31 Fun Things for All My 31 Years

 Cheering on Kentucky!! 🙂

My birthday was on Wednesday. I turned 31-years-old. It’s hard to believe. No, I don’t feel any older. Not even a little bit. In some ways, I feel like my life just begun a few years ago.

I was trying to think up something fun to post on my birthday, but didn’t come up with much other than a photoblog sort of thing. I thought it’d be fun to pick out a “crowning moment”, if you will, for each of my 31 years, but then I figured that would be extremely difficult to do, especially since I don’t remember all of them with accuracy, and I don’t remember some at all. So instead, I’m just going to give you 31 things I’ve done or experienced that I think was either really cool, unusual, or that I’m particularly proud of.

1. I have seen a meteor shower. I actually stayed all night out on a trampoline at a country house so I could see it. It was on my bucket list. 🙂

2. When I was in high school, I won 2 outstanding citizen awards. Not really sure what that meant, but it was pretty stinkin’ cool, because for one of them, I was one of 3 chosen.

3. I have secretly given a flower to a stranger. This was pretty cool. I have no idea what the outcome was. It happened when I was in college. I had walked to the grocery store to get a few things, including a single rose, just because I thought it was pretty. When I got home I realized I had payed for but forgotten the flower. At the store I had noticed a disabled man sitting in a wheelchair outside. I can’t remember if he was missing just one or both of his legs, but he looked really sad. I didn’t want to go back to the store to get the rose, so I called the store, told them what happened, and asked that they give the rose to the man outside. I’m really not sure if they actually did it, but I sure hope they did.

4. I have self-published a book of poetry. This is something I had been wanting to do for years, ever since I had a poem published in an anthology just after I graduated high school. I just wanted a book of my poetry. I didn’t care if it was published by myself or someone else or if anyone bought it or not. I wanted it for myself. So the month after my divorce was final, my book was also completed and mailed to me. I’ve even sold several copies and have it in a couple libraries. Here’s the link if you’d like to check it out.

5. I have performed on the Chicago Bears’ field. That was pretty cool. Those guys are HUGE!

6. I have touched a dolphin.

7. I have fired a gun.

8. I have driven a tractor (a big one) AND ridden on a combine.

9. I have hitchhiked on a motorcycle. It’s really a funny story and it was only for about 7 miles, but it totally freaked my mom out.

10. I have gone up inside a lighthouse in Washington state. That was so cool! I had to hike 5.5 miles there and back on a sandy spit and even got to see a seal in the ocean on the way back. This was also on my bucket list.

11. I have seen my artwork hanging in a gallery.

12. I have been given the incredible gift of motherhood. Love it!

13. I taught my brother how to drive a 5-speed. That was pretty awesome.

14. I have seen young girls consider abortion, until they see a sonogram of their baby and change their minds.

15. I have done open-air evangelism in Daytona and Boston, which gave me some of the most memorable experiences of my life, including having a homeless man sing to me.

16. I have hand-fed a deer in Colorado.

17. I have been caught in quicksand while playing in a creek.

18. I have moved 2300 miles away from everyone and everything I knew.

19. I have been in the Arch in St. Louis more than enough times.

20. I have bought and sold a house.

21. I have remodeled a house.

22. I have been snorkeling in the Bahamas.

23. I have been down a 2-story slide. That was amazing!!! I love the City Museum in St. Louis!!

24. I have been to a pool party in someone’s living room. I’m still not sure how they got the water back out.

25. I have ridden a camel, an elephant, and a horse.

26. I have given blood, even though I’m terrified of needles and nearly pass out.

27. I have homeschooled my daughter.

28. I was the first in my family to graduate from college.

29. I created an art program at a private school and taught it.

30. I went to college for art, but I taught myself to knit and crochet in about 2 months. I’ve been doing it for about 2 years.

31. I think one of the things that I’m most excited about or proud of is that I’ve seen people’s lives touched through the telling of my experiences. I’ve been able to help and encourage others. That’s one of the best feelings there is.

There it is. 31 fun things from my life thus far. I have so many things that I still want to do. I want to travel, write and illustrate a children’s book, write an autobiography of some sort, get my artwork into galleries again, and ride a unicycle, among others. I’d also really like to have tea with the Queen of England, but that will probably never happen. Oh, well. 🙂