My List

I made this list back in April. I started thinking about im upcoming graduation and was feeling directionless. So I made a list of things I wanted to help me get focused... It has been about five months, but I have already made some big changes/plans for my life.

I want to...

move back to Seattle... I would still love to live in Seattle, but I don't have the burning desire to get back anymore. Also, I wouldn't mind living in some place other than Seattle, like Portland, as long as I'm near the northwest.

have a place of my own... I would still love to have a place of my own. But my current living situation is pretty great. My roommates are clean and responsible and super considerate. My room is all mine, so it will do for now.

have a supportive network... I for sure have support in Seattle and Tucson. Sometimes I wish I had more support here in Flagstaff. I have people here I know care about me, but are often busy. I've been working on reaching out to a few people here, particular from my church group for support. So far so good.

work at jobs I love... I do love my jobs. I pretty much only babysit anymore and the families I sit for, I love. I'm supposed to start demonstrating pet food again, even though I hate it. The money is good though and the time commitment is very small. So it will be ok.

volunteer... I've done a little volunteering through XA. We went to a Soup Kitchen sort of deal. I'm really excited about JVC though. That will be a whole year of volunteer teaching. I can't wait.

work out regularly... Don't remind me. I haven't had the time or motivation since I started student teaching. It is starting to get to me too. I don't feel very good about myself these days, but who wants to wake up at 4am to work out?! I already wake up at 5:45am. And who wants to work out at 7:30pm after teaching and working all day? I need to find the time... but it may just have to wait till after student teaching.

travel... Maybe I will go to Rocky Point (Mexico) in a few weeks, but I have bigger and better things planned... Spain. Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Ireland, England, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy... the list goes on. 2008 should be a big travel year for me. If I could only get my family in Spain to respond to my emails and give me details!

have a routine... I love routine. I have a pretty good one now. Things get changed up here and there but for the most part I student teach from 7a-3p everyday then work after. As long as I can keep having a routine, I'll be happy.

cook at home... When I wrote these my living situation was very different than it is now. Now I can cook at home whenever I like. My roommates have great pots, pans, knives, and gadgets too which makes cooking more fun.

learn new things like French, dance, crew... I haven't learned much more French then when I made this list but I have been working on learning more Spanish. And since I have been teaching dance (folk and line) I have picked up a few things. I would love to take a class sometime but we will have to wait and see on that one.

coach... I haven't been doing any coaching but maybe in Spain or when I'm doing JVC I can find a team that needs some help.

go for walks in my neighborhood... This is very similar to the not working out thing. Plus it is getting super cold already. Brrrr.

read, real books, often... I'm doing this one. I read several books over the summer and am working on a couple right now. I missed reading and I'm glad I'm doing it again.

read the newspaper... I don't read the newspaper yet, well not really. On Monday's when I'm babysitting I read the Dear Abby section and the funnies. But that doesn't count as reading the paper.

spend time with my family... I do this when I can. But since I'm solo in Flag it isn't as often as I'ld like. I do talk to them all (immediate family that is) often on the phone though.

get pets, other then just fish... One of my roommates has to Boxers. But I don't have any pets. Since I have my Spain and JVC plans it wouldn't be responsible to get any pets for a few years, and I'm ok with that for now.

have furniture I like, that works together... The only furniture I have is for my bedroom and it all looks great together if I do say so myself (and I do). I love my bedroom. Everything else I'm selling, but my bedroom stuff I'm going to store for the next couple years.

take vacations... I'm hoping to get to Rocky Point in two weeks. Then Tucson for thanksgiving, Seattle for Christmas... I think I've got vacations covered for a while.

have adventures... This summer I went sky diving with friends, seakayaking with my mom, and rafting with my dad. Spain will be my next big adventure and I can't wait.

have a wardrobe I actually like... I do have clothes that I like, so that is good. I used to hate my clothes, but now they work. I am not spending any money on clothes either. I have what I need for now, my money can be spent on better things like backpacks, plane tickets...

have projects to work on like scrapbooks, home stuff... Most of the projects I have been working on have involved student teaching. I have also taken on selling all my things on Craigslist. I have some scrapbooking I want to get done, but I haven't pulled it out yet. But now that I remember... maybe I'll do that.

be respected and treated that way... For the most part this is true. Other than the occasional student, I can't think of a time I have been disrespected lately. Good.

be appreciated... When I wrote this list my relationship with my then boyfriend wasn't going so great. So the one about respect and appreciation really speak to that. I feel appreciated generally... but then again I don't have a boyfriend to worry about.

have intellectual conversations and have the occasional debate... I still don't get this one as often as I would like. But who has the time? This one will come eventually.

entertain at my home by having dinner party, game nights... I'm hosting a BBQ here this afternoon. So I can check this one off my list. If it goes well I'll have a game day in a month or so. We shall see.

Things are going very well and I am happy. I think about myself five months ago and I was very different. I'm happy now. And I'm going to be late for church if I don't hurry to get ready!