35 by 35

To be honest, it's been a tough year. I've spent more time in the office than I have in my bed; more time stressing about what I have to do than celebrating any achievements; and more time saying good bye to dear friends who have passed on than I thought I would at my age. The transition from Brussels back to D.C. was bumpier than I expected. In short, it has been an easy year to feel sorry for myself.

As my 34th birthday began to approach, I started to think more deeply about my life. Am I doing what I thought I would at 34? Am I happy with the life I've created for myself? What could I be doing everyday to make myself happier? And then it hit me ... I needed a list.

Work has forced me to become a to-do list master. There isn't a to-do list in sight that I can't knock through in a day or two. So I decided what I needed was a to-do list for my life. And that to-do list needed two important elements -- a deadline and a means of accountability.

So today, the day before my 34th birthday, as I sit in my favorite cafe in Brussels ... I present the readers of MoGoAGoGo with my new project -- 35 by 35. Before my 35th birthday, I will accomplish each of the tasks listed below and use this blog as a way to share my experiences and stay focused on the most important project I've got going ... my own life!

Note: This isn't original idea. A friend of a friend did something similar for his 30th. But trust me, the list below is all MoGo.

1. Learn to ride a motorcycle
2. Join a volleyball league
3. Get a four hand massage
4. Eat a lobster roll in Maine during the fall
5. Visit Rhode Island
6. Go camping
7. Learn to play one song on the guitar
8. Go on 3 dates
9. Have a night out at a jazz club
10. See a show at the Strathmore
11. Attend at least 6 concerts/operas/ballets, etc.
12. Visit every Smithsonian
13. See a movie at AFI
14. See a movie at the IMAX
15. Host a dinner party
16. Meditate for 5 minutes every day
17. Feel good about myself in a bathing suit this summer
18. Read at least 6 novels
19. Learn how to make pierogis
20. Spend a day on a sail boat
21. Have dinner twice in Virginia and twice in Maryland
22. Take one session of French lessons
23. Exorcise the demon
24. Have drinks at all of D.C.’s speakeasys
25. Go to yoga twice per month
26. Finish decorating my apartment
27. Pick grapes at a winery during the fall harvest
28. Complete a 10k race
29. Learn how to make a really good dirty martini
30. Spend at least two weekends at the beach this summer
31. Bake an apple pie
32. Learn how to sew
33. Make a batch of moonshine
34. Celebrate one small victory in my life everyday
35. Faithfully update my blog

As you'll see, most of these activities involve more than one person, so I am looking forward to calling on family and friends to have some fun with me and help me accomplish my goals.

Check back often as I'll be posting frequently, including as much photo and video footage of each activity possible. Wish me luck!