35 by 35

Rather than resolutions this New Year, I wrote a list of 35 things I want to do before I turn 35 in late August. Writing down these intentions was all inspired by my brave and adventurous friend Sarah, whose list of 100 New Things To Do in 2012 allowed me to go along on adventures I probably wouldn't have done on my own, like going to roller derby and drag queen bingo and riding the highest roller coaster at Cedar Point (it was terrifying, dizzying and exhilarating). Her list includes 100 things to do, but she aims to complete 52 - one for every week of the year. Very sensible. She allows time and space for the spontaneous, but also challenges herself to do some things that are out of her comfort zone.

My list doesn't match hers in terms of its level of adventure, but mine includes a lot of things to do that have been knocking around my brain for the last year or longer. It feels good to have them out of my head and out into this space. It'll feel even better to have done what I've wanted to do and clear some space in my head for new wishes before the end of the year. I've lived with my list for a week, have tweaked several things along the way, but now I'm ready to take this on:

1. See movies at 3 theaters I’ve never been to: the DIA, the Old Redford, and the Ford Drive-In
2. Grab coffee at the Motor City JavaHouse
3. Blog 50 photos I took on the Polaroid or Yashica cameras
4. Shoot and print a roll of double exposures with Matt
5. Shoot and print a roll of underwater photos
6. Fill an art journal with collages
7. Hike 100 trail miles
8. Attend the Quaker meeting in Detroit
9. Visit Port Austin
10. Go to the Monster Truck Rally at Ford Field
11. Workout at a trampoline gym
12. Hike in New Hampshire to celebrate my defense/graduation
13. Bike in Ontario
14. Finish 5 encaustic collages
15. Finish 8 craft projects I have started or planned
16. Learn to use my new serger
17. Buy something at John King Books
18. Finally go to the Detroit Soup
19. Finish decorating the bedroom
20. Hang our art and prints
21. Own a KitchenAid mixer
22. Practice yoga or meditation every day for a month
23. Tour the Rouge factory and visit the Henry Ford Museum again
24. Buy a last minute weekend flight and travel to a random city
25. Leave or find some art for Free Art Fridays
26. Scan my grandpa’s photos with my mom
27. Drive around Grosse Ile
28. Visit the National Museum of the American Indian in DC
29. Watch Marilyn with my grandma
30. Give my promised 20 hours at the Earthworks garden
31. Order 2 photos books and get into a Project Life habit
32. Buy new house plants and keep them alive
33. Spend 48 hours with no screen time
34. Plant berry bushes in the garden
35. Listen to all of the records I bought

My friend Elizabeth also has a list and I can't wait to help her complete a couple of her fun things. Doing this with friends makes it all the more fun. In fact, we already worked out a trampoline gym together this week!

Before I made this list, I did a lot of reflection on what I wanted out of 2013. I enrolled in Elise's I Choose e-course through Big Picture Classes, which got me thinking about the power of 30 day goals versus year long term goals. I'll be breaking some of these goals down monthly. I also enjoyed getting inspired by Andrea's 52 Lists. 

The list was also influenced by my choice of the word 'Grow' for my One Little Word in 2013. This is my fourth year of choosing a word to focus on for the year. My past words have been Move, Stretch and Make. In 2012, I would not have driven to Illinois to take an encaustics and photography class without the word 'Make' guiding me. Indulging myself in a weekend of learning a new art practice was a highlight of my year.

There are a lot of intentions behind my choice of 'Grow', but the initial reason was to push me to reconnect with green and growing places beyond our little garden. (I blogged so sparsely in 2012 that I never shared our garden photos. I'll have to do that soon, along with some Polaroid and medium format photos I shot on my birthday.) Since we moved to Detroit in 2010, it's been hard to get out into the woods. In Boston, the woods and trails were right down the street. Since this is my time and place for restoration, I'll be finding ways to make hiking a priority in 2013.

My instagram @wandercraft is set to private, but I'm happy to have you join me while I walk in the woods. I'm already tracking my trail miles with the hashtag #100trailmiles. Three miles down and 97 miles to look forward to in 2013.

If you have your own list or One Little Word, I'd love to read it.

P.S. Thanks to the list, I also hung some pictures tonight and set up my record player. Now..to figure out how to put the new needle on and work the thing!