(2021 Update: This post was aspirational, meaning I did some of it, but most…nope. Or at least not yet.)

In celebration of my birthday this year, I decided to set 55 challenges for myself. My basic guidelines are somewhat arbitrary: the challenges have to be something that would be out of my comfort zone or daily experience, something that I would need to deliberately choose to do. It could be something I know I should do but have been dragging my heels, or something that my internal dialogue kicks into overdrive rationalizing why I should/shouldn’t do that. Also, I have to be willing and able to do it alone, because….well…yea. And funds are limited enough that I’m not visiting Prague or flying to Seattle, as much as I’d like to. Last, I’m trying to hit a variety of categories of experiences.

Ultimately, there will be 55 things on the list, although there may be a few that I keep private. My contract does include a morals clause, after all! 🙂 As often as possible, video or photo documentation of completion will be posted…or so I intend now.

This is the beginning of my list, in no particular order:

1. Walk a 5k for the American Cancer Society in honor of my Grandfather.
2. Walk 2 miles in the local Alzheimer’s Walk in honor of my Grandma (and my aunt Nita)
3. Volunteer at a lock in for the church group
4. Get rid of ALL clothes I haven’t worn in a year, regardless of sentimental value.
5. Memorize a poem a month
6. Do 2 weeks of no added sugar diet
7. Go vegetarian for 2 weeks.
8. Go lower-tech/no social media for 2 weeks.
9. Go out dancing at least one night
10. Finish/polish a piece of writing, then publish it with Amazon
11. Sing in public, even if it’s just karaoke
12. Have professional photos taken of me
13. Clean out the garage of everything that’s not mine and things I don’t want to have to move
14. Same as 13 for basement (that’s a much smaller job)
15. Get a colonscopy
16. Chase a rainbow
17. Watch a sunrise and sunset in the same day
18. Take homemade cookies to nurses at a hospital
19. Hike on a Rails to Trails path
20. Make homemade salsa using as many homegrown ingredients as possible
21. Get a manicure/have my nails done
22. Learn to make excellent margaritas (or strawberry margaritas)  from scratch
23. Go to Lakeside for a day (depending on schedule)
24. Eliminate “busy” and “lazy” from my vocabulary and excuses
25. Learn Adobe Photoshop (or Illustrator) well enough that I can say I know how to use them
26. Read Anna Karenina
27. Read Moby Dick

For now, this is the beginning of my list. I will add (and if needed, trade out) ideas as needed–and I’m still looking for suggestions! My goal is to complete the list by my next birthday…I’m not sure that’s possible, but I’ve started working on it. And yes, as pedestrian as most of these look, most of them have some element of being out of my comfort zone or daily life.