I committed at the beginning of 2009 to actually writing these to-do list things down and keeping a live, public, active record of when these were accomplished. Not only that, but I committed to living a life focused on making these things happen, so this isn’t just a “wish list,” but my most important To Do list ever. There is intent behind every item.

This list is active.

And because of that last statement, this list will surely evolve, growing and changing as I move forward.  And that’s fine.  (It took me awhile to realize that this list was not static, not concrete, but dynamic and energetic (just like me!).

Naturally, as I went through this, a few themes jumped out at me.  It’s fairly obvious where my passions lie and what my pursuits should be.  These themes won’t surprise you one bit, if you’ve known me for any length of time.  What are my Life Themes?

• Love. Meet people, make connections.
• Yoga.  Both the physical asana practice as well as the lifestyle.
• Knowledge. Be constantly learning (books, from other people, through my experiences).
• Travel. Travel as often and as far and wide as possible with the focus on experiencing the culture: the people, food, drink, and music.
• Writing. “To write of an experience is to enrich it.”

Doniree’s Life List – (Created 10/5/09)

1. Be able to get into Bakasana (crow pose) in yoga (October 11, 2009 – Simon Park’s Inversions and Arm Stands Workshop)
2. Camp in the boundary waters
3. See a ballet
4. Sell my car (anyone want a 1997 Chevy Malibu?)
5. Re-learn sign language
6. Get published in a magazine that is still in print
7. Write a book (even if my mother is the only one to read it)
8. Take cooking classes
9. Give up dairy for a week
10. Get a 4th tattoo
11. See a movie alone (just something I’ve always wanted to do and haven’t)
12. Learn how to use a sewing machine
13. Learn how to use Photoshop (thanks to my roommate, this is finally happening! And on 2/12/10, I created my own blog header!)
14. Canoe around Lake Calhoun/Lake Harriet/Lake of the Isles
15. Read one book per month for an entire year
16. Get completely out of debt by age 30
17. Shop any one of the Twin Cities farmers’ markets (other than Nicollet Mall) – (September 19, 2009 – Minneapolis/Lyndale Ave Farmer’s Market)
18. Shop the Midtown Global Market
19. Ride in a helicopter or hot air balloon
20. Try Bubble Tea (aka Boba) (December 8, 2009 – The Tea Garden, Dinkytown, Minneapolis, MN)
    
21. Kayak
22. Complete CorePower’s Yoga Teacher Training Program (completed November 15,2009)
23. Take more Spanish classes (community ed would be lovely)
24. Try curry (November 15, 2009; Yoga Teacher Training banquet, Bombay Bistro, Minneapolis)
25. Get involved with public radio (beyond being a member)
26. Run a 5k
27. No processed food for a week
28. Go horseback riding (again; Last time I did I was 12)
29. Learn how to cook tofu (learned how to use it in a sauce on 2/12/10; next up? How to Fry)
30. Go rock climbing (Vertical Endeavors counts)
31. Drive a motorcycle (get the license)
32. Get a passport
33. Drive a moped
34. Archery
35. Pick out pumpkins in a pumpkin patch
36. Acupuncture
37. Get my palms read
38. See a psychic
39. Drink espresso.  Like, straight espresso in one of those cute tiny little cups they serve it in.
40. Teach high schoolers something (yoga, English, ESL, proper grammar… something)
41. Visit every US state – 22/50 (and it doesn’t count if I’ve only seen the airport)
42. See a concert at Red Rocks (bonus points if it’s Radiohead or Dave Matthews Band)
43. See a Buffs game
44. Go to Vegas! (June 4-7, 2009)
45. See Stomp
46. Travel around in a motorhome/RV for awhile
47. Eat pizza in NYC
48. See Riverdance
49. Cirque du Soleil
50. Stick my feet in the Pacific Ocean from the North American west coast (done it from Oahu)
51. Go to NYC (August 14-16, 2009)
52. Coachella
53. See a show on Broadway
54. Work on an organic coffee farm (or some kind of farm)
55. SxSWi (I have a ticket!)
56. Atlantic City boardwalk
57. Couchsurf
58. Austin City Limits
59. Visit at least two museums in New York City (the Museum of Sex would absolutely count)
60. Tour the US Capitol
61. Sit in a cockpit during all or part of a flight (can be commercial or otherwise)
62. Go wine tasting in Napa
63. Mardi Gras
64. Sundance Film Festival
65. Alaska
66. Make lasagna (August 25, 2009, with Alissa)
67. Make granola from scratch
68. Live somewhere for one year where I don’t need a car. Moped is ok. (January 10, 2010, landed in Colorado without a car)
69. See Pearl Jam in concert
70. Help bring yoga to high schoolers (teamed up with The Wellness Initiative in Boulder, CO, January 2010)
71. Throw out ceremonial first pitch at a MLB baseball game
72. Get on a kiss cam
73. Study Spanish abroad
74. Teach English in a Spanish-speaking country
75. See every major city in Canada
76. See every MLB stadium (Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta Braves; Busch Stadium (old), St. Louis; Metrodome, Minnesota Twins; Miller Park, Milwaukee Brewers; Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles; US Cellular Field, Chicago White Sox; Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs)
77. Study Sanskrit (definitely covering this on a basic level in Yoga Teacher Training)
78. Read in a French cafe
79. Eat pizza in Italy
80. Wine tour in Argentina
81. Go to Jamaica
82. Learn more about Diwali/attend a Diwali festival/celebration (attended this in college, have wanted to do it bigger ever since)
83. Get paid to travel, even if just once (lifelong dream of mine to be a travel writer)
84. Visit every continent
85. Visit Greece/the Greek Islands
86. Visit India
87. Oktoberfest
88. Carnival
89. MICRONESIA
90. La Escuela del Sol (yoga+spanish)
91. Tuvalu
92. Visit a nude beach
93. Ride the gondolas in Venice
94. Backpack Europe
95. Visit the South Pacific