26 for 26

UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 25, 2016
I think I did pretty good. I only missed out on six, and there is still time.

Originally Posted: October 2, 2015
As I embark on yet another year in a new place, I was thinking of what I would like to accomplish this year. In no particular order, here are my goals to complete by October 1st, 2016.

1. Run at least a 10k race
2. Deploy nationally - LA floods
3. Snowboard at least once - It was AMAZING
4. Hike at least twice - Bear Mountain, w/Ciku in DC and in PA.
5. Attend a big parade in NYC - so many parades! Thanksgiving Day, Memorial, Pride Festival, FDNY, and more!
6.  Travel out of country (or at least have it booked!)
7. Learn to do something new (enroll in a class?) I did learn a lot of new things even if I didn't enroll in a class
8. Take one of those painting classes (wine and pallet)
9. Volunteer at a big race - NY Marathon! and Brooklyn Half Marathon
10. See a live concert (can be small) - Pandora Music Festival, tons of live music, Americana Festival, etc
11. Tour the 9/11 museum and memorial - when my parents visited we toured, now I have a pass
12. Tour the United Nations
13. Kayak the Hudson - only once and it was just what I needed
14. Take part in a snowball fight
15. Earn a rank in any martial arts or start my own class
16. Date
17. Have a picnic - I always pack food when I hike
18. Go up state at least once - when Glenn visited, we went all over the place from upstate to CT to MA. Everywhere!
19. Have someone visit me! - AmeriFriends passing through, my mom on a layover, Glenn, friends on layovers, my parents, Ciku!
20. Try the pizza place Hollis told me to try - it is closed down. :(
21. Climb to the top of Lady Liberty
22. Re-sign my contract with work - I still can't believe I'm no longer in servic year terms
23. Buy a real bed - my new place came with one
24. Visit all 5 boroughs - often through the Red Cross but nonetheless, I feel well versed in my community
25. Attempt to have a house plant or herb - RIP aloe plant. Stay strong bamboo shoot.
26. Tour a firehouse - maybe it wasn't a tour but I did volunteer inside one

What are your goals?

Growing up and chasing feelings

So much of my life has been about setting goals, SMART goals to be exact. It is what do I want and how do I achieve it.  After turning down an interview with the Peace Corps (what a reverse scenario in my book) I think I've come to notice a transition; there are words missing from my internal questions.

It is not, "what do I want?"

It is, "what do I want to feel?"

It is not, "how do I achieve it?"

It is, "how do I achieve the feeling long term?"

When I began my job hunt, I was looking for not just a position or a place but a culture. I wanted to feel empowered, encouraged and home. I have to admit, it's a bit trickier to search for a culture than it is a position. It was worth the the persistence.

Though I am saddened and even disappointed with the Peace Corps, I know I am where I need to be. I have a place that reminds me of the culture of Eagle Rock (CO) the empowerment and familiarity of the Red Cross (OK) and the sense of being just enough out of my comfort zone to grow, as I was in Michigan. 

Service, just like growing up, is not a destination but a feeling that embodies me. It is in everything I think, everything I say and my daily actions.

My next goal is to feel enlightened and calm and cool as a cucumber.

What do you want to feel?

.