Things to do before I turn 24

I would like to sit here and say that I have been so busy since I returned from Ireland that I haven't been able to write, but to be perfectly honest I haven't been busy. I've been kind of depressed. Up until I went to Ireland I had the goal of training for and planning that trip. Now I just have the goal of finding a job. A very intimidation and vague goal. If there's one thing I've learned from years of goal making and planning classes throughout my schooling, it's that vague and intimidating are exactly what you don't want in a goal. This, I believe, is what lead to my depression and inability to make that goal a reality.

Now, if there's one thing that rather arbitrary milestones, such as the new year that we are entering into, are good for, it is reassessing your goals and where you are in your life. I've come to the conclusion that my vague goals and less than sunny disposition are doing me no favours. So, I've broken down my goal into more manageable steps and added a few fun goals for this year. After finding an unfinished list of things I was supposed to do before I turned 18, I've decided to consolidate a list of things I want to do before I turn 24...

- Hike the West Coast Trail
- Volunteer with the Girl Guides and become more engaging when teaching kids
- Take Tai Chi classes
- Make the plans for and build a hovercraft big enough for me to ride in
- Sew a summer dress
- Learn how to make a kayak and start making plans for doing so
- Grow a herb garden
- Read two fun books a month
- Take up Geocaching
- Improve my French
and the kicker...
- Find a job that I'm excited to go to everyday (volunteer somewhere conservation related in the mean time)

It's an intimidating list, but I'm really excited to do everything on it. I have spent so much time these past three months working at a job where I love the people, but it doesn't bring out a passion in me. It's time to decide what I want to do with my life and actually do it.

I keep thinking that because I am not on an adventure like I was in Ireland and South Africa, I have nothing to write about here. Hopefully having these goals will convince me that I can have adventures at home, too. I'm starting Tai Chi classes on Monday and haven't been more excited about it. Girl Guides is going well, too. We've actually started planning our meetings, so I feel more involved in that. I have intimidatingly signed myself up to lead the girls in fulfilling a bunch of their program requirements. I have no idea how well this is going to go, but I'm jumping in with both feet and crossing my fingers that I'll learn quickly this way. I think I need to just find my own teaching niche and become confident in my ability to do that. So, wish me luck! I'll let you know how the Tai Chi and my first time leading the girls through a program requirement go. I'm also going geocaching for the first time on Saturday, so I'll have to tell you how I like that, too!

Happy New Year and I hope you all have your own adventures in 2011!