My roots have grown but I don't know where they are

Twenty-eight is creeping even faster to that ominous 30 mark than it was last year.  A lot of things are unnervingly the same as they were a year ago – namely, that “what does the world want of me” feeling – but, quite clearly, a lot has changed too.  (New blog, new location, new new new.)

My predictions that life sorts itself, that a new adventure would be defined, and that 27 would be wonderful were spot on. Grad school – done. New job – got it. Living in India for a year and growing in truly unexpected ways – who would have guessed?

Some of my favorite things:

Fabulous sunsets

Monkeys

New friends

But still, how do I know if all this movement is taking me the right way?

Thankfully, I found this fabulous list: 30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She is 30.  This discovery was a thrilling comfort.  It gives me a benchmark! I can know if I’m living life right!

I’m only kind of kidding here, y’all.

I am a woman who made a “Things to do in life” list when she was 22, fresh out of college; who has kept that same list despite all the life-course-shifts she’s taken; and who periodically monitors it for completion, marking the date of achievement for tasks accomplished.

What?  You don’t track your life successes as if life were a social program to be managed?

I swear I’m not crazy, y’all.  I’m just a little . . . ok, I’m still trying to justify this behavior in a way that doesn’t seem crazy.  I’m leaning toward ‘internally competitive’ or ‘intrinsically motivated’ – how does that sound?

Anyway, point is, I like lists. Marking things off lists is hugely satisfying.  And it’s always nice to know when you’ve achieved something.  (No matter how subjective that something might be.)

So, in my typical fashion, I copied this 30-list to a Word document and went about checking off the things I feel I have accomplished, and noting the ones I have yet to complete.  

The good news is that I have more check marks than I thought I would.  The other news is that I still have some work to do and two years in which to do it...  More adventure/learning/seeing what life has to offer?  Fine, I’m ready for it.

Modern Hepburn

Thanks for all your birthday wishes, from near and far, and via every available communication mechanism.  I am so grateful to have support from so many various places.  Lots of love.