Item # 17

This weekend I checked two items off of my Baylor list. I went to George's and had a Big O' Beer, and I went to Scruffy Murphy's. My Baylor bestie and I made a few other stops along the way, and I experienced a little of Baylor how she saw it. I have to say it was a blast, and my fave stop was Scruffy Murphy’s, which could only be described as a dive, a hole in the wall. We ate too much - had "Baylor Beggers" - which is unlimited yeast rolls with ranch for a dipping sauce, fried pickles, and this mess of nachos. We had beers at Treff's, Crickets, Scruffy Murphy's, and finished the night off at Whataburger...I mean, you have to! Then today, we toured campus...saw Lady and Joy (the bears) - even had the trainer get Lady to do "Sic 'Em Bears,” recruited a few new students, clapped on the star, and had Dr. Pepper floats.

Baylor asides/explanations: I will never get tired of clapping on the star! There is a star on the ground, directly in the middle of campus. When you stand on it and make any noise, even talking in a normal voice, you hear the echo, but no one around you does. A real Dr. Pepper float is not made with Dr. Pepper out of a can. It starts with Blue Bell ice cream (is there other ice creams??), pour the Dr. Pepper syrup on top, and then mix with the carbonated water from a real soda fountain. It's heaven - especially for a Bear!

I’ve now had one last Baylor trip before I continue my path to a different map dot.

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like for me if I didn't make the choices I did while at Baylor, and today was a nice glimpse of that world. We all have a path, and mine is curvy with detours and gravel roads (aren’t all of ours), but it’s good. It’s what’s right for me, even if I can’t see the end, skin my knee every now and again, and forget all of these things. That's what this blog is about: the path. A particular path, the adventure of accomplishing a few things I'm sure I won't regret.

Now it's time to tell the story of number 17 - talk to a stranger I normally wouldn't.

I turned 26 two weeks ago, and was pretty (or really) depressed about it. I know it's not old, that's not the problem I had. The problem was it was very clear on that day that I'm now closer to 30 than 20, and my path looks nothing like I thought it would at 20, when I wasn’t jaded and the world still held fairy tales. All my hurts and fears thus far were evident and weighing heavily on me that day.

After my wonderful friends had brunch and mimosas with me (I wanted a low key birthday), I took a nap. A nap can cure any bad day, right? WRONG! It didn't cure that bad day, so I took the less than classy method (such a classy blog today) and decided I needed to go drink. And I did. After several beers, and swinging on the porch swing at my local bar, I decided I needed more comfort. So, I asked this older guy sitting by himself for a cigarette - yes, I know, save the lectures. Well, old guy was not content with letting me have my alone “let me be depressed” time, and wanted to chat. So, for a couple hours, I sat and chatted with a man who is my mother's age. AWKWARD! I don't like men talking to me very much, and he did like to talk. But, instead of cutting him off, I chatted and enjoyed the conversation. It wasn't exactly a win of a conversation, but it definitely showed me that I have a lot of growing to do. I'm not sure I can even call this a completion of item 17, more of a practice round.

My big lesson from our chat: I need more practice talking to strangers not like me.

The Lists

So lately...well, the past year...I've started making lists of things I want to accomplish or adventures I want to have.

This pic tells part of the story of my current three lists. 1) It's a bear, and one of my list is about Baylor Bears! 2) It was taken out West, which is calling me away from my Houston home. 3) It was taken on an adventure from my third list!

Since this blog is about those adventures, I should share those lists.

The first one was created on the night I moved into my apartment, when a fellow Baylor Bear learned there were a few Baylor things/college fun I've never done/had. That's how this whole list obsession started.

1. George's
2. Karaoke
3. Beer Pong
4. Scruffy’s
5. Flip Cup

The goal is to finish these things by 30, then, she says I'll be too old... :-(

Well, I have Karaoke'ed - RockbandScaraoke so counts at Halloween! And, during a debaucherous night in Key West, I did play beer pong (with a boy whom I did kick his rear, I might add).

We are taking care of George's with a "Big O" - look it up non-Baylor peeps, and Scruffy's next weekend. YEAH. Sic 'Em!

The next list is my most recent. Since, I'm currently working on moving out West, I realized there were a few Houston fun things I had to do once, or one more time, before I move.

1. Ferrago brunch with bottomless mimosas
2. Keemah boardwalk
3. BIG mararitas at Cyclone's
4. BOOTS! and two-stepping
5. Taco's-a-go-go breakfast tacos
6. Sit at the fountain wall

Yep, pretty much got those down. I just need to do Cyclone's and dancing one more time! I'll need some quiet time in the next few weeks, and then I'll be sitting by the fountain.

My final list is the basis for this blog. I wrote it based on a CNN article talking about MTV's show "The Burried Life." It's my bucket list that I hope keeps growning!

I know some are kind of standard, and depending on how well you know me, you may be rolling your eyes.

1. Take a vacation by myself
2. Skydive
3. Mission trip to the Middle East
4. Live in NYC
5. Live overseas
6. Visit my brother everwhere he’s stationed
7. Work a shelter/soup kitchen for Thanksgiving
8. Relearn French
9. Lean Spanish
10. Show lovers that love isn’t emotions, and I’ll always be there.
11. Show love, be a light.
12. Climb a mountain
13. Run Boston
14. Run a sub-8 marathon
15. Run a half iron-man
16. Look my ex-husband in the eye and apologize for not loving him the way I should
17. Talk to a stranger I normally wouldn’t

I've actually already accomplished 1. and 17. I've talked about 1. and 17. is soon to come! What an adventure life is! I really want mine to be full!

Why I added Item # 17

I made one New Year's Resolution this year: to love better and to love everyone I meet.

I made that resolution in total bliss, sitting in a hammock, without a care in this world. Well, so far, 2010 has not turned out as planned (those who know me, know that's an understatement), and my New Year's Resolution has gone off course. I've become fairly selfish and self-indulgent.

One of the ways that I can be totally selfish is my absolute self-preservation instinct.

To be fair, I am a single woman, living alone in the fourth largest city in the nation, so I do have to be careful...but do I take that overboard sometimes? Yes, I do have reason to be adamant about my self-preservation (one apartment burglarized in broad daylight, on a Saturday, while a creep dug through my undies is enough thank-you-very-much). But, it all goes back to the same point: do I take it too far, to the point of selfishness?

I came to this realization on my trip to Cali. I was walking on the Santa Monica pier, when this attractive guy around my age, attempted to talk to me. It was obvious he had just left work somewhere on the pier, in one of the restaurants. He was a little shy, and you could tell it took quite a bit of his courage to say anything. Why is it that only the fact he was a stranger could totally turn me off to even give him the time of day?! The poor guy was only trying to be friendly, and I just TOTALLY shut down and turned cold. I mean, really? Am I that selfish that I can't have a conversation with a friendly stranger? I couldn't give him a few minutes of my time in a crowded public place?

This really hit me hard the rest of the time I was there. Have I totally given up on showing love to everyone around me? Or, am I only going to show love to those that somehow benefit me?

Then it struck me, item number 17: Talk to a stranger that I normally wouldn't.

Item 1 - Vacay by myself!

Item 1 completed: a vacation by myself.

I have spent the past four days completely self indulgent and doing only what I want. It was refreshing and fun...especially a single rider at DisneyLand. ;-)

But, I learned a few lessons, too.

1) I can be completely alone. I can do this. I can make this upcoming move.

2) Hugs are nice. Other than a hand shake, I haven't had physical contact with another human in four days. I miss hugs.

3) DisneyLand gives you 2% moments in the morning. I'm sure they go away when the kids start acting up, but, to be honest, I didn't notice. I was enjoying my 10 minute waits for rides.

4) I can (still) conquer fears. I will ride almost any thrill ride, but until yesterday, I had never rode a free fall ride. That for some reason was off limits. I rode two yesterday. 8-)

5) This move is going to take a lot of trust in God. Not to mention, a lot of trust, period. I suck at that. Maybe that's why God is pushing me this way? I'm going to have to rent an apartment sight-unseen...gulp...and a very good possibility with a roommate (haven't done that since my sophomore year of college)...and most probably through craigslist! TERRIFYING! I am going to have to walk by faith and not sight.

6) I'm really excited about my move, but, equally terrified.

7) New "Bucket"/"Burried Life" list item: Hold a conversation with stranger I normally wouldn't when he/she starts it.