Many things have changed in my life over these past few years since I've written here. Very many things. I've thought about restarting the blog a time or two, always had plenty of thoughts to write about, but never got much farther than writing a draft, getting distracted, and never posting anything. Even with those drafts, I kept thinking that the blog title, Living the Other Side of the World, still fit. If I wasn't in Afg, then I was trying to work on a relationship where we were on opposite sides of the world. That relationship is no longer, but what about the side that I'm trying to live now? It's so vastly different from what I thought it would be in my younger years that it still is the "other side of the world" in a way. Truthfully, I can't even really define how it's different, I only know that it is. This is now how I pictured my life when I was 10. I'm not even sure if I comprehended this point when I was 10. So many children I know have a clear direction of where they want their lives to end up. Not to say that direction will always pan out, and even having direction might be a downfall for those kiddos who can't handle a change of plans well, but they have an idea. I didn't. I still don't. Oh, I have ideas. Visions. Plans. But how? When?
Sounds like an invite to do some exploration.
My grandma died a few weeks ago. It feels like only a couple of days. It was really quick and sudden and unexpected. Sure, she was almost 93. Some consider that to be officially old. All I know is that one day she and I were still discussing where we'd be celebrating our birthday dinner and the next day she was gone. The moment I heard that she died, I decided that I didn't want to celebrate my birthday this year. It wasn't right without her. For the past month or so I've been thinking about the fact that this is my last year of my 30s. I wanted to have a list of some things that I really wanted to get done before I hit 40. I'll admit, there is not one single thing on this list that I can't do in my 40s, but the point is to be more aware of the passing (ridiculously quick passing, mind you) of time and the fact that our days are numbered. I've always been painfully aware of how fleeting life is and I really want to ensure that I'm able to get all out of it that I can while I can. I decided that I wanted to have 39 or 40 items on this list and that I want to aim to dedicate them to my grandma's memory and her beautiful life.
Sounds like an invite to do some exploration.
My grandma died a few weeks ago. It feels like only a couple of days. It was really quick and sudden and unexpected. Sure, she was almost 93. Some consider that to be officially old. All I know is that one day she and I were still discussing where we'd be celebrating our birthday dinner and the next day she was gone. The moment I heard that she died, I decided that I didn't want to celebrate my birthday this year. It wasn't right without her. For the past month or so I've been thinking about the fact that this is my last year of my 30s. I wanted to have a list of some things that I really wanted to get done before I hit 40. I'll admit, there is not one single thing on this list that I can't do in my 40s, but the point is to be more aware of the passing (ridiculously quick passing, mind you) of time and the fact that our days are numbered. I've always been painfully aware of how fleeting life is and I really want to ensure that I'm able to get all out of it that I can while I can. I decided that I wanted to have 39 or 40 items on this list and that I want to aim to dedicate them to my grandma's memory and her beautiful life.
Oh my gosh she is so adorable. And thank you, Munch, for capturing her so perfectly in this pic.
Anyway, as I was starting to draw up this list, I decided two more things. I would blog about them and document every step of the process, and I would throw one dang cool party for myself and for my friends and family when I turn 40. Life is going by too quickly, but that doesn't mean that we can't take advantage of every little moment. I try to do that. Now I want to have some bigger, more intentional moments.
Some of these items on the list are very grandma-specific, such as learning to knit or crochet and tackling some of her recipes. Others are things that I've been putting off for years like taking surf lessons and white-water rafting. There are a few that are age-specific. I need to get a retirement account going that is not dependent on a place of employment. Why have I not done that? I guess I can be thankful that I have contributed something to my future, but how about getting it together all by myself, huh? I also want to read some of those "These books will change your life" books. A few of the items are just things that have been chilling on my life list for a while and I'm using this as a reason to get crackin' on that list. As I mentioned before, these can still be done in my 40s, as one of my dear friends pointed out to me yesterday, but if I keep saying that I'll do them next year then I'll never do them!
While drawing up my little list, I consulted a few websites with suggestions of things to do before turning 40. I was thrilled to see that I have already done many of their recommendations. I can safely say that I feel like I have had a rich and fulfilling life. I've done skydiving, travelled abroad, learned about different cultures, spoken in front of audiences, gone to a religious service for something outside of my religion, and generally stepped outside of my comfort zone in many ways. I am so grateful for all of my opportunities and experiences. Now it's just a matter of being aware of these years as they pass and not letting any desires go unanswered.
My list is at 19 right now. Any suggestions for a few more important activities?
