And so, it begins...

     

     So here's the deal:  I was recently inspired by a friend and fellow blogger (insert the wonderful, "Noel" here) who embarked on a really cool year-long challenge, to complete a list of 30 challenges before turning 30 next month.  <Check out her really awesome and inspiring blog, here.> Her list includes fun to-do's like, "raising a basil plant named Kyle", to more hard-core challenges such as "writing and directing her own short film and submitting it to a film festival".  Since joining her blog, I've been hooked on the idea of making my own special list of year-long challenges.  I've always loved the idea of the so-called "bucket list", but feel that an on-going list of yearly challenges (not resolutions) seems more appropriate for "living in the moment". After all, our bucket lists can tend to get pretty long at some point, and we may find that if we keep adding to that same list- year after year, never actually doing any of the things we hope to "someday" do, we'll be ready to 'kick the bucket' before those dreams and wishes have been fulfilled!
     Now, you may be wondering what the difference is between yearly challenges such as these, and the more infamously known: New Years Resolutions.  I like to think of it like this... Ten years from now, when I look back at a specific milestone in my life, be it turning age 25, 30, 50, or 80, I'll remember what wonderful experiences I had then, and which goals I accomplished during that time.  Whereas I find that many times, my New Years Resolutions tend to become redundant (lose 10 pounds, exercise everyday, etc) and fade into an after-thought by the time February rolls around!
     And so, it begins-- I crossed the big 2-5 milestone of my life yesterday, and I have chosen 5 special challenges of my own for my 25th year!  But before I begin, I would just like to say that my little list of 5 challenges are minuscule compared to the 30 life-changing challenges of my friend, Noel.  I owe her a heartfelt "thank you" for inspiring me to embark on a journey of lifelong challenges for myself!  May we each live each day to its fullest, each year at its finest, living in each moment fearless and free... and happy as can be!  

~Fab "5" of My 25th~

1. run a half-marathon (and a full one if I'm feeling rough, tough and ready... which is not likely.)
2. read the Bible through, in its' entirety (because I find something new, Every. Single. Time.)
3. make a "thus-far" scrapbook of my life (complete with photos, newspaper clippings, etc)
4. select/ read 50 of the "100 greatest novels of all time"(Austen, Dumas, Steinbeck- the works!)
   
5. journey to the remaining states I've yet to visit (I'm half-way there!)

Let the fun begin!  Here's to a wonderful 25th year.