To do lists, to don’t lists, and to done lists

During my collegiate days, I was in school full time, working full time as an editor of the newspaper, and volunteering about 10 hours a week with the campus Women’s Center. I seldom slept and ate most of my breakfasts on the bus and my dinners (if I had time) with ink-stained fingers. I was also extremely happy being this busy, and it’s when my love of list-making began. There were lists and post-its for everything plastered all over my apartment, my desk at the paper, my school books. When I got particularly stressed out, I’d make to-don’t lists as permission to relax and a nice reminder there were so many things I didn’t have to do. My favorite “to don’t” is still “ever wear MC Hammer pants.”

In the last week or so, I’ve started actively examining my life list and setting goals for myself. There are things I want to do, and I won’t let them just be items on a list that don’t get accomplished. But it’s also overwhelming. There’s a reason it is a life list, and not a “get it done in the next week” list. I’ve decided to apply the same philosophy and look at all the cool things I have gotten to do. This is my to-done list.

• Caved in the cenote cave system in Mexico,
• Climbed to the top of mayan ruins in Belize
• played with monkeys on the bay islands of Honduras
• stood under the redwoods in California
• posed with the Greta Garbo’s star on Hollywood Blvd
• driven across the Golden Gate Bridge
• flew an airplane
• hunted ghosts
• driven a bulldozer
• played with baby tigers
• drank champagne on top of the Eiffel Tower
• participated in flashmobs dressed as santa and a zombie
• welcomed the first sunrise of the year on the beach
• ate a waffle, fries, and chocolate in Belgium
• stood in awe in front of Guernica and Las Meninas in Madrid
• rafted class V rapids on the oldest river in the US
• read a book on the steps of the New York Public Library
• stood under the lights of Fremont Street in Vegas
• partied on Bourbon Street on St. Patrick’s Day
• hiked a mountain by myself to see windmills in La Mancha.

When I look at how amazing my life has been, I cannot complain about the things I haven’t gotten to do yet. They’ll come in time.