Thanks to inspiration from Christina Rosalie, who was the first person I read about putting together lists of this sort, and in honor of my 40th birthday, I decided to start developing annual birthday lists. I've always been a list-maker, and I've tended to keep sporadic lists of things I want to do, which often ended up misplaced in a journal or on a sticky note somewhere.

I know the formality here will help me — I'll cross items off as I do them, and you all can follow along (or play along, if you fit in somewhere). I'll post updates on the blog.

Oh, and one more thing: there's no rhyme or reason to the orders. I just added as they popped into my head.

• 43 Before 44 • 

Take a hand-lettering course • Eat outside on average two times a week • Do a Georgia O’Keeffe tour around New Mexico (Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, etc.) • Install and use an outdoor clothesline • Watch every episode of MASH • Read at least 100 books • Continue to refine Project 333 to my own version of a minimalist closet project, to include purchasing a few pieces of sustainable and ethical clothing • Attend the Santa Fe Opera • Visit Meow Wolf in Santa Fe • Hike Hanging Lake • Stay at the Beaumont Hotel in Ouray ... and hike Blue Lakes while there • Attend Judith Lasater’s Advanced Restorative Yoga teacher training • Choreograph a country line dance • Take a birding and/or bird banding class • Take a surfing lesson • Plan for and install "Garden 1.0" at new home • Begin planning "Garden 2.0" for 2018 • Get will and living will in order • Go off-the-grid, no-tech for an extended period of time • Learn to make pizza, Roman Villa-style • Keep up my #newrecipeaweek commitment • Learn to play an entire song on my ukelele • Plan my next international trip • See the sandhill crane migration in March/April 2018 • Go storm chasing • Go on a train trip • Visit Best Friends Animal Society in Utah • Plan and host at least four game nights with friends • Revive Soup Night • Learn to fix clothing (beyond sewing on buttons) • Plan for a fun photo shoot • Place freelance writing with at least five new publications (a mix of print and online) • Blog one to two times a week • Take a glass-blowing class • Visit a new-to-me monastery • Learn some fancy cake frosting skills • Stay overnight on a houseboat • Hike with Ollie and Stephen • Take a basic embroidery class • Train Finnegan to do a just-for-fun trick • Memorize a favorite poem • Begin a 'favorite poetry' journal • Wear a watch regularly to reduce my cell phone dependency

• 42 Before 43 • 

Visit Greece • Watch every episode of MASH • Read at least 90 books • Refine Project 333 to my own version of a minimalist closet project • Get will and living will in order • Attend a Switchbacks match • Attend the Santa Fe Opera • Do a Georgia O’Keeffe tour around New Mexico (Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, etc.) • Hike to Hanging Lake, as part of a larger summer/fall hiking goal (see next) • Stay at the Beaumont Hotel in Ouray … and hike Blue Lakes while there • Attend Judith Lasater’s Advanced Restorative Yoga teacher training • Be involved with a stage show (maybe a play, maybe a fashion show) in some way • Choreograph a country line dance (and see if Barb will teach it at Cowboys) • Attend a Soul Mechanics session at Ormao • Take a birding and/or bird banding class • Take French language lessons • Try surfing • Nurture a green thumb into existence (re: learn how to properly care for my indoor plants) • Learn to make pizza, Roman Villa-style • Learn to bake (not-just-quick) bread • Learn to make my own maraschino cherries (and a fancy cocktail to go with them) • Renew my #newrecipeaweek commitment • Perform at a poetry slam/open mic • Learn to play an entire song on my ukelele • Remember to use reusable bags when grocery shopping • Plan my next trip to France (perhaps running a retreat at Little French Retreat) • See the sandhill crane migration in March/April 2017 • Go storm chasing • Go on a train trip • Visit a new-to-me national park • Visit Best Friends Animal Society in Utah • Snail mail cards to six friends for no reason • Share a bottle of bubbly with a friend once a month • Play Settlers of Catan with friends • Try out a new hair color (or highlights, or a streak) • Have a new pair of jeans tailored to fit • Find a new go-to layerable dress that accentuates my fabulousness • Wear grown-up clothes to bed (or no clothes — TMI?) • Plan for a fun photo shoot • Launch a new website • Interview at least one of my bucket-list celebrities • Place freelance writing with at least five new publications (a mix of print and online) •

• 41 Before 42 • 

Choreograph a country line dance (and see if Barb will teach it at Cowboys) • Plant and grow garlic • Watch every episode of MASH • Try aerial yoga and/or aerial silks • Plan my next trip to France (perhaps running a retreat at Little French Retreat) • Attend a Switchbacks match • Try kayaking • Learn barista basics • Plant flower bulbs this fall • Take a birding and/or bird banding class • Continue to reduce my wardrobe, a la Project 333 • Take French language lessons • Read at least 75 books • Take classes on how to use the manual functions on my DSLR camera • Have at least one item of clothing tailored to fit • Learn to bake croissants • Get will and living will in order • Have a bouquet of flowers in the house, fresh once a month • Attend a fest in Telluride • Take performance driving lessons • Add a piece of original art to my collection from an artist I have not yet met • Stay up once all night until sunrise • Perform at a poetry slam/open mic • Learn to bake French macarons • Attend the Santa Fe Opera • Be involved with a stage show in some way • Bake a fruit pie, with homemade crust, from scratch • Visit at least one new-to-me museum • Watch one new-to-me movie and one classic film a month • Play Settlers of Catan • Stay at the Beaumont Hotel in Ouray • Take an oracle card-making class • Research and read more about walking the Camino de Santiago • Travel (again) with a girlfriend • Fly a kite • Send postcards to friends once a month just because • Try fly fishing • Visit Shambhala Mountain Center • Do a Georgia O'Keeffe tour around New Mexico (Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, etc.) • Do a not-just-head-shot photo shoot (with Becky) • Get off my ass already and pitch the nun story to Oprah Magazine •

• 40 Before 41 • 

• Learn to bake French macarons • See my byline in a national magazine • Have at least one item of clothing tailored to fit • Build a terrarium • Blog at least twice a week • Develop a new website for my blog • Climb Pikes Peak • Visit Ojo Caliente • Read at least 52 books • Send a snail mail letter/card/postcard/gift once a month • Plant and grow something edible outside • Yoga and meditation, daily • Take French language lessons • Make new connections with at least three bloggers I respect • Plan my next trip to France • Attend the Santa Fe Opera • Take classes on how to use all the buttons on my DSLR • Figure out my signature style • Skinny dip • Learn to make ginger beer • Find the perfect red lipstick (and wear it) • Journal at least weekly • Add a piece of original art to my collection • Take a trip with a girlfriend • Invest in a week's worth of matching bras and panties (foundations matter!) • Intentionally play music in the house every day • Visit a hot springs in Colorado • Give generously what I want to receive • Facilitate and participate in at least one improv writing session a month • Stay up once all night until sunrise • Perform at a poetry slam/open mic • Participate in a stage show (play, musical, etc.) as cast or crew • Get will and living will in order • Have a tarot reading done • Find more opportunities to dance • Play paintball • Continue to reduce my wardrobe, a la Project 333 • Get make-up tips from a pro • Take performance driving lessons • Show up (my 2014 "one-word" soul mantra) •