My sweet sixteen was a sandy sixteen because I spent it at boarding school. But in captivity, my creativity remained and I made a list called 18 before 18. Aaaand… let’s just say I got a bit too imaginative. Two years should have been plenty of time, but I underestimated how much life can change.
- I didn’t learn how to drive,
- I didn’t share my poetry (as intended),
- I didn’t learn a new language,
- (or revisit an old one),
- and I certainly didn’t start a STEM project.
But looking back I did do a lot.
- I started scrapbooking,
- dyed my hair,
- got into university,
- got pierced,
- collected cassettes,
- (attempted) rollerskating,
- and started this blog
So, I can’t really say the list was entirely a failure. If anything, it taught me that goals should be ambitious but also flexible.
Which brings me to now—19, on the cusp of a new decade, and determined to make this year count. The in-between ages like 15, 17 and 19 often get a bad rep for being boring or insignificant but I want to remember 19 as a year of doing rather than dreaming.
So I’ve made a new list. One that challenges me to create more, explore more and have more fun. I’m also pushing the limits of what I think I can commit to. It involves stepping on stages, diving into deep waters, reviving old skills and picking up new ones. Some goals require my hands, others require my voice. Some will take me to new places, while others push me to reimagine the places I already exist in.
It’s no fun if I reveal everything just yet, but I’ll be documenting the journey verbally and visually (wink wink). Let’s see how much I can achieve before I light twenty candles next year.