So, after much ado and rescheduling, I am actually smoking for the first time tomorrow ON my actual birthday. So, I still think it counts! Stay tuned!
2. Get a Tattoo; To be fair, THIS WAS NOT MY FAULT. I did extensive research on the artist I want to do my tattoo- I’m not messing around with this one, it’s forever and potentially hazardous- and sadly, he had to fly to New York for a family emergency the day before my appointment. Bad News is: no tattoo before my birthday, no bucket list check. Good News is: I’m not going to have a tattoo that was inked on the day America elected Trump president. I’m still planning to get the tattoo, but I am going to wait for the artist to get back into town. Sorry not sorry.
3. Travel somewhere I know no one where I’ve never been before; I was going to check this off for a day trip I took, but it felt like too much of a cop out. I feel like I really need to take a mini personal walkabout. A proper one with no distractions or pressure. So this one gets bumped to the NEW list…
THE NEW LIST = 5 THINGS TO DO BEFORE THE END OF 2016!
I decided that I was going to be way too sad not having a list of fun goals to work towards after my birthday was over. I feel like I’m just getting started. Checking these things off has brought such a sense of joy and excitement to my life that I want to keep cultivating. So, instead of fizzling out on the couple of goals that didn’t get done by tomorrow and letting them fall to the wayside, I’m going to use them as a jumping off point to write a NEW list of 5 Things I Want To Do Before the End of 2016!
5 Things I Want To Do Before the End of 2016:
- Get a tattoo!
- Still want it. Still gonna do it. Not gonna let a delay that was out of my control stop me.
- Go somewhere I’ve never been before, where I know no one.
- I really, really, REALLY still want to do this. I don’t know where or how yet but I really want to make this happen. I need it.
- Complete an original screenplay
- I’m a writer as well as an actor. I have so many scripts that I’ve started and never finished; some of them I really, really believe could be something special. But I’ll never know until I put my nose to the grindstone and DO IT. I’ve been afraid of failure my whole life, and as a result, perfectionism and procrastination create a perfect storm of self-imposed agony over why I can’t get any of these projects done. The excuses stop now. I have 2.5 months. I can do this.
- Volunteer
- With the Holiday season coming up, I’m always reminded that nothing feels better or is more fulfilling that giving back. I want to go and volunteer somewhere in Los Angeles for at least a day and really say I made a difference. Even if it’s just a little bit.
- Write my mom a thank you letter
- My mom is the only immediate family I have left. I too often forget that she was both slowly put into a submissive position as far as money, business, and practical household stuff, as well as unceremoniously thrust into a life she never asked for after my father passed away. She deals every single day with battling depression and anxiety with absolutely zero safety net. Because she hasn’t worked a traditional “job” for years, she has no security and no support system other than myself. She deserves so much love and respect, and too often I get wrapped up in my own stuff and I forget to acknowledge her unwavering support of my life.
PHEW! I FEEL AWESOME ABOUT THIS!!!!
Stay tuned for upcoming posts about things I DID check off the Bucket List… * hint *one of them involved false eyelashes and stilettos…
Before I Go 