Bucket List

We've all got 'em. Here's mine:

1. See Niagara Falls

2. Hold a monkey

3. Boat through Lake Powell/see the sculpted rock in that area

4. Attend Burning Man

5. Meet a dolphin

6. Live by the ocean

7. Start over alone in a new city

8. Live in Italy

9. Pay for a house in cash

10. Drive across the United States (or another country) and document it

11. Ride in a hot air balloon

12. Bike through Ireland with my best friend

13. Chase a tornado

14. Go whale-watching

15. Learn to play the drums

16. See the pyramids

17. Find and define truth I can live by

18. Learn to drive a stick shift

Stuff that wasn't on my bucket list that I did anyway:

1. Perform in a circus

2. Play with an octopus

3. Write a musical

4. Attend a hot air balloon festival

Secrets of Adulthood

I'm in the process of compiling my list of what Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project calls "Secrets of Adulthood." They're personal rules of living --- principles that aid happiness and personal success. I'll be updating my list as needed and encourage you to start one of your own.

1. Have something non-human to nurture. Cats, plants, injured birds, whatever's available. Get the satisfaction of taking care of something without the human drama and complications.

2. A good boss equals a happier life.

3. Stay out of debt.

4. Tip well. (I got this advice from an automatic writing session and it stuck with me.)

5. Always have a project in the works.

6. Always have something to look forward to.

Housekeeping/Blog recommendation

Putting the experiments on hold for a bit. They're lots of fun but I have an insane Tuesday/Thursday workload and most of my free time is spent either working on or recovering from it.

However, I'll keep blogging on topics I find interesting.

One of them is asexuality. There's quite a bit online about it but I'm particularly enjoying this blog. It's about asexuality from a teenage perspective, and there's something very fresh and appealing about it. I can't necessarily say I understand where she's coming from --- I'm very sexual and identify strongly with womanhood --- but it's interesting to read about, particularly coming from someone so young and self-aware.