#12: Thinking about birthdays

I love birthdays.  Lots of people dislike birthdays because it reminds them that they're getting old (and people associate getting old with death which basically makes people associate birthdays with death and that's sad).  I think that its absolutely important to celebrate birthdays as the one day of the year to sit and reflect on all of the things that you did, accomplished, failed or succeeded at in that last year of your life.  Birthdays are an opportunity to gather as friends and families where for that one special day, you're allowed to be the center of attention and not worry about the other things that may be going on in your life. Birthdays are the best.  I love spending time with friends, I love presents (mostly finding that perfect gift for a friend and seeing the look on her face when she opens it), I love an excuse to dress up or go to that fancy restaurant that you've been wanting to try for ages.  I LOVE BIRTHDAYS.


I also love lists.  This lovely blogger wrote a list of 27 things to do before she turned 28 and more recently, 28 things to do before she turns 29.  I'm all about lists like this so I decided to write one as well.  I'm writing my list of 23 things to do before I turn 24 because there's no way I can do 22 things before I turn 23 in a month and a half so I'm looking ahead.  I started this blog with the intention of asking for help (it turns out, coming up with 23 things to do in a year is harder than I thought) but as I've typed this all up, I've thought of more things to do.  


1. Take a picture a day for a year (and blog about it here)
2. Get a really short haircut (Shaynah and I already have it planned)
3. Go to Washington D.C. for Liz's 21st birthday (to see our aunts and visit Peter!)
4. Move (either to Colorado or just out of the house)
5. Sky dive!
6. Pay off at least one of my student loans
7. Start a "Colorado Chalet" fund so someday I'll have enough money tucked away to buy that house
8. Wear more skirts and dresses... when the weather cooperates
9. Volunteer weekly
10. Have a mothers/daughters tea with the girls
11. Road trip!  I don't care where or with whom, I've just never done it
12. Photo shoot
13. Visit Colorado with someone fun
14. Get a tattoo
15. Father-Daughter date doing whatever my dad wants to do 
16. Make a quilt
17. Have another amazing dinner party
18. Make it to all of the Parasole restaurants in the Twin Cities (I may have to cheat a little and count visits starting now but technically, I'll still be doing them before I turn 24)- Manny's Steakhouse, Chino Latino, Salut Bar Americain, Muffuletta, Pittsburgh Blue Steakhouse, Good Earth, The Living Room, Prohibition, Burger Jones, Il Gatto, Uptown Cafeteria
19. Go camping, even if its just in the backyard
20. Catch a concert at First Ave
21. Find a drive in movie (and perhaps borrow someone's convertible for an extra awesome experience)
22. Go to the zoo!
23. Stop at the 5-8 Club for a Juicy Lucy (I've been craving one for months)


There you have it- what I think is a totally reasonable list of 23 things to do before I turn 24 (in the year 2012).  I'm excited.  :)


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Current craft: Scarves for soldiers.  I finished one in a day.  I'm moving on to #2 tomorrow.  You can find out more about where I got the inspiration here.
Picture of the week: Celebrating Allison's birthday with just the FAB FIVE at Paint Your Plate.  It was a wonderful day.