Not New Years,

...just a jump start before my birthday.
Elsie has the best ideas. I love her lists of what to do before her next birthday; they seem so much more rational than New Years Resolutions (practical, too). Since my birthday falls at the beginning of the year (January 13, my 21+1!), this makes more sense to me. Kyle insists I put goals for "us" on the list, but I think that defeats my purpose of making 2010 my most self-bettering year (you can read that as "selfish" if you'd prefer, but let's face it - I'm graduating halfway through the year, this is absolutely the year I need to focus on me and where I'm going / what I'm going to do with my life). I figure, the better I feel and become as a person, the better our relationship becomes, so the goals for us coincide and can simply go unspoken with the rest of the world.

So, without further ado, my 22 Things to do Before 23 list (in a loose but no particular order):
1) Graduate with Honors
2) Find a Rochester job -- Radio DJ, bartender, movie critic, event organizer
3) If not open the cafe/studio/gallery/bar with the Photoloves, at least find the location and work on getting a loan or what have you necessary for startup.
4) Finish the concert tshirt blanket I've started (and never finished) 2 summers ago.
5) Submit photos to at least four separate gallery shows / contests
6) PUPPY.
7) Officialize paperwork for sole proprietorship
8) Learn French
9) Box up my Binghamton life and find an apartment
10) Organize a serious bedroom and office
11) Embrace a drastic new hairstyle
12) Design my future full sleeve tattoo
13) Sew a dress
14) Logo designs, both personal and otherwise
15) March in a rally - 1 in NY, 1 elsewhere
16) Ride a mechanical bull
17) See a game at the new Yankee Stadium
18) Learn how to cook one full meal extremely well
19) See at least 5 live concerts
20) Create & officialize my own website (finally. another thing I've put off for years.)
21) Find my personal style (to match all of my shoes)
22) Paint a large-scale picture.

and on a side note, I'm going to learn how to vintage / Salvy shop like a pro. Gonna be a tight budget.

Of course, these goals don't mean I intend to give up my chance perspective, and just embrace whatever gets thrown my way.

What are your goals for 2010? I'm so mindblown that it's finally here... they aren't kidding when they tell you life goes faster the older you get.