Life update.

After deciding against a masters degree at the last moment, I found myself on an unexpected creative gap year. I’ll be based in Boston again soon, with some travels planned.

At first I was going to take a year to write, but after a few weeks, I decided to put a spin on that plan.

So on top of that, [and figuring out what to do next year], I have A Project.

This is the Project:

In 2009 I joined 43things.com and made a sort of bucket list. I’ve been updating it sporadically. A few days ago, I decided that this year, I will do all 43 things.

I made minor updates to the list. First of all, I had completed some things [yay!], so I added new things.

I deleted things I no longer want to do, but never solely because it seemed unachievable. I modified some goals – I changed “climb Kilimanjaro” to “complete the Three Peaks Challenge” and “see the northern lights” to “stargaze properly” because the original goals cost megabucks, and aren’t as meaningful to me as the new ones.

Here are the 43 things I will do by July 2014:

1. read the complete works of William Shakespeare

2. watch all movies from Studio Ghibli

3. learn to drive

4. be featured or win a contest on a major fashion site

5. create a piece of artwork that I deem worthy of framing

6. transport all of the Zoombinis safely to Zoombiniville

7 . live on a farm with sheep

8. complete the Three Peaks Challenge

9. read Ulysses

10. host a salon night

11. start a literary dinners book club

12. tour Italy

13. learn photoshop

14. make my own dress

15. stargaze properly

16. record an EP

17. attend a singalonga or quotealong at the Prince Charles Cinema

18. knit a sweater

19. attend a Shakespearean acting workshop

20. complete the Codeacademy Web Fundamentals course

21. experience a 1:1 at Sleep No More

22. learn to make a week’s worth of dinners

23. participate in a juice fast

24. climb a 7a indoors

25. go on a yoga retreat

26. play with a penguin

27. learn to play the drums

28. make a plushie from scratch

29. create a Harry Potter filk music video and post it on YouTube and MyLeaky

30. complte Pottermore

31. see Lady Gaga in concert

32. finish Rosetta Stone for Korean

33. learn to play and sing to a song on the piano

34. write a book about minimalism

35. learn self defense

36. live in New York

37. become first aid certified

38. learn all the words to We Didn’t Start the Fire

39. go on a Chicks Climbing meet

40. learn the Single Ladies dance

41. become fluent in French

42. learn astrology

43. see Blue Man Group

I’ll be tracking my progress here and on my 43 Things Account. Why not sign up? List-making is fun, and just might prompt you to do those things one day. If you do sign up, let me know so I can subscribe to you!

À bientôt!