Accomplished: Ride a Bike

I WANT TO RIDE MY BICYCLE, I WANT TO RIDE MY BIKE...

This one was a biggie.

I loved riding my skateboards and scooters and I especially loved riding my bike-my bike that had training wheels. I was stubborn, and afraid of falling, and embarrassed. When I got embarrassed when I was little I'd hold my breath until I passed out. Seriously. That's how big of a deal not being embarrassed was to me (is to me now still in some ways).

My gal pal Leeann took me out on her mountain bike. We found a grassy bumpy spot to learn on for two reasons-
1) It's really hard to learn on, so if you can learn on bumpy grass you can ride anywhere.
2) If you fall it's softer than concrete.

I didn't fall once, I definitely stumbled but I had enough memory of trying to learn when I was little that going straight was easy. Turning was new and difficult. I still need practice on turning, especially turning right.

Anyways, it felt so great. There's something to say about moving yourself along. It felt good...on a physical level it was a workout, on an emotional level it was an accomplishment, and in a weird way it was freeing. My spirit felt happy and free. That's a feeling I'll chase.

I definitely need more practice, I definitely need to buy a helmet, but the important thing here is that I did it and that I also didn't fall on my face. Not once. Not lying.

Woohoo!

ACCOMPLISHED: August 19, 2013
Thanks Leeann :)

Accomplished: Write, Direct, Produce, and get a Standing O?

GATEWAY, YOU SON OF A BITCH...

When I was five years old I watched Jaws for the first time. Because of this movie, I'm fascinated by the ocean, I'm fascinated by small beach towns, and more than anything in the entire world I'm fascinated by film-making. It would be true to say that Steven Spielberg was my first idol, maybe besides Walt Disney. Since then it's been my life goal to be a film-maker, to write, to direct, and to make things that I want to see. That's really what I've wanted.

December 6th 2012 was the opening night of my one act play called Gateway. It was such an amazing experience to watch the actors and stage crew live out my daydream, a somewhat...no...a VERY complex daydream that took a hell of a lot of work from myself and everyone on my team.

Gateway was a comedy about a group of workers in a command center. When the "office asshole" unexpectedly dies during a power outage, everyone begins to blame one another. More die and soon the remaining workers realize this is no accident...HAZMAT gets involved and by the end everyone is dead. It's revealed that the office workers were in reality a group of brain cells who were dying because their master was smoking weed for the first time. Ha ha ha. Got ya.

Super complex set changes and an intricate light/sound/video design led this multimedia piece to be one of the best one acts of the year. It took a lot of work, a lot of stress, a little bit of aggravation, and a little tiny teeny couple of itty bitty tears. All the work, in my opinion, paid off with the first laugh. The first laugh at the first line. Got em.

By the end I had the audience trying to figure out what they just watched, they were roaring and clapping and cheering...I don't think I've ever had anyone ever cheer that way even when I'd hit a home run! It was great! I even got half of the audience standing up in one of the shows, and the best part was that my parents were there to watch it.

Big thanks to my film class of 2014, and my professors, and my parents, and my friends, and Winnie.

Pretty good way to start living out my dream as a creative thinker. I like this a lot.

ACCOMPLISHED: December, 2012
Photo credit to Andrew Preston, Photographed is Todd Ruhnau

Number Two

Go to a Silent Retreat...

I find myself often thinking how much more wonderful life would be if I could just shut up every once in a while. I have a lot to say all the time, just non stop jabber. I could go on forever. I'm going on forever now.

Besides, wouldn't it be so rewarding to slip away for a quiet weekend around beautiful surroundings? Spending time with strangers and not needing to say a word? I swear I spend half of my time trying to find something to say. It would be sublime to spend my time thinking about gratitude and joy instead of my next comeback or funny quip.

To get rest away from other people's expectations and my own expectations sounds like a relief, even if it's for two days. To be kind without using my voice, to speak with my hands and not my lips, to have a conversation with my eyes and not my mouth...that sounds like a thrilling adventure.

DEADLINE:: Before I "kick the bucket"

Accomplished: Ride the Tower Of Terror

RIDE THE TERRIBLE TERROR...

I remember the first time I saw this monstrosity. My dad and I were walking around EPCOT over in Disney World. We turned the corner and BAM. There she was. It was the best timing, because right when we looked the elevator reached the top, the people screamed, and they plummeted down back to the earth.

I remember thinking "No one will think you're a wussy if you say no"...then my brother Isaac called me a wussy. Thanks Isaac.

It took me until 8 years after that to finally get in line and ride the ride. I was with Alyssa and it was about 30 minutes before closing. This time, The Tower Of Terror was lit up with eerie purple lights. We stepped into the lobby and saw all the cobwebs, and all the strange statues, and all the moth eaten coats and furs. We stepped into the library where all the lights turned out and Rod Serling taught us the frightening tale of what truly happened in the Hollywood Hotel.

I must say, the ride took me by complete surprise. My adrenaline has never pumped that hard, except for when I got into a car accident. Serling was talking and in the middle of the sentence, whoop we drop.

I'll tell you what though, that next night Alyssa and I decided to tackle it again and the controller saw my 18th birthday badge. He let us ride twice! Before he launched us off on our adventure, he told us to hold our knees to our chest and see what happened. I'll tell you what happened. A 12 STORY CANNON BALL.

Not only did I conquer a childhood fear, I did it with pizzazz.

ACCOMPLISHED: June, 2010

Accomplished: Be A Bridesmaid In A Wedding

BE A BRIDESMAID IN A WEDDING...

What girl doesn't want to be a bridesmaid in a wedding? All the shoes and jewelry and flowers...it's one of the most fun things a girl can be a part of! Well, I finally was a bridesmaid. It was last summer on July 24th. My brother Isaac married Elisa-Beth (Bethe). Isaac and Bethe asked me to be a part of their wedding on the Thanksgiving before, and of course I'd say yes!

The color theme of the shin-dig was lemon lime (see the flowers?) and it was held in a friend's backyard. Backyard isn't the right word. It was like an enchanted garden that took up two acres. My cousin Austonn is who you see in the picture walking me down the aisle. I think those shoes are pretty but I don't see myself wearing them again for a very very long time.

It was wonderful to be a part of the wedding, especially between two people that I love and I'm closer to than anybody else. Despite the heat of the day and my hair poofing out, the wedding was flawless and it couldn't have been any better.

Isaac and Bethe are doing wonderfully, they just had their one year anniversary about a month ago at the beach.

ACCOMPLISHED: July 24th, 2010

Number One

RUN A 5K...

For my first goal on the bucket list, I want to run a 5K. As of right now on May the 21st of 2011, I'm not even sure I can run more than a lap around a track without having to stop for air. It'll be a big task for sure, especially for the first.

My plan of attack is simple. Start running. Well, for me it will be start hog jogging. I can hog jog. Not sure I can run just yet.

My hair stylist Eileen told me about this program called Couch-to-5k from Cool Running. It's laid out day by day how you can improve your running ability in just nine weeks. I figured, since summer is sixteen weeks long I can probably crank out a 5k by then, right?

For the first week, you alternate 60 seconds of jogging with 90 seconds of walking (which is less than what I had to do in gym class in high school). By the end of it, they have you running 30 minutes without breaks (I don't think I've ran more than 3 minutes without stopping in my life).

It will definitely be hard work, but I think it'll be worth it in the end. I don't want to die not having experienced the freedom and joy that comes with running. I've gotten a taste for it a few times and it felt great, now I want to harness that feeling and learn how to improve my body.

DEADLINE:: August 2014