25 before 25

Welcome to 2015! 

That five looks so authoritative, like this year is guaranteed to be strong and firm for everyone.  A good sign of what's to come appeared to my family on the first of this year.  My dad traveled this holiday season so the mother-daughter trio went to New Year's Day brunch at the Blue Mesa Grill. Oooh, the food was delicious! While my momma and I were focused on our waffles and mimosas, a woman approached our table.  She said that she wanted to cover our brunch, in a small act of kindness, a pay it forward gesture.  We were so surprised and overwhelmed by her generosity. Brunch buffet for $20 per person is no small thing!  My family has experienced some not so pleasant moments, especially in the last quarter of this year. So to ring in the new year with such a beautifully positive and unexpected gesture speaks volumes. That five looks fierce for a reason! 2015 will be especially special.

A month ago, in the midst of all the 2014 round-ups, reflections and reviews posted and presented online and on television, I did not purposefully think about my 2014.  Outside of sweeping generalizations and transitions, 2014 was just cool. Nothing traumatic or devastating and nothing life-changing or amazing, but still blessed and with gratitude.  

Long ago, I had traded New Years resolutions for new year themes.  I kept the same theme for years: gorgeousness.  To me, to be gorgeous emcompasses everything: inner beauty, confidence, health and fitness. expressing myself in words, voice and style. To be gorgeous means to be strong and smart and fearless, even when fearful. I thought a theme was clever, but nothing was specific or explicit.  I don't even think I bothered with resolutions or themes in the last two years. Resolutions come as they come, whether that be at the beginning of a new job, a new semester of school, the summer or Black Friday.  It shouldn't matter when they happen.  If a change is gonna come and you want it to, it very well can come about.

Now, instead of a list of resolutions or a new theme (although gorgeousness will never go out of style), I've decided to create a 25 before 25 bucket list.  A few months after I turned 24, I read a Klassy Kinks post about the founder, Ijeoma's 24th birthday.  She solicited her readers for ideas for her 25 before 25.  And I thought "I should do that.  Why didn't I think to do that?"  But I let time pass by, unable to think of 25 things I would and could do before next August. And now I've cheated myself out of four months.  I've got less than 8 months to inspire change and challenge my comfort zone before I reach that mid-twenties mark.  I still can't believe I'm this old.  Sometimes I give the wrong age when asked and then immediately realize "Oops, I'm actually not 23 anymore." 

Let's get to work

Well, here they are.  Maybe I should have counted one of the 25 things as "Think of 25 things," because it has essentially taken me four months to come up with this bucket list (and most in the last 30 minutes).  Tsk tsk.  

1. Learn enough conversational Igbo to say something more than odimma and kedu (I'm serious and I've already got the iPhone apps to show a lil' somethin' lol) 
2. Treat my parents to a nice dinner (somehow I've never done this)
3. Run a 5k
4. Get the flu vaccine
5. Sing to an audience (karaoke counts)
6. Learn how to change a tire 
7. Learn how to cornrow my hair (or flat-twist in any direction)
8. Find and reach out to a professional mentor (eek!)
9. Fortify bridges (as opposed to burning them): connect to colleagues regularly
10. Be okay speaking in front of people (Toastmasters maybe?)
11. Read at least five novels for leisure
12. Relearn how to cook stew
13. Get stronger (i.e. perform more than 5 push-ups non-stop)
14. Visit half of the museums in Houston's Museum District (there are A LOT)
15. Post on this blog at least twice per month
16. Perfect one makeup look
17. Address my edges (i.e. what exactly am I supposed to do with this thick castor oil?)
18. Learn how to cook five new meals
19. Learn how to swim 
20. Become certified in first aid and CPR
21. Attend a conference or convention (for public health or blogging or faith or cultural celebration or whatever)
22. Figure out and write out a specific career goal (what, when, where, how and know the why)
23. Finish transcribing my grandfather's unfinished memoirs
24. Save $1000 (towards a camera and accessories or a trip)
25. Make a new friend, keep a new friend

Whew, done!  Cheers to the things on this bucket list!  I'll update along the way and I'll do my best to complete them all.  But since time is short and 2015 continues past my birthday, I think a little leeway would be acceptable.  Don't you?  

Happy New Year to all you beautiful people!