10 things by 30

I'm turning 27 in less than 24 hours. Naturally, with birthdays come thoughts on aging. I woke up this morning quite shocked in realizing that a quarter of my life is over. I am not bothered with neither wrinkles appearing on my face nor the pull of gravity to my sagging arms. What overwhelms me is the thought that I am pacing through life faster than expected. Why bother if I still have 3/4 of my life left to live, right? Well, that is, if I reach a hundred and am inducted in the hall of the chosen few centenarians. But with the mortality rate now, I probably have 1/4 of my life left. Or if I'm lucky, I have one-half.

Thinking about what's left out of life is grim. But I want to see it differently. Being aware of time is actually a wake-up call for me. The awful truth is time won't wait for anyone. So why not start living now? Because of this, I've made a pact with myself that I am going to enjoy my life from this day on. No more procrastinating, no more ranting, no more complaining. And to kick things off, I've written down a list of things I must accomplish before I hit the big 3-0. Some of the items below are fears I want to conquer, some are aspirations I want to achieve, while others are things that I have neglected over time which should be prioritized now. So here are...

 The 10 things I must do by 30

 (in no particular order)

1. Learn how to swim.

Yes, I can hear you giggling at this thought.  At the ripe age of 27, I-STILL-do-NOT-know-how-to swim. Despite swimming being a part of the Physical Ed curriculum in school, I just never learned how to paddle in the water. My Mom, a swimming instructor for many years, gave up when she tried teaching me how to float when I was 12 years old. I was literally attached to the gutter and would kick anybody in the face who would dare come near me. But since I'm now all for "living life to the fullest", I am going to conquer this fear. Goal: by June 2012, I'm going to show you my butterfly stroke, baby! I'm even going to bet a thousand pesos for it!

2. Live healthy.

I must: 1.) cut back on sweets and caffeine, 2.) stop reaching for a bag of chips whenever stressed, 3.) eat more veggies and less meat, 4.) EXERCISE, and 5.) get enough SLEEP.

3. Go back to school.

..and finish another degree. Truth be told, I've always wanted to continue my studies right after graduation. But I had to put that dream on hold for 2 years because I relocated far from the city then and my finances were quite unstable. But now that I'm back in the metro and I can spare a little money for tuition, I made a bold move of enrolling for extension guitar lessons this semester. There are still challenges that I am currently facing. But I think the hurdles are part of the learning process. This is one dream that is worth fighting for. And I wouldn't miss the opportunity of learning from one of the most respected guitar teachers (if not the best) in Manila. So, I claim that I would finish it. Maybe it would be impossible to graduate in 3 years time, but I would definitely stay the course.

4. Get my finances in order.

Confession: I do not own a credit card. Since I am paying in cash, I have to live within my means. Spending excessively has never been an issue for me anyway. Actually, I am quite frugal, which is a trait I got from my Mom. My focus is how to keep a decent amount of savings in the bank and where to invest my humble earnings in. A friend of mine once told me, "it is never too early nor too late to establish a good relationship with your future". My take on it: I'm starting N-O-W by saving as little as 10% per payday. Better late than never.

5. Do something extreme or out-of-the-ordinary.
Bunjee Jumping?

Eat bugs?

A street musician for a day?

Hmmm.....

6. Travel.

Here are the 2 destinations I want to visit in 3 years. Of course, Pilipinas first!

7. Bake a cake.

I am an amateur when it comes to cooking. I only learned how to cook when I left home at 21. And I have never tried baking a cake in my entire life. My goal therefore is this: to bake my own chocolate cake on my 30th birthday. Sweet!

8. Start a hobby.
Knitting?

Photography?

Mountaineering?

9.  Do something for others.

For a relative, a friend, or even a stranger.

10. Aum.

This is the most important item on my list. And probably the hardest endeavor to sustain. But strengthening one's spirituality is needed to find meaning in life. And that's why we are all here in the first place---to find the purpose of our existence and fulfill our tasks. Nowadays, I get caught with the frenzy that surrounds me. I have to be more conscious on taking a breather from the frivolities of the world in order to zero in on what is truly valuable, which is becoming a conscious human being in the complex design of life. Aum...

So there goes my bucket list. To crossing out one item at a time, enjoying the simple things in life and searching for what is essential...let the countdown begin.