Life List

 
A list of things to do/see/try/accomplish/spend my days, in no particular order. Written intermittently, starting at age 27 and continuing until I turn 100. It’s fun to see how my priorities have evolved over time, and what seemed like a big reach at one point is now something I do regularly!

  1. Go on a yoga retreat.

  2. Run a marathon.

  3. Learn to play the banjo.

  4. Rock climb somewhere outdoors.

  5. Have a CSA.

  6. Make my own bread.

  7. Have a compost.

  8. Make pizza from scratch.

  9. Get my own place.

  10. Participate in a citizen science project of some kind.

  11. Canoe the Wisconsin River.

  12. Learn to cross country ski (better).

  13. Get my masters.

  14. Volunteer on a farm on a regular basis.

  15. Knit a scarf.

  16. Make my own yogurt.

  17. Get my tattoo changed to a sunflower, tree, or sun.

  18. Visit Teagan and Kate in Montana.

  19. Hike in the Porcupine Mountains.

  20. Visit Isle Royale.

  21. Camp in ten new places.

  22. Visit Emily in Minneapolis.

  23. Learn to like spicy food, a little.

  24. Brew my own beer.

  25. Get a nice bike.

  26. Bike around Lake Monona.

  27. Become a person that does trail races.

  28. See Abigail Washburn in concert.

  29. Read all of John Steinbeck’s books.

  30. Take a birding class.

  31. Take a class at the Driftless Folk School.

  32. Go horseback riding.

  33. Go to a sunrise or sunset yoga class.

  34. Spend the day in one of the small tourist towns around here.

  35. Speak conversational Spanish.

  36. Climb a 5.9 successfully.

  37. Hike among redwood trees.

  38. Go on a winery tour.

  39. Go on a trip with Mom.

  40. Go on a trip with Dad.

  41. Learn to change a car tire.

  42. Find a partner that loves to be alive.

  43. Find and hike to that overlook by myself, or with someone else.

  44. Eat at the fancy Thai/Vietnamese place in my neighborhood.

  45. Have a community garden plot.

  46. Reduce my credit card debt to under $500.

  47. See Lake Superior.

  48. Make a teaching scrapbook.

  49. Bike to New Glarus brewery.

  50. Participate in a bioblitz.

  51. Go on a weekend trip with girl friends on a semi-annual basis.

  52. Start writing about my life.

  53. Keep a nature journal.

  54. Go on a 50+ mile bike ride.

  55. Play banjo at a bluegrass jam.

  56. Submit an article to Rethinking Schools, Teaching Tolerance, or another teacher publication.

  57. Use the garden at my school as part of my classroom curriculum.

  58. Visit the International Crane Foundation.

  59. Go to a movie alone.

  60. Travel back to Costa Rica, and go to the Monteverde Cloud Forest School.

  61. Hike some of the Pacific Crest Trail.

  62. Do a yoga headstand.

  63. Become a Master Teacher or National Board Certified.

  64. Teach in another country.

  65. Visit all the national parks.

  66. Visit one or more of these places that have always been calling to me: Morocco, Spain, London, France, Thailand, Kenya, Brazil, India.

  67. Read all of Jack Kerouac’s books.

  68. Attend the Institute on Education for Sustainability in Vermont.

  69. Take a class or workshop on teaching for social justice.

  70. Visit San Francisco, Asheville, Bloomington, Portland, Austin and Flagstaff.

  71. Eat at Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse in San Francisco.

  72. See the northern lights.

  73. Start a Teachers Pay Teachers account.

  74. Hike all 60 hikes in 60 Hike within 60 Miles of Madison.

  75. Get unaddicted to sweets.

  76. Get Spanish boots of Spanish leather.

  77. Go to the Newport Folk Festival.

  78. Skydive.

  79. Get my phD.

  80. Spend a weekend at Kripalu yoga center (or another retreat center).

  81. Visit all 50 states.

  82. Find an ongoing way to share my passion for nature-based learning with other teachers.

  83. Go on a hot air balloon ride.

  84. Ski the Birkie.

  85. Take a wilderness survival course.

  86. Subscribe to the Sunday NY Times.

  87. Go on a weekend-long retreat or camping trip alone.

  88. Visit Yosemite National Park.

  89. Hike (or raft) the Grand Canyon.

  90. Visit Glacier National Park.

  91. See a concert at Red Rocks.

  92. See an elephant in the wild.

  93. Be a trail angel on the PCT or AT.

  94. Learn to start a fire in the wood stove regularly.

  95. Go the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

  96. Do a thru-hike of any length.

  97. Go on a bike-packing or canoe trip with Justin and our kids.

  98. ?

  99. ?

  100. ?

P.S. The picture above is actually a print by the lovely artist at The Green Paintbrush. I purchased this print but she has others!