27 before 27

I did pretty well on my 26 before 26 list, though some are still in progress and need an extension into my 26th year and some, unsurprisingly, shifted along with my desires as the year went on (card catalog became old record cabinet, etsy shop became something much more fun (stay tuned!), etc…)…Thank God there’s no test at the end!

So though I’ll still be working on wrapping up the ones on my old list, as it’s my birthday and I’m now 26, here’s my brand-new 27 before 27!

1. Put up tomatoes, jam & pickles and eat them in the winter
2. Take a woodworking class at the Crucible and build something beautiful
3. Learn good swimming & breathing technique for two different strokes
4. Watch the sun rise from Angel Island
5. Visit Quixote Winery
6. Plan regular craft/project/hang out nights with the girls
7. Get/make a hammock or outdoor couch
8. Talk myself into applying to grad school
9. Explore the underwater preserves at Salt Point
10. Start volunteering regularly
11. Brew & bottle my own beer
12. Do 100 pushups in a row
13. Give away all of the clothes that I won’t ever wear again
14. Read a book or two on the following: color theory, California history, the Mormon faith, superstring theory
15. Bike Part Two of Silverado Trail (128 and above!)
16. Coffee + Book on the deck of a mushroom dome cabin
17. Try rock-climbing
18. Save a substantial-ish emergency fund
19. Spend a night soaking at Harbin with Morgs
20. Camp on the cliffs in Big Sur (Thanks Peggy!)
21. Get a full-frame camera body
22. Write letters to three teachers/professors who changed my life & send them
23. Sell a photograph
24. **Secret one to be revealed later**
25. Get totally comfortable working with encaustics
26. Soak in private bath overlooking the ocean at Esalen in the middle of the night
27. Read five graphic novels – 1(Lost Girls)  2 (the Watchmen) 3 4 5

It’s going to be a great year.