100 Miles of . . . Creativity?

February of 2012 I began my journey to get more healthy.  I started running and doing other workouts, I ran two marathons and two half-marathons.  I tried crossfit and got much better at yoga.  I tried being both a vegan and a paleo person.   I was committed to putting in the miles, learning how to cook new things and redifining what being healthy means to me.  I learned the need for moderation when it comes to an approach to a healthy lifestyle.  Being vegan or paleo were both too restrictive for me, but what they did made me realize is that a diet based mostly of veggies and fruits is the healthiest one for me, with some meat, grains and dairy as well. 

This year I want to continue to eat healthy and continue working out on a daily basis, but I don't want it to be my main obsession.  Paul and I are going to try a triathlon this summer for the very first time and I'm planning on running the Rome Marathon with my dad on March 17th.  I'm putting my plans for an ultramarathon on the backburner, due to some overtraining injuries.  Plus, what's the fun of running an ultra alone?  Dad - I'm looking at you for finishing Leadville 2014!  So I suppose I'll be redifining the 100 Mile Bunny title for now, as this year I want to apply the same kind of dedication to something else in my life that desparately needs some attention:  Creativity.  

I did some acting in high school, but that's a hard outlet to do on your own.  Not much fun just standing in your living room and doing monologues alone.  I've also found that doing a play as an adult takes quite the time commitment.  In all of the more classic creative pursuits I've always felt years and years behind the rest of the people that I know.  My friends do such amazing creative things that I feel like there's no hope for me.  However, I'm starting to realize that finding a creative outlet will bring another dimension of fulfillment to my life, and I want that.  I'm pretty sure I'm not going to make any money or a career out of a creative pursuit any time soon, but I want it for myself.  Even if I'm the only one that ever sees my work, I want to feel like I tried to make the world more beautiful in some way.  I don't want it 20 years from now, I want to find it now!  I figure the only way to find it is to start trying. 

I really don't think I can be the only one out there who has this problem, but I wasn't able to find any examples of someone struggling through drawing stick figures.  I feel like all of the rest of you just had some great talent when you were born and just stuck with it until now to become the amazing photographers, writers, painters, musicians, filmmakers etc. that you are today.  This is probably ridiculous as any skill takes a long time to hone. 

I've always felt that I've had too many interests and not enough talent and am forever whining to myself (and maybe Paul) about how I don't have a creative outlet.  So yesterday I wrote down all of my favorite mediums and found that the list was a lot shorter than I thought it would be:

Art (sketching, painting, pastel)
Photography (I kind of extra like subject photography)
Acoustic Music (Oh man, I'm going to actually have to learn how to play the guitar a bit this time)
Podcast/Radio story telling (think TAL, Radiolab and 99% invisible)
Fiction Writing
Handmaking something (Either to sell on Etsy or give out as gifts)

These are all of my favorite things in the world.  These are the things that make life special.  I am honestly terrible at all of these things.  Let me be clear - I don't think I have a secret, innate hidden talent that will spectacularly reveal itself in a moment of genius the first time I pick up a paintbrush, but I want to try.  I want to try to find something that I like so much that I don't care that my work is crap for the next however many years.  So here is my commitment for the year:  I will try each of these things for two months.  I will give them a good, solid, honest try and will post my progress (I'm sure hilarity will ensue) as I go.  So anyone out there who ever wanted to get lost while painting but shuddered with disgust at their childlike drawings of houses, flowers and stick figures, this is for you. 

Châtel, France

On our way into Switzerland.

Another week of snowboarding in the Alps!  How lucky are we?!  We headed up to the the alps with the Bells, the Gateleys, the Sheys' and the younger Sheys'.  It was a week of continued learning how to board (with another crazy traverse to Switzerland), lots of poker, lots of fondue and otherwise melted cheese, and Jacuzzi time.  

Amazing fondue at the most random shack about halfway back on our traverse back to France. 



Prague, Czech Republic



Us adding our lock to the bridge December 2012



We picked up Paul's brother and sister-in-law (henceforth, Eric & Erin) at 8 AM on Saturday morning in Brussels and headed off to Koln.  We took them to see the dome and gave them a lock to put on the bridge.   

Unfortunately, we couldn't find ours, but it was cold and time to get back on the road to Prague!  We got into Prague late Saturday night and it was a snowy gothic fairytale.  Sunday we walked around all day seeing all of the important sights. 

Prague Castle was a very non-traditional European castle.  It was spread out over a huge area and had no real central palace.  The cathedral was at it's center and it's guilding and mosaics were breathtaking.  There was a huge hall next to the cathedral that was once used for jousting.  It had an airy design and no columns to support it, just floating, curved beams.  Does everything have to remind me of something from the Lord of the Rings?  It was Rivendellesque, for sure.  There are also these miniature houses in the back where guards once lived, and they were transformed into the tiniest houses ever.  Kafka lived in one for a while.  



johnwhitephotography.com

After a gluhwein break, we headed over to the Jewish Quarter.  The most haunting thing in the Jewish Quarter was these drawings from children who stayed in the camp that was an intermediary between their homes and the eventual death/concentration camps.  Some of the pictures had pictures of the children who had drawn them, and most of them died during the war. 

On the way to Charles Bridge there was a man playing wine glasses with just his hands.  Prague is famous for it's crystal, and we all stopped for a good ten minutes to watch him, entranced.  On our way over the bridge we saw a little river hall along the water, with pretty lights and went and had a drink by the water in a super cozy little restaurant.  On Sunday we just walked around a bit to catch some of the things we had missed before in the daylight.  I was so charmed by Prague, but recollecting it I realize that it wasn't the sum of the things that we saw or staying at a snow covered monastery.  The real charm of Prague was being able to share the experience with three of my favorite people! 

Travels in Europe (August 2011 - Present)

2011

Brussels, Belgium – August 8.  Saw the Atomium (made for one of the worlds' fairs back in 19..something.  It's basically a huge atom as a building that you can go inside and travel up some trippy escalators. 

Loire Valley, France - August 12-14.  Visited three great Chateaux with the Bells in the Loire Valley in France (Chambord, Chenonceau and Villandry).  Villandry has amazing gardens.  Chambord was supposedly designed by Da Vinci and the staircases were epic.  Chenonceau is built over the water and was my favorite of those we visited.  We also visited another one that was supposed to be the castle Snow White’s story is based on. 

Stuttgart, Trier & Frankfurt, Germany - August 19-21.  Visited Stuttgart in Germany as well as Trier (Europe's oldest city with Roman ruins and this crazy black gate from like a thousand years ago). Visited Frankfurt and had the best Bratwurst of my life and saw some amazing views. 

 
Bunol, Valencia & Madrid, Spain.  August 23-28.  Went to the Tomatina festival in Bunol, Spain (basically the world’s biggest food fight), and had Paella on the beach in Valencia and saw the city of Valencia and hung out at the topless beach. Saw Madrid and partied with some friends there just before going back home.

Paris, France.  September  16-18. Visited Paris for a weekend (I have a friend I met in Columbia who is actually a Parisian so we have a free place to stay!) and saw all the sites:  the Eiffel Tower, the Boulevard St. Germain, the Seine, Notre Dame, the outside of the Louvre, the beautiful parks.  We saw the sunset one day from the Eiffel tower and the next day from Sacre Couer in Montmartre on a hilly lawn with tons of other people.

Faro, Sintra & Porto, Portugal.  October 1-7.  Went to Portugal to pick up a car and drive it back.  We saw a bit of Faro and learned how to say Abrigado.  We spent a day in Sintra, this town with mountains, a view of the ocean, these old moorish ruins on the hillside, an old royal palace on the mountain top and the most amazing nude beach tucked in between gorgeous rock formations.  Spent a day in Porto and had breakfast at a cute college cafe and learned that the freshmen wear Harry Potter-esque robes as a hazing ritual.  Just wandered the streets there and got a great view from a bridge. 

Bordeaux, France – October 8.  Spent the day in Bordeaux on the way back walking around by the river watching school kids playing, had lunch at this place that looked like it was falling down and was also an antique shop, saw well dressed ladies pawing through just piles of clothes these vendors throw on the ground to sell. 

London, England – October 15-17.  Took a trip to London so I could take my nursing boards.  Saw a bunch of stuff in London where we constantly looked at each other and said "That looks like a famous thing,  what is that?  I don't know,  but yeah,  it's definitely something famous." Visited Hampton Palace, the last of Henry VIII's palaces.  It had beautiful gardens and a maze and the world's largest grape vine.  We stopped in Canterbury on the way back which has got to be one of the quaintest towns I've ever seen in my life.  We found this beautiful church which had really old ruins around it and we were exploring it at dusk and a storm was brewing.  And from inside we heard this ghostly, classic sounding choir rehearsing.  We got to take the Dover-Calais ferry there and back and saw the white cliffs of Dover going both ways.

Koln, Germany – November 6.  Did a half marathon in Koln, Germany.  Unfortunately it wasn't around the city it was in circles around a park.

Grimbergen, Belgium – November 13.  Paul has taken me to two different spas.  One after we ran our first half marathon on base in October and the second one just last month for Valentine’s day (and us being together for six months).  Everybody is naked and it’s totally normal.  You go from hot tub to pool to sauna (there are several different ones of each) and get good nosh and drink wine.  It's pretty much fabulous.  At the first one we got massages as well. 

Rochester, England - December 1.  Went for a day for the Charles Dicken's Christmas festival and market. 

Heidelberg, Germany – December 12-16.  I went for training for my job and got to see the Christmas market there which was amazing and got to see a little bit of the city which I really want to go back to. 

 
Bruges, Belgium – December 20.  I got to go to Bruges while they were doing the Disney Ice Festival.  They had an ice slide!  Got to wander around Bruges as well.  They have some really cool canals. 

Garmisch, Germany – December 29-31.  Went skiing for a day in Garmisch with Paul’s family and stayed in a cute little town in Germany and saw the city of Garmisch and had some amazing German food.  On the slopes there was this gorgeous lake that we stopped by a few times to eat snow. :)  Saw Neuschwanstein (the castle disney bases theirs off of).  Unfortunately when we got there it was both closed and under construction so really we just saw the area around it.  There was this absolutely gorgeous lake with the prettiest ducks you ever saw and the clearest water.  We had a fun snowball fight by that. 

2012

Koln, Germany – January 2.  We took a second trip up to Koln while Paul's family was here and we saw the Dome (the only church I've been really impressed by.  It's just gigantic and beautiful inside and out).  They do this thing where lovers put locks on the bridge.  Paul got one for us for christmas and we found a spot for it on the bridge.  :) 

Chatel, France – January 21-29.  Spent a full 8 days in Chatel, France in this gorgeous, huge cabin.  It came with a sauna and a hot tub and more than enough space for the six of us that stayed there.  I learned how to snowboard by falling a lot and hurting myself.  We drank Gluhwein at the bottom of the slopes and spent one day traversing from France to Switzerland by snowboard.  This was a rather miserable experience for me being a brand new snowboarder but I'm glad I did it.  We spent some time walking around the cute little town as well but spent most of our nights drinking and recovering in the hot tub. 

Geneva, Switzerland – January 29.  On the way back from Chatel we stopped at Geneva, Switzerland to snap a few pictures and check out the lake and the pier. 

Vianden, Beaufort & Esch-sur-sul, Luxembourg – February 18.  We took a day trip to Luxembourg to see a chateaux and a couple of ruins.  We saw Chateaux Vianden, the ruins at Beaufort and the ruins of Esch-sur-sul.  Esch-sur-sul was at the top of this little town surrounded on three sides by a winding river.  At the places with the ruins we mostly just ran around outdoors and did some hiking on the grounds. 

Maredsous, Belgium – March 3.  We went to the Maredsous abbey and had some delicious beer and cheese and then did minor amounts of gambling at the casino nearby.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – March 17-18.   We went to Amsterdam for St. Patrick's Day and saw everything I think you need to see.  Everybody on bikes, we smoked at "coffee shops" and saw the ladies in the windows.  They rent out these windows and have a room in the back and their unionized.  Crazy, right? 

Paradisio, Belgium.  March 31.  Paul & I went to Park Paradisio, the local zoo.  It was amazing!  With a playground for adults, elephants, lemurs, and giraffes and tons of space to explore. 

Brussels, Belgium.  April 21. Our friend yannick visited us the third weekend of April, and we went to the water park in Brussels.  It was cold, and some of it was outside, but the water was warm.  I almost drowned in the wave pool!

Stuttgart, Germany – May 4-6.  Fruehlingsfest - with Tim & Elisa.  Friday night we had a couple drinks with Charlotte and Nick.  Saturday morning I woke up and ran hills through the forest nearby.  We went to the Fruehlingsfest test around noon and made some good German friends and danced and drank until 10 PM.  Met Ben as well.  On Sunday I managed to get to the train and back to Nick and Charlotte’s to pick up the car.  The four of us had a delicious brunch in Stuttgart and then headed back. 

Oberstdorf, Germany.  May 18-20. We drove in Friday night and stayed at Pension Katarina, owned by this very friendly Dutch guy.  Had some drinks with him and some Brits and went to bed.  On Saturday morning we went to Neuschwanstein and hiked around the area.  We went to the bridge behind it and saw some amazing views.  We finally got to go inside the castle.  It was pretty warm, so I put my feet in the lake.  Some little kids were jumping in it!  We found a place where you take a ski lift up, and a crazy homemade rollercoaster back down the mountain.  At the top there was a long line so we hiked further up the mountain to where the snow was and had a bit of a snowball fight and found a cool spot hidden among the trees.  We had an amazing German dinner and good beer at this local Brauerie.  Very festive atmosphere and the best food.  Saturday morning we went to the half marathon location and got ready.  The run was through the mountains, with 350 m of ascent.  It went by beautiful rivers and lakes, through bike paths and B&Bs off the trail and ended where it began.  It was very difficult but I PR’d with a time of 1:49:55 and got second in my age class.  We hung around there for a while and they gave me a handpainted vase sort of thing and we both got participation shirts.  We went to their local spa afterwards and then drove home. 

Villers La Ville Abbey, Belgium – June 2.  This is just 40 minutes away from where we live and is the ruins of an old abbey, completely overgrown with ivy and greenery.  We went with the bits folks and had a nice leisurely time walking around, and then had beers across the street.

Mons, Belgium DouDou Fest – June 3.  Viewed the fest from the second floor of Steak on a Rock.  Those guys stayed all day.  I went and did a play performance and came back and drank with them later on. 

Paris, France – June 16-17.  We drove up Saturday morning to see Versailles.  We got a couple of cappuccinos and then went in the main Chateaux and did the tour there.  The rain lightened up after we had a delicious lunch nearby (I had white wine and a croque madame).  Then we went to see the gardens and wandered around through them and went on to see the Grande Trianon and the Petite Trianon and its gardens until they closed.  In the Petite Trianon gardens there is the Queen’s Hamlet, which is basically just the most quaint looking little uninhabited village you could ever imagine.  It was my favorite.  All around these gardens there were paths, and a farm and trails and we ran through a bunch of them and found great marble statues all over.  We finally left when it was closed.  Then we went to Vanves and had drinks and dinner with Yannick’s brother, Gael.  In the morning we had a simple breakfast and left for Giverny.  It was nice and warm and we enjoyed the city and the flowers all over.  We went and saw Monet’s house and garden and took pictures and saw artists drawing in the garden.  We went back into Paris and had lunch at a café at a sunny place by a fountain outside and watched the city go by.  I had some more white wine and lox and cream cheese bagel.   Then we went and walked through Pere Lachaise, the cemetery where Jim Morrison and other famous people are buried.  It was beautiful just to walk around, and we did that until they closed.  We stopped at a cute little bakery and got a cookie for the road and drove home. 

Barcelona, Spain – June 22-24.  We flew in for the weekend with the Bells.   We spent all day Saturday lounging on the beach and soaking up the sun and the Mediterranean.  On Sunday we saw the famous Gaudi church as well as the Gaudi park.  Just walking around we saw a couple of his houses as well.  His architecture is like something from a Dr. Suess dream.  It’s otherworldly. 

North Miami, Florida - June 30 – July 8.  Spent the week hanging out with dad and the pups in Miami.  Went for a few long runs together and did some kayaking and swimming and beer drinking.  For the fourth of July we kayaked out to an island in the Biscayne and saw a bunch of different fireworks displays all around us, best 4^th of July ever!  For my birthday he knew me best and got me a fruit/chocolate covered fruit arrangement fake cake. 

Bluefields Bay, Jamaica – July 15-23.  Paul’s family reunion, amazingly paid for in full by his generous uncle.  We were catered to like kings for every meal, stayed in luxury colonial houses and had a staff making us frozen drinks constantly!  We went kayaking, went snorkeling (Paul even speared a lobster, which they cooked up for him!),  and went to a beautiful waterfall where we swam underneath it and jumped off a rock high up into a waterfall on a rope swing!  We went hiking in the forest the second day we were there and our guide cut down coconuts for us and we drank the fresh coconut juice.  He also taught us about local plant medicine – so cool! Paul’s family was so much fun – I love them! 

Koblenz, Germany - Rhine River Tour – August 3-5.  In the morning I woke up early and went on a 15 mile run around Koblenz and along the Rhine.  I got to see the Deutsches Eck all by myself in the early dawn.  Went on a Rhine river tour with the Bells, the Kammers and Missy/Mike.  Spent all day sunning ourselves on the top deck.  At night we were dropped off at a local wine festival and then on our way back there were incredible fireworks!  The next day we went on a hike with the Bells, Missy/Mike and Ben Battin and were introduced to CrossFit.  We were super active and had a ton of fun! 

Monschau Marathon, Germany – August 11-12.  Saw the beautiful town of Monschau with Paul on Saturday and met up with Ben that night for dinner.   The boys walked the marathon the next morning and I ran it.  It was my first marathon and I got a time of 4:06.  There was a lot of elevation, and it was a hot day, but it was beautiful running in the mountains and running through the quaint German town. 

Brussels, Belgium – July 18. Went up to Brussels for the day to see the Brussels Flower Carpet, which unfortunately had all but wilted away by the time we got there.  We went to the newly opened Hard Rock Café for burgers with my friend Stefan, who had recently moved from Columbia to Brussels.  We also found some Westvleteren 12 at a local bar there and went to the movies!

Athens, Delphi & Santorini, Greece – August 31 – September 9. Spent a few days in Athens and saw the Acropolis, the Agora and the surrounding area.  We had amazing local food and saw an Aristophanes play at the outdoor theatre (built in 100 AD by the Romans) that was actually in Greek.  We spent one evening walking along the water and had a great fish dinner with a view of the sea.  We went to Delphi for a day and saw the temple of Apollo.  Delphi was just incredibly stunning, tucked into the mountain range with a view of the sea.  We hiked to the Korykian cave about a 20 mile round trip, which was just beautiful.  We then headed to Santorini where we rented a car to go see the ancient Greek ruins and the red sand beach.  Our hotel was a five minute walk from a black sand beach.  We went on a cruise from Fira out to the volcano (which we hiked up), to the hot springs close by, and had lunch at an island fishing village.  We even walked all the way up the stairs amidst the donkeys on our way back.  Greece was just spectacular all in all, probably my favorite trip so far!

SHAPE Oktoberfest – September 21.  Our local Germans know how to throw an Oktoberfest!  Went out with the Bells and Gateleys and even wore Lederhosen…well, something like it anyway. 

London, England – September 28-30.  Saw Wicked, thus making six years of dreams into a reality.  We also got to see the Lion King.  Two Broadway plays in one weekend, how spoiled am I?  We also went to see the Harry Potter Studios, which was also a dream come true.  I almost cried – this is where they actually filmed the movie, and these were the actual sets they used, unchanged from filming.  I stood in the Great Hall, saw the Gryffindor common room, the Potions classroom, Dumbledore’s office, the Weasley’s kitchen – amazing!  Then we had a butterbeer (so ridiculously good) outside number 4 Privet Drive and next to the Knight Bus.   Then it was on to the concept art and animatronic critters!  Finally, there was the huge model of Hogwarts that they used for shots in the movie.  It was so beautiful, so detailed, so perfect.  I told Paul, “See, I knew Hogwarts existed, and I found it.”  The final night in London we went to see David Sedaris.  I actually met him, talked to him and had him sign a copy of Me Talk Pretty One Day for me and one for Sarah.  His show was incredible.  This weekend pretty much fulfilled all of the dreams I’ve ever had. 

Koln, Germany – Koln Marathon – October 14.  Drove up to Koln the day of the marathon.  I ran my ass off and got a 3:42:34 to show for it – almost a minute/mile better than Monschau!  I don’t remember much of the city, I was pretty focused. 

Westvleteren, Belgium – October 20.  Went to the restaurant near the abbey and had beer ice cream as well as Westvleteren 12s on tap!  They were even selling it so we got to take a couple of sixers home. 

Durbuy, Belgium – October 21.  Durbuy challenge ropes course with Tim and Elisa.  Went to a very picturesque town nearby afterwards. 

SHAPE Half Marathon, Belgium – October 27.  When I got to the race I thought, “You know what, I might be able to win this,” and I did.  I got first place among females and my fastest half marathon time (by 12 minutes) at 1:35.  I was neck in neck with this other girl, but I got her in the end.  Winning was an incredible feeling! 

Hurghada, Egypt – Scuba Trip – November 22 – December 1.  Went to the Dusseldorf Christmas Market with the Bells before our flight left.  Spent 5 days out on the boat doing two dives a day, and even did a night dive!  On one dive we saw a sea turtle and a mother dolphin and her baby.  They swam right by us – it was incredible!  We stayed in this awesome, beautiful 5 star resort.   The last day I took the trip to Luxor and Karnak and saw the epic temples there and floated across the Nile!

Wiesbaden, Germany – December 15-16. Went up to Wiesbaden to hang out with Ben.  We went to the Wiesbaden Christmas Market Saturday evening and went out for a delicious sushi dinner.  Drank a ton of Gluhwein at the market and then proceeded to go to an American bar and drink, which was just ridiculous.  In the morning Ben and I got up and went for a run down by the Rhine, then we all went to a delicious brunch - even got a bloody mary! 

Istanbul, Turkey – December 21-25.  Saw the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cisterna, a mosaic museum, Topkapi palace and even took a cruise on the Bosphorous.  We met an American couple and their kids on Christmas Eve and had drinks, and then they took the same cruise as us on the Bosphorous.  We went to dinner with them afterwards, so we got to have Christmas dinner with some other Americans.  Didn’t make it over to Asia, but I did see the Asian continent for the first time!

Cairo & Alexandria, Egypt – December 26 – January 1.  The first day we got in we went to see the Bazaar of Khan-el-Khallili – it was a wild, crazy mess of a market.  On the second day we went and saw the stepped pyramid of Djoser, the Red and Bent Pyramids at Dashur and the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza.  We went inside the red pyramid, crazy to think how much weight and history is around you when you’re in there!   We took a camel ride out into the desert, so we got to see the less touristy side.   The second day we went around the city and saw Coptic Cairo, the Citadel, the City of the Dead and the tomb of Mohammed Ali’s family.  We had our driver drop us off in Zamalek and found a very first world coffee shop with the best whipped cream in the world.  We spent one day up in Alexandria where we saw their new library, a beautiful mosque that looked like it was made of lace, the Citadel alongside the ocean (apparently the site of the Alexandria lighthouse, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world) and hiked along a rocky beach and had a lovely seaside lunch as well as an amazing espresso!  Our last day, New Years Eve, we went to the Egyptian museum and saw incredible statues as well as the Tutankhamon exhibit.  We were about a block away from Tahrir square and saw the tents of the protestors.  For the evening, we went out by the pyramids and the sphinx again, and took a horse ride into the desert behind the pyramids. 

2013

Prague, Czech Republic – January 19-21.  With Eric & Erin. 

Chatel, France – January 26 – February 3. With Bells, Gateleys, Sheys, Pomponio and Ben. 

Oberammergau/Garmisch, Germany – February 18-24. 

Avett Brothers in Koln, Germany – March 11.

Rome, Italy – Rome Marathon – March 16-17.

Life List

I'm reading a book called "The Art of Non-Conformity" by Chris Guillebeau.  So far, the basic idea is that if you prioritize your life with  your priorities instead of those that you are "supposed" to have you can live a life doing meaningful work and achieve many of the things that you want to.  As I have been living a non-conventional life for the last year a lot of what he says makes sense to me.  I don't have any desire to own a big house, a fancy car or a lot of nice things to put in my big house.  I want the experiences.  I don't want to be tied down to a location.  Luckily, these are ideals that Paul has always espoused, so he has been on this adventure for a while.  I'm ecstatic to join it. 

Making a life list has been good for me.  It's great to write down my goals and priorities.  I always kind of had this vague idea of "I want to do awesome, adventurous things with my life."  Sitting down and really writing it out made me feel that living this sort of life is attainable.  Instead of general ideas I have a concrete list.  I probably won't accomplish all of them, but that's not what it's about.  It's about knowing what I want so I can take the steps to achieve them.  It's really helped me sort out exactly what I want career wise.  The activity itself was painless and was actually a lot of fun. 

A few quotes from the book I've enjoyed so far:

"You don't have to live your life the way other people expect you to."
"Whatever your dreams are, start taking them very, very seriously."
"Inaction breeds doubt and fear.  Action breeds confidence and courage.  If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it.  Go out and get busy." - Dale Carnegie

Without further ado,  here is my life list.  The one-year and five-year goals are taken out of the life list at the bottom.  The italicized lines are things that I've already done. 

One-Year Goals

Self Improvement

1.          Do Yoga 3-4 times per week.

2.          Read more about Yoga.

3.          Get better at snowboarding.

4.          Workout minimum of 5 times per week.

5.          Write a practice novel.

6.          Eat clean & healthy.

7.          Read my books on food foraging.

8.          Read my OB nursing journals.

9.          Read more poetry.

10.      Listen to More Classical Music

11.      Live simply & authentically

12.      Do a pull-up.

Travel

1.          Go to Egypt.

2.          Go to Africa for the first time.

3.          Visit Istanbul.

4.          Visit Cairo.

5.          Visit Mont Blanc.

6.          Visit Zurich.

7.          See Mont St. Michelle with Eric & Erin.  

8.          See Vatican City, Sistine Chapel, the Coliseum.

9.          Travel in Italy with dad.

10.      Go to Berlin & see holocaust museum & concentration camps. 

11.      See the Pyramids

12.      Luxor & Karnak.

13.      Alexandria.

14.      Road trip through Europe if contract ends.

Adventure

1.          Run Koln Marathon.

2.          Scuba dive in the Red Sea.

3.          Run Rome Marathon with dad.

4.          Do a triathlon.

5.          Run a 50 mile ultra-marathon.

6.          Go to a Yoga course for a month in an Ashram in India.

7.          Ski in the Alps for a week.

Unique

13.      See Wicked.

14.      See David Sedaris.

15.      Visit HP Studios.

16.      Be positive, patient & grateful.

17.      Be in love & be a good partner.

Five-Year Goals

Self Improvement

1.          Get really good at snowboarding.

2.          Practice Buddhism.

3.          Do CrossFit regularly.

4.          Go Rock Climbing more.

5.          Learn to lucid dream better.

6.          Become fluent in another language.

7.          Learn how to play guitar or piano.

8.          Learn how to ride horses well.

9.          Learn Krav Maga.

10.      Transit mainly via bicycle.

11.      Grow a successful veggie/herb garden.

Career

1.          Work in L&D for a year.

2.          Go to school to become a Certified Nurse Midwife.

3.          Volunteer/work in a third world country.

4.          Teach prenatal Yoga.

5.          Write a Book.

Travel

1.          Go to Burning Man.

2.          Go on at least one float trip per year.

3.          Do a ton of travel/adventuregoals: S. & Central America if living in the US; Africa, Asia & Europe if living in Europe.

Adventure

1.          Run a 100 mile ultra-marathon.

2.          Hike the Colorado Trail

3.          Learn how to surf.

4.          Do an Ironman.

5.          Go camping often.

6.          Learn survival skills.

7.          Learn archery.

8.          Go skydiving.

9.          Climb Mt. Rainier.

10.      Holi Color Festival

11.      5K Color Run

12.      Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

13.      Climb Kilimanjaro

14.      Do a Tough Mudder Run. 

15.      Parasailing.

16.      Swim with dolphins.

17.      Go whale watching.

18.      Go dog sledding.

19.      Hangliding

20.      Sky Diving.

21.      Hot Air Balloon

22.      Ride an Elephant

23.      Comic-Con

24.      Olympics

Unique

1.          Be part of a flashmob.

2.          Do plays in community theatre.

3.          Go to Ladd family retreats.

4.          Play Capture the flag as an adult.

Life List

Self-Improvement

1.          Learn how to forage for food.

2.          Get better at Yoga.

3.          Write my practice novel.

4.          Write a book.

5.          Become fluent in another language.

6.          Learn to lucid dream better.

7.          Learn how to play guitar or piano.

8.          Learn Krav Maga.

9.          Read more poetry/classics.

10.      Listen to more classical music.

11.      Learn how to use a bow and arrow.

12.      Learn survival skills.

13.      Grow a successful herb/veggie garden.

14.      Do a pull-up.

15.      Learn how to paint.

16.      Grow a veggie garden.

17.      Grow an herb garden.

18.      Learn to cook. 

19.      Learn to cook vegetarian.

20.      Learn to cook vegan.

21.      Ride a bicycle regularly for transportation.

22.      Learn how to play ultimate Frisbee.

23.      Be in plays throughout highschool.

Regular Practices

1.          Yoga 3-4 times per week.

2.          Exercise minimum 5x per week.

3.          Go camping at least 3x/year.

4.          Eat clean.

5.          Transit mainly via bicycle.

6.          Go to Crossfit regularly.

7.          Live simply & authentically.

8.          Rockclimb more.

9.          Go on at least one float trip per year.

10.      Do a play in community theatre at least once every few years.

11.      Stay in shape for forever.

12.      Read more about & practice Buddhism.

Career

1.          Work in L&D for one year.

2.          Go to school and become a nurse midwife.

3.          Be part of a nurse midwife practice.

4.          Publish a book.

5.          Work/Volunteer in a third world country.

6.          Stay at an ashram in the Himalayas for a month and become a Yoga teacher.

7.          Teach prenatal yoga.

8.          Get my bachelors degree.

9.          Get my RN license.

10.      Work as a student nurse tech.

11.      Work at a college research lab.

Travel

1.          Travel through Australia         

2.          Travel through New Zealand

3.          Travel through Central America

4.          Ancient Incan Ruins – Macchu Piccu.

5.          Ancient Mayan Ruins.

6.          Travel through South America

7.          Pacific NW – Portland/Seattle

8.          Alaska

9.          Hawaii

10.      Travel through Asia

11.      Travel through Africa

12.      South Africa – Capetown

13.      Galapagos Islands

14.      Great Wall of China

15.      North and/or South Pole

16.      Rome & Vatican City

17.      Eat pizza in Italy

18.      Visit the Blue Grotto.

19.      Sweden

20.      Denmark

21.      Circumnavigate the globe.

22.      Ireland

23.      Scotland

24.      Northern Lights

25.      Redwood Forest

26.      Crete – Palace of Knossos & 27 mile mountain race.

27.      Go to Berlin & see holocaust museum & concentration camps. 

28.      See Stonehenge.

29.      See the Pyramids.

30.      Wine tour in Bordeaux.

31.      Go to Bath in England.

32.      Stay in the Ice Hotel.

33.      San Francisco.

34.      Go to all 7 continents.

35.      Pompeii.

36.      Cherry Blossoms in Japan.

37.      Go into space. 

38.      Istanbul.

39.      Cairo.

40.      Roadtrip through central/eastern Europe with Paul after contract ends.

41.      See the Statue of Liberty.

42.      Niagara Falls.

43.      Spain

44.      Greece (Athens – Acropolis) & Islands (Santorini)

45.      Float on the Rhine River

46.      Portugal

47.      Germany

48.      Ski in the alps.

49.      Traverse from France to Switzerland over the Alps via snowboard.

50.      See Paris, the Eiffel tower & Versailles.

51.      Go to Amsterdam.

52.      Go to Oktoberfest

53.      Successfully gambled in Las Vegas.

54.      See broadway shows in NYC, eat fresh bagels, go to Little Italy & see Rockefeller Plaza at Christmas. 

55.      See Hampton Palace (Henry VIIIs last standing home)

56.      See Canterbury, England.

57.      Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Old Faithful.

58.      Grand Canyon.

59.      See all of the important sights in Washington DC.

60.      Jamaica.

61.      Key West.

62.      Cape Cod

63.      Disney World

64.      Disney Land

65.      White Sands, New Mexico

66.      California

67.      Sedona, Arizona

68.      Centennial, Wyoming

69.      Savannah Georgia.

70.      See the Chateauxs in the Loire Valley (Chambord, Chenonceau & Villandry).

71.      Have a bratwurst in Frankfurt.

72.      Have Paella in Valencia.

73.      See the sunset from the Sacre Couer in Montmartre.

74.      Ouray, Colorado.

75.      Indian Burial mounds in Iowa

76.      White Cliffs of Dover

77.      Heidelberg Christmas Market – Had Gluhwein.

78.      Charles Dickens Christmas Festival and Market in Rochester, England.

79.      Brussels

80.      Bruges – Disney Ice Sculpture Festival.  Slid down a slide made of ice.

81.      Went skiing in Garmisch.

82.      Saw & hiked around Neuschwanstein

83.      Monet’s House & Garden at Giverny

84.      Pere Lachaise

85.      Went to Barcelona and saw the church and a Gaudy house/park.

86.      Villers La Ville Abbey

Adventure

1.          Hike the Colorado Trail

2.          Climb Kilimanjaro

3.          Climb Rainier

4.          Travel to Everest Base Camp

5.          Run a 50 mile ultra.

6.          Run a 100 mile ultra.

7.          Get really good at snowboarding.

8.          Hike up an active volcano.

9.          Do a triathlon.

10.      Do an Ironman.

11.      Learn to surf.

12.      Learn to sail.

13.      Raft down Colorado River.

14.      Trek through the Amazon Rainforest.

15.      Explore Amazon River.

16.      See the Nile River.

17.      Climb Mt. Fuji.

18.      Climb Mt. Vesuvius.

19.      Scuba the Great Barrier Reef.

20.      Scuba in the Red Sea.

21.      Scuba in Fiji.

22.      Fly in a hot air balloon.

23.      Ride an elephant.

24.      Skydive.

25.      Hike the Grand Canyon.

26.      Hangliding.

27.      Parasailing.

28.      Swim with dolphins.

29.      Go whale watching.

30.      Go dog sledding.

31.      Float in the dead sea.

32.      Ride a camel in the Sahara Desert

33.      Fly a glider/plane (just for a minute)

34.      Dance all night in Ibiza.

35.      Go on a Safari.

36.      Do a 5K Color Run.

37.      Do a Tough Mudder Run. 

38.      Do an epic transcontinental train ride. 

39.      Experience Zero-Gravity.

40.      Ride a horse alone on a trail through the woods.

41.      Run the Koln Marathon.

42.      Run the Rome Marathon with dad.

43.      Rockclimb in Kalymnos.

44.      Climb Pike’s Peak.

45.      Scuba dive a shipwreck.

46.      Rockclimb 14 pitch climb.

47.      Run a half marathon.

48.      Run a marathon.

49.      Birthday float trips.  

50.      Jump off cliffs into the water.

51.      White water rafting.

52.      Jump off Ropes into the water.

53.      Swim underneath a waterfall.

54.      Ride a horse on the beach.

55.      Eat a fresh coconut chopped down while hiking.

56.      Learn about Jamaican herbal medicine from a guide.

57.      Learn to kayak.

58.      Kayak out to an island to watch fireworks.

59.      Take a three month road trip by myself through the US.  

60.      Ski since age 4 and learn to ski moguls.

61.      Stay in a house in Savannah Georgia and play in the Ultimate Frisbee field/beach tournament.

62.      Live on a boat for a couple of weeks.

63.      Pick apples at an orchard.

64.      Drive a Jet Ski.

65.      Learn how to wakeboard.

66.      Drive a Snow Mobile.

67.      Go Cross Country Skiing.

68.      Go to a topless beach

69.      Go to a nude beach

70.      Go to a European Spa.

71.      Hang out with a lemur on my shoulder/hand.

72.      Oberstdorf Half Marathon

73.      SHAPE Half Marathon

74.      Koln Half Marathon

75.      Take 35 mile bike rides along the Katy trail from Columbia to Cooper’s Landing.

76.      Ski at Vail.

Unique things

1.          Play capture the flag as an adult.

2.          Perform music on stage (not Karaoke)

3.          Be part of a flash mob.

4.          Live/work on a family farm for a few weeks.

5.          Have a dog again. 

6.          Have fruit trees/bushes.

7.          Have a fireplace.

8.          Have a sunny window seat.

9.          Have a hammock/porch swing.

10.      Have a big role in a musical.

11.      See Cirque du Soleil

12.      See Wicked. 

13.      See David Sedaris speak.

14.      Visit HP Studios.

15.      Go to the Moulin Rouge & see a show.

16.      Work as a barista in a local coffee shop.

17.      Be a bartender.

18.      Go Paintballing.

19.      Work at a fancy restaurant and learn about food and wine.

20.      Make my own pasta.

21.      Be in a Parade – True/False.

22.      Be in a commercial (El Paso)

23.      Race my car on the highway.

24.      Drive on the autobahn.

25.      Go to a corn maze.

26.      Watch Charlie Brown at Ragtag before Christmas.

Events

1.          New Orleans for Mardi Gras

2.          Burning Man

3.          Olympics

4.          Day of the Dead in Mexico

5.          Holi Color Festival

6.          Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

7.          Go to Comic-Con

8.          Tomatina Festival in Spain.

9.          Have an all access pass to True/False film festival

Love & Family

1.          Give birth.

2.          Have two children at least.

3.          Be an exceptional mother.

4.          Always be in love.

5.          Be a good partner.

6.          Be positive, patient and grateful.  

7.          Get married. 

8.          Go to Ladd family retreat every couple of years.

9.          Find the one and fall madly in love.

10.      Put a love lock on the bridge in Koln.

11.      Have an amazing group of friends.

12.      Be an active part of my community.

Service

1.          Volunteer with marine mammals.

2.          Help friends do what they want with their lives.

3.          Work as a midwife in a third world country.

4.          Mentor other midwives/nurses/nursing students.

5.          Volunteer at a Children’s Hospital.

6.          Volunteer at a therapeutic equine center for people with autism.

7.          Spend time at a homeless shelter.

8.          Work at the VA.

Places to Live

1.          In a Ski town.

2.          Boston or New York.

3.          In a small, cozy efficient house.

4.          In a hut or treehouse.

5.          In the mountains.

6.          On an Island.

7.          Live in Europe for at least a year.