My Life List

I love writing lists. Grocery lists. To-do lists. Alphabetical lists. Pros and cons lists. Ranking lists. There I go, listing. Even as a child, I wrote lists. What's there to do on a to-do list as a child you may ask? It didn't have to be a to-do list. I listed out all the types of horses I remembered reading in the encyclopedia. I listed all the colors I could dream of. My poor brothers were roped into this listing game I created. We'd list and list until we could think of no more and then compare our lists. Yes, I'm also the type of person who will write something on a list I already completed to smile in satisfaction from crossing it off. 

Below is my life list. It isn't a "35 Things to Do Before I'm 35" because deadlines make me go into crazy-must-get-this-done mode. There isn't an expectation to cross everything off. There isn't rhyme or reason to the order. It's a list of my wishes, my hopes, my dreams. It's a list of experiences. It's a list to look back on and think, "oh yeah! I want to get on that" or maybe even "oh dear, what was I thinking?!"

1. Get married. (June 12, 2010)
2. Be a Mom. (working on this one...crossing off in February 2013!)
3. Breastfeed. (will get to this one, see #2)
4. Take a week long trip with my closest girl friends.
5. Start a blog. (Edible Thoughts born on June 2, 2011)
6. Visit Alaska before it melts.
7. Nurture a flower and vegetable garden. (My husband is really the one with the green thumb but I help... Started May 2010)
8. Have an art studio.
9. Own a baby grand piano. (Mom and Dad, you're still holding on to my piano until we get a bigger house right?)
10. Go to graduate school and study something I'm passionate about. (2009-Completed Master of Public Health in Nutrition from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and passed exam as a Registered Dietitian)
11. To live in the same city as a sibling, a cousin, and/or a close girl friend; or at least be within driving distance (3 hours max including traffic).
12. Be an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
13. Try glassblowing. (October 2011-Made Christmas ornaments)
14. Successfully host a multi-course home-cooked meal for at least 6 people.
15. Hang up my paintings for an art show.
16. Eat my way through Italy.
17. Explore Turkey.
18. Take a ceramics class.
19. Perfect the art of traditional Taiwanese boba.
20. Own a sewing machine. (January 2012).
21. Inspire a stranger.
22. Take a spontaneous road trip.
23. Design and build a home with my husband.
24. Write a story telling cookbook.
25. Own/Share a beach house.
26. See family in Taiwan at least once every 5 years (last trip was May 2010).
27. Spend a long weekend on Mackinac Island, Michigan.
28. Study food anthropology.
29. Attend an organized personal growth retreat (Elevate Mastermind).
30. Be a small business owner (actually I never dreamed I would do this but now that is has happened, I'm enjoying the ride and definitely think it makes the list!). (Etsy shop opened May 1, 2012).

This is a list to start, stay tuned for updates! What's on your Life List? 

Inspired by Molly Mahar.