25

I did a lot of things on my birthday this year that I didn't even realize I wanted to do. For starters, I watched Shark Week. On a plane. As we flew through a storm. If you think thunderstorms are exciting and beautiful, catch one from above--the lightning in the clouds is both scary and majestic.

On the down side, because we were flying east, I only had a 23-hour birthday this year. I plan on making it up to myself by celebrating for the rest of the week. If sharks get the whole week, so do I.

I just checked my bucket list from last year, and I actually managed to do almost everything on it:

Replace watch battery and try out life as a watch-wearer : Did not complete. I still have my watch. The battery is still dead. Instead of becoming more aware of time I frequently separate myself from all clocks. I've nearly stopped using alarms in the morning. These things are okay with me.
Put loose pictures in frames or albums : Check. Now for my 25 bucket list, print out all (or most) of the pictures I have saved on my computer and on flash drives, then put those in albums.
Hang picture frames : Check.
Install curtains (Check! Did it today.) : Alright, so that was a freebie last year--I did it before making the list. This year we want to change the color scheme of our common areas, so we are looking for blue curtains.
Read about writing : Check. I even bought several books about writing, so I can read whenever I want.
Write : Check. I've reinvested in this blog, letting it shape itself. I have several pet projects I work on for fun. I wrote nearly every day last week while on vacation.
Turn the volume down on my inner critic : Possibly check. I've realized I may have more than one inner critic, and their tactics are different. I've come a long way in learning the cycles of criticism my body goes through, so we're getting there.
Arts and Crafts: Check.
Travel out of the country : Check. Also checked: travel to a new state.
Find my signature shade of lipstick : Did not complete. I'm an eye girl. I play up my intense blues; who cares about my lips?
Get a new laptop : Check.
Host a murder mystery party : Check times two. Next on the list, create our own murder mystery party from scratch.

What do I want to accomplish in the next year? I want to keep doing what I'm doing--traveling, reading, writing, exploring--along with several other things:

• Get bangs. It's time.
• Trick out my bike. Like with a chain that isn't nearly rusted through, maybe a milk crate and some bungee cords.
• Find health insurance. I'm almost 26, time to figure these things out.
• Be charitable. I want to support things that I support.
• Go camping or road tripping or just go big and jump trains.
• Think about going back to school (think...baby steps).
• Learn/improve my Spanish. I'm already enrolled in a beginner's class, here's hoping I retain something.
• Surround myself with love.