23 before 24 (1/2)

Last year I decided to make a list.

I saw these kind of lists on a handful of blogs that I read, and what I liked about them right away was that they weren't resolutions to forget or give up on after January. There is nothing wrong with wishing on New Years, because it feels good and the days ahead seem so far away and limitless in possibility, but what I liked about these lists is that they were geared towards a full year of personal growth. 

I am now 24, and it's time to take stock of things and see what I've done.

(1) First things first, a downer: I did not make a quilt. This goal will definitely carry over to this year, especially now that I feel like I will have SO much time on my hands after I finish applying to grad school. (not to mention, I will need to be way distracted so I don't lose my mind waiting for responses) I'm sort of interested in a t-shirt quilt, because I never wear t-shirts and still have so many, but I'd have to put a super lux fabric on the opposite side because I hate how they look visually. But I also have a lot of cool quilt patterns pinned on Pinterest so maybe I'll get cray-zay.

(2) Grad school apps!1! They are coming along. Currently I have completed 6.5 of 11 total applications. The point-five is the bit I still have to mail in for number 7 to be complete. It's a doosy and I've spent an alarming amount of my savings for application fees, but I'm hoping for my school to support me a bit so it'll all be worth it.

(3) Okay, now for a victory: I learned to knit! I totally did that and in two different ways! I made one scarf this year and I hope to make many others in my million hours of spare time and Gilmore Girls watching after these applications are behind me.

(4) Oh, the mug shelves. I bought and stained these long pieces of plywood, bought the hardware, thought about where I wanted them, and these bad boys are STILL not up. Though, a lot of things have changed in my house recently, and I just don't know where they'll fit now. I've also been reading a lot about minimalism in the home, so my mug collection is sort of bothering me. (at least the ones I never use)

(5) I did it! Not as regularly as I might have liked, but I feel like things sort of unraveled for me after my house got broken into and I started stressing about graduate applications. Like I think I've been a real fun-suck to be around with my black hole of stress and complaining. I'm working on it.

(6) I am very ashamed to say that I still do this. It is very unsafe, especially now that I have an Android phone that befuddles me still. I will get better!

(7) I MET IRA GLASS*. That is all. Justin Vernon hasn't fallen in love with me yet and has probably abandoned Bon Iver, so this is all that matters. Plenty of bands to see this year though. I need this to carry over.

*

(Yes, he is wearing Daniel's Sweetwater Brewing Company hat, oh lawd. One day I'll blog about meeting him and one day I'll see him again and not let a drunk stranger take our photos nicely and run away.)

(8) I did write most of a new story this year, but abandoned it around that crazy time in mid-October when I realized I needed to polish and edit stories that had already been read and critiqued by others for my graduate portfolio. My story was about two people in their 50's having an affair and about to leave their respective spouses. Kind of sad, actually.

(9) This one came together right under the wire, but I am getting paid for my photo to appear on the cover of my friend and mentor's e-book! It's a ten year anniversary re-release of her first chapbook. Even though it won't be in print, my photo will be all over it and it's perfect! I couldn't be more grateful for my relationship with these people who build me up and support me so much. 

(10) When I reread this list recently I realized that I had forgotten all about this little goal. Now that I have a "Knoxville Bucket List" formulating in my head of things to do before I inevitably move away for school, this is definitely on it. I brought it up with my poet friends and they are all for it. I just really love the idea of people sitting around and reading things they wrote, or things that inspired them, and everyone talking and being really inspired. I love the idea of this happening in my living room.

(11) So, I have a secret. There is a YouTube channel full of videos of me singing. This is for real. I haven't made one since I was a freshman in college, but I have always been really into the YouTube music scene. I watch a lot of song covers and follow lots of musicians. I really loved doing these and trying to be apart of that community, but I never stuck with it. I'm pretty out of practice now and not the someone with great singing aspirations, but singing is very apart of my life. (partially due to the fact that my car radio is out) I want to start working my musical muscles again. Daniel has started playing saxophone recently after giving it up in high school in favor of sports. After he graduated college in December, he was just itching to be able to have hobbies again in his new found free time! It's really awesome to hear how musically inclined my computer programming boyfriend is. And cute. Talent is cute.

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I realized doing all 24 would be an exhaustively long post, so I'll post part 2 later on!

I'm back, witches.