Being 16

I recently met with a lady who the VP of Resource Development for Junior Achievement in Southern Alberta. We are looking at ways we can partner the company I work for with their organization. Junior Achievement has been around for almost 100 years and focuses on teaching kids and teens about financial literary, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Given what we do where I work, and our company's roots, it makes sense to explore the partnership as a community initiative.

Anyway, after our initial meeting, she emailed me and asked if I wanted to be a mentor at an upcoming event they were having for high school girls called "World of Choices". It's a half day event that has a keynote speaker, a panel discussion followed by round table sessions. The sessions are 20 minutes long. Each round table represents a career, from fitness instructor to nurse to lawyer to police officer. The ladies pick two they really want to go to, and then the other three are first come first serve - if the table of 8 is full, they have to find another table. This exposes them to careers they may never have thought of. I looked at the list of mentors (60 or so - wow!) - there were some jobs I hadn't even hear of. Where the heck was this when I was in high school?

I signed up to be the marketing mentor. The event was pretty awesome. SO many things went through my head. There was a girl with green hair and another with a cool half shaved head. It kind of made me wish I had had that phase before I entered the corporate world. I saw a lot of bad pancake make-up jobs and remembered being that girl (putting a whole bottle of concealer on a pimple does not really hide a pimple - this lesson takes time to learn).

A graduating Lauren
(with eyebrows - not sure
where mine went)

Just like what I remember from high school, all the "cliques" were well represented. There were several really bright, outgoing, keener teens I talked to that I have no doubt will be really successful. I was really excited for them. There were some quiet, really eloquent young ladies that took awhile to warm up but really had a positive attitude towards their futures and asked great questions. There were a few who looked bored out of their minds everywhere they went (lol) and others who followed their friends around, not making their own choices. There were athletes, preppy girls, rocker girls and divas. The loud groups, the shy, artsy groups, the ethnic or cultural groups (this seemed to happen more at lunch when they had more of a choice where to sit).

Some were so sure what they wanted to do with their lives. Most had no clue though. Which is totally fine. It made me think about what I was like at that age (the average age was about 16 or so). At that point, I had been pretty sure what path my life was going to take. I was going to get a undergrad in political science and then go to law school. I was going to marry at 24, start having kids at 28 (all while being a new lawyer???). By 36 I was going to be a judge and by 40, Prime Minister. No really. All of that. And if you and asked me on an ambitious day I would have added book author in there as well. Where am I with that list? Exactly. I haven't done a single one of those things. Although I guess I could maybe work on the Prime Minister thing and roughly squeak in under the deadline.

One of the five tables of ladies I saw seemed to have more girls who were seeming a bit stressed about not knowing what they wanted to do. I think it was the third or fourth table I met with and no doubt the ladies had already been at a couple of sessions with people who were more sure or seemed to have more direction. So for that table I changed my talk up a bit.

I told them about lawyer Lauren and my lofty 16 year old goals (they laughed). How I had missed hitting every single one of them (they laughed). How I did a lot of things backwards along the way, how I fell into marketing as a career. I told them how nothing in my adult life turned out the way I thought it would. But that I was happy, successful and completely okay with the path my life took. I may never win a big court case or rule the country, however I have done some pretty interesting things I wouldn't trade for the world.

It's good to have dreams when you are 16 but what you learn as you get into your 20's and beyond, sometimes its just as good to let those dreams go and take on new ones, or simply sit back, put the seatbelt on and see where the zig zagging road takes you.

Dating as a Kidney Donor

In 2011, I donated a kidney to a stranger. This isn't a big secret and a lot of people know about it.

The tricky part is when I do meet new people, especially in the dating world. It's not something I throw out there, gratuitously, right away, but it often comes up early on. How? Well one guy knew my last name so he Googled me ahead of time and read about it online. Another guy asked if I've ever been on television - I have...and guess why? Kidney donation. Another guy was talking about how awesome energy drinks can be. This lead to me saying how terrible they are for you (and by no means am I a health nut but come on!). It started a conversation about how much we read or don't read labels. I explained that I'm careful about a lot of drinks and medications because I have one kidney and need to protect it. He asked where the other one went. Can of worms opened.

I have a few donor friends that have found that dating after donation comes with its own special elements. One friend told me that some guys just can't handle it, so she puts it out there early. Its a big oart of who she is and she feels they need to know what. Another lady mentioned to me that a few of her dates seemed uncomfortable with it. She'd wait until later into the dating process to tell them and they'd be quite bothered by it. While of course its their loss (not hers), she did see it as a bit of a dating "handicap". And I'm starting to get that too.

Some people think it makes me some kind of saintly do-gooder (this just cracks me up). Other people think that it makes me "too independent. I'm not really sure what that means, but it's interesting feedback.

It is a big part of who I am, and my journey in life so far. But it's not all that I am in my day to day life. In all the research, conversation and information I received prior to donating, this (oddly) doesn't come up as a potential side effect. Popular wisdom would say that if people can't handle it, I'm better off not knowing them. But that doesn't make the interactions any less awkward in the moment.

It's funny when meeting new people (dates or otherwise) how we can take one piece of info about them and build a whole perception of who they are based on that one thing. We make assumptions about the good, bad and ugly of people based on little tidbits of information. I still haven't decided when the best time to bring up the kidney stuff is - but its always in the back of my mind. I know the "right" person will get it and be okay with it, but in the meantime I may have to kiss a lot of frogs.

The Solo Christmas

This past Saturday, I attended my work holiday party. It was a lovely affair (I hope others agreed) and it was kind of a nice way to kick off the Christmas season for me. My team at work plans it. At about 2 p.m. Friday we crossed that pre-event line where there is nothing you can do anymore to make the event any better and you can actually start cautiously looking forward to it. The party is always basically what I think planning a wedding would be like, minus the white dress, the groom and wedding party. And the fact that it happens every year - that shouldn't happen with your wedding. I am pretty lucky to work for a guy and a company that still sees value in doing things like this for the employee base. A lot of companies don't any more, period, or they have scaled things back significantly. I wish more people I worked with appreciated how fortunate we are to have something like this. But I digress.

Last Christmas I went home to Ontario. It was the first time in about seven years I made the trek back to Toronto and surrounding area. It was a nice, albeit a little too drawn out trip (and an ice storm halfway through!). It's always nice to be home with family. This year however, I am returning back to the regularly scheduled program of staying in Calgary. The difference this time around though will be that I likely will just be hanging out with the hounds and cats. And I'm excited about it!

Being that its getting closer to Christmas, a lot of conversations at work, at exercise classes and elsewhere else you can think of, are turning to what people are doing for Christmas. Some people are going on vacation or they are trekking back to wherever they came from to enjoy time with their family or perhaps their in-laws. A few people are hosting their own big holiday feast. All awesome.

I'm trying hard to stay out of the conversations. Because when I do have to answer, people seem to struggle with the fact that I am staying here, and "worse", hanging out alone. (Anyone who has encountered tales of my zoo would appreciate that it is very difficult to feel alone in my house).

Much like the "single" thing, people seem to instantly feel the need to fix the "Solo-Christmas problem". It's lovely and well meaning, but completely unnecessary. And here is why: this is my first Christmas in my new house. I'm excited to decorate, figure out where to put the tree and procrastinate about putting lights up. I've pre-ordered a turkey from the ranch I buy meat from. I'm going to cook a turkey dinner complete with stuffing, veggies, wine and a side of Christmas crackers and paper hats (look out hounds, you are wearing hats!). I will call my family, open presents and listen to Christmas music. I will probably talk to a few friends too.

I am choosing to do it this way. And I'm okay with it.  I've had 39 fabulous Christmases filled with family, pets, room-mates, "in-laws", friends and even one where we fed a TTC driver. This one will be a great Christmas and I know I will enjoy my day, just as everyone else will enjoy their plans too. I'll likely hang out in my comfy clothes, watch a movie or two and snuggle with the dogs, drinking coffee with Baileys. After all, Christmas, like any other holiday or special day, is what you make of it.

Success

Today I crossed an item off the list: I did a public speaking gig. Or an act of public speaking? Something like that.

It ended up being a crowd of about 30-40 people - smaller than initially expected although I don't think an extra 20 people would have made a difference in the experience for me. I wasn't really nervous until the wee hours of the morning when a friend woke me up with a text at 4 a.m. I instantly started mulling over the delivery of the presentation, but quickly managed to squish the anxiety building in my chest. I woke up again at 5:30. More anxiety, but again managed to fall back asleep, until my alarm went off at 7 a.m.

I'm not sure what I was worried about. Perhaps it wasn't reviewing my presentation enough before hand. Maybe it was just the unknown. Either way, once I was awake, dressed and off to the conference the nerves just simmered slightly in the background. I had a few spikes over the course of the morning, but things settled down nicely. Eventually it was my turn to talk and I got up there and did my thing.

Immediately after I started criticizing myself in my head. I talked to fast, I wasn't interesting, I relied on my notes too much. People congratulated me on a job well done. I was skeptical. They were just being nice.

Then I stopped myself. Come on Lauren - you just did something that 10 years ago would have been impossible for you. On top of that, you were asked to speak - you weren't creating your own soapbox. I reminded myself that when we stop ourselves from living in the moment and being proud of all the big steps we take, dwelling instead on the little stumbles we make, we are only hurting ourselves. Was I perfect? No. But did I bring value? Yes. And more importantly did I do something that will make me a different and better person tomorrow? Absolutely.

We need to do a better job of celebrating the chances we take, and our brave moments, instead of trying to focus on our imperfections or worse, downplaying our success. Success isn't about perfection - its about doing the best job you can do and liking who you are when you do it.

So, in summary, yay me.

Turning 40

When I was 12, my parents (and several of their neighbourhood friends) turned 40. There was a party circuit for about 18 months as they and their friends all hit this milestone, possibly middle aged birthday. “Lordy lordy look who’s 40” buttons were bought. Unfinished basements in the new subdivision we had all moved into a couple of years earlier were turned into themed zones like a tropical oasis or a major league baseball stadium. Forty balloons were delivered to my house for my dad’s birthday – several of which died an untimely death just two minutes as they hit our fabulous 80’s stucco ceiling. Ooops.

Here we are, 27(ish) years later and now the first of the “kids” are starting to hit the same milestone birthday (happy birthday to my stepsister and old friend Aimee). Pardon my French, but where the fuck did the time go? It seems like just a few years ago we were all learning to drive or finally being old enough where our real ID got us into bars. My stepdad has been warning me for at least 15 years that the older you get, the faster time goes. He sure wasn’t kidding.

It’s interesting to compare where our parents were vs. where we are at 40. Most of ours were living in their second or third home. Their kids, as mentioned, were all in their teens or tweens (although that was before “tween” was an actual thing). They were well established in their careers, likely at least 10 or so years the same company. Most of their hand-me-down or starter furniture had been replaced with stuff they actually liked, and it had been paid for with cash. Most of our families had two cars, but the mom’s generally drove much crappier used cars that were almost as old as us kids. They made coffee at home, drank only when they had company over and thought nothing of buying a frozen lasagnas or cheap meat pies for those busy family nights. Oh and they all had been married for over 15 years.

And where are we? Well for starters, a lot of us are on our second or third long term romantic relationship (or single). Most of us aren’t married in the traditional sense. There are not as many offspring with our generation, and we had them much later as a rule.

Almost all of us “kids” own a home, although more of us are in our first home still. Our mortgages are much bigger, even in relative comparison to our larger salaries. Our homes are filled with more or less new furniture, shiny appliances and kitchen gadgets that weren’t even on our

mothers’ radars. A lot of which might be paid off, but was bought with credit because we didn’t want to wait to buy it. And the cars? For those of the kids in a “couple” there isn’t as much of a divide (if any) in the value of the automotive each person is driving.

Professionally we are all doing well. We have a lot more post-secondary education under our belts than most of our parents did. And we’ve probably worked at a half dozen different places so far, with at least a few more in our collective futures. Many of us are making more than our parents did before they retired in the last few years. We start our days with $5 lattes at Starbucks (well at least I do). We try to buy organic when we can or at the very least we read labels before putting most items in our grocery carts. We are told to avoid frozen dinners because they aren’t healthy or the right thing to do for our families. Sometimes we listen.

The 40s held a lot of change for the neighbourhood parents. There were a couple of divorces. Sadly a couple of our parents didn’t make it to 50. It wasn’t all doom and gloom though – they got to see us graduate high school and in some cases even move out! (I am pretty sure that is every parent’s secret or not so secret dream), went on dream trips, remodelled homes and bought cottages. The divorced and widowed ones found new relationships and love again when they weren’t sure it would happen.

I have no idea what the next 10 years will hold for us, just as our parents had no idea what was in store for them. As I learned with my 30s, a lot can change in 10 years. We might be in a different place than our parents were when they turned 40, but I think a lot of the challenges and opportunities for us will be the same over the next decade. I also know there is no slowing down time.

Dating and the "Problem" with Being Single

Where to begin. I've been somewhat single for a little over a year. In September of 2013, the 6+ year relationship I was in ended and I found myself starting over with my "zoo" in tow. I briefly dated an older guy I had met through work. Around the time that phased itself out, I needed to find a new place to live (my landlord was selling) and I decided to look into buying my own place. Over the course of the summer I found a great home and moved in. Needless to say, much of my summer was focused on moving - it takes a lot of time and effort.

September rolled around and I thought I might like to see what is out there in the dating world. I signed up for a couple of different sites - one a paid, more "quality" site with people who really seemed to want to find "the one" and another cheap and cheerful site where you had a range of people looking for a range of things, from marriage to random hook ups (read: insta-sex)

I've encountered a lot of weirdos. And some nice people. I've had more than enough unsolicited naked pictures sent (Men: Your "bits" are not photogenic. Just stop!). I've had some good conversations, a couple of coffee dates and a few dinners. I haven't met anyone that I feel a spark with or have enough in common with to move forward.

So for now I am not going to actively pursue these sites anymore, at least for awhile. Which I am totally okay with. The back and forth and questionable people you need to wade through are exhausting. While it would be nice to have a guy to go to dinner with or a movie, I am perfectly happy being by myself. I am not sitting home along being bored. My life is busy. I have good friends. I exercise a few times a week. I walk the hounds. I don't need someone to fill up time. I don't have to have a date (contrary to popular opinion) for the Holiday Party. If the right person comes along, then great. Otherwise I will keep on doing what I am doing.

We live in a world where people being single after a certain age is almost like an illness or problem other people feel like they need to fix for you. It's not. There is nothing wrong with me. I am happy. I have a lot of happily coupled friends and that is fantastic. But I wouldn't think any less of them if they were single. They aren't my friends because they are part of a couple. And I don't feel like I need to make unsolicited suggestions to them on how they could do better in their relationships, how they could be more content etc. Live and let live!

The other thing I've noticed about being single is that many people equate "standards" as well as likes and dislikes when it comes to a potential partner, with the single person being too picky, or worse "jaded and bitter". Often without even knowing what your standards are. I'm not looking for a 6'2 perfectly fit man who makes $150K a year and drives a silver BMW, hates French toast and likes kittens. I have some flexibility. However I am not going to settle for someone who I am not attracted to, isn't clever and doesn't share the same values as me. We should probably have a few interests in common. And he probably does need to like kittens (cats) and dogs. Not wanting to settle doesn't make a person jaded or bitter. It means you understand and know what you want (and don't want) and are prepared to be honest about it.

Being single isn't a problem. I have a great job a nice home, friends, a lovely family and of course  my zoo. I don't need another person to complete me and I don't need sympathy for my relationship status. Dating should be fun and when it isn't, taking a break is okay too.

And thats all I have to say about that :)

Dear Diary

On a recent Friday night, I sat down (with a LARGE glass of wine) and got out my box of journals. I've been keeping a journal for the better part of 25 years, with some noticeable gaps here and there. The gaps normally are a result of me being really happy with life and life (love, career, home etc.) being really stable. For those of you who aren't great with math, 25 years means I started writing my thoughts and ideas down around age 13 or 14.

The journals are all numbered. In the front of them, I had written the "highlights" of what topics one would find discussed in the attached pages, whether it be a milestone event, a boyfriend, a trip or a terrible experience. When I was younger, there would be teenage doodles of hearts and butterflies, with the occasional pairing of my first name with the surname of whatever crush I had at that time. Or crushes. I was open to more than one marriage opportunity. Oh Lauren.

In the beginning, my entries were short, a little EMO and were a lot about likes and dislikes. I liked a certain boy. I hated a certain teacher. Things were a lot more black and white. As I got older, I wrote mostly when things were upsetting or bothering me; the journal was an outlet for me to expresses how I was feeling. As I flipped through a couple of "teen" journals, I felt sad for the Lauren who was trying so hard to fit in, make friends and figure out who she was. I cringed at some of the stupid, inexperience things I said or did (and then sipped my wine). I had to keep reminding the present day me that experience is how we learn, and that most people go through those awkward years and come out the other end okay - its part of the journey.

It was interesting to see what changed in me over the years and what has stayed the same. We don't always remember events in hindsight the way they actually happened. When you go back and read a journal, you suddenly remember little details, feelings and thoughts that aren't part of the memories you have now (even if the journal entry is a little emotionally skewed). For example, in reading my journal from 2005/2006, I realized there were a lot more reasons I moved to Calgary (or more specifically left Toronto) than I realized. And that there were several things that influenced that decision before the option to move was even on the table. There are probably several blog posts I could do on that subject.

A lot of people will tell you how writing in a journal helps you work through problems, express yourself, have an outlet for stress etc. What never seems to be mentioned though are the benefits of being able to sit down, years later, and read your own life story. As cringeworthy as some of the entries are, it is pretty interesting to see how we grow, learn, make mistakes (repeat those mistakes) and evolve over time. I didn't read them all - some I just couldn't read because I knew they'd be a bit too emotional for what I was prepared to deal with on a Friday night. I read enough of them though to really get a sense of pride for the Lauren I've become over time, a perspective I'm not sure I'd have without the ability to look back in time like that.

There is no right or wrong way to keep a journal. It can be in an agenda, in a real diary with a lock and key or just a simple notebook. No one judges you on spelling (except maybe you, 20 years later). No one evaluates sentence structure, handwriting or pen colour. You can add mementos or just stick to written thoughts. You can write a page, or 10 pages on a subject. You can skip days, months or even the odd year. The best part is that I don't think its ever too late to start - so give it a try!

Remembering...

Today is Remembrance Day. Every year on November 11, commemorate and remember the men and women who have served, and continue to serve Canada during times of war, conflict and peace. We remember the more than 1,500,000 Canadians who have served throughout our nation’s history and the more than 118,000 who made the ultimate sacrifice.

I also think about people like my grandparents on my mom's side. My Grandpa S. wanted to serve but due to crummy knees and bad eyesight, was unable to join up with the army or airforce. So he did the next best thing and became a volunteer firefighter, travelling over to southern England to fight fires created by the frequent German bombing raids. He wasn't on the front lines, but he was helping save lives and homes in and around Plymouth. It was there that he met my grandma.

My Grandma was a teenager when World War II started. She lived in Plymouth, which was a heavily bombed area of England because it was a major port. She did what she could to help raise and care for her siblings. She didn't have a lot to say about what went n during the war, but I know he did what she could to try to protect her siblings. I know she lost a good girlfriend who was killed by a bomb while walking home from school or a social event shortly after they had parted ways. I can't imagine what it was like for her, her family and other people who had to live through day after day of rations, bombings, death and loss. To tho day she's a strong, positive person and I'm sure thats what got her through what must have been some very difficult times.

At some point during the war, she started helping out at the local mess hall where volunteers like my grandpa would go to eat. Now my Grandma is a great cook. But one thing she's never been able to do is make toast. Even with modern day toasters on the lightest setting, she absolutely has always burnt toast to a crisp. Somehow, at the Mess Hall, she was put in charge of making toast.

Family legend has it that a young Canadian firefighter liked the burnt toast so much, he kept going up for more helpings, eventually asking to meet whomever was making such delicious toast. And the rest, as they say, was history. They courted for a couple of months before he had to return to Canada. He mailed her an engagement ring (don't try this in 2014) and she responded (likely also via mail) "yes". Two years later after the war was over, she boarded a hollowed out Lancaster bomber, left everything and everyone she knew behind and flew to Canada. They were married for over 50 years.

Our armed forces (and those of our allies) throughout the years have been so critical to helping to protect and maintain our freedoms. I think its also important to recognize the millions of strong, brave and determined people who keep up their morale while facing war on their own soil. They courageously kept their families and communities together during hardships most of us can't even begin to imagine. They lost so many loved ones and friends. And when it was all over, they all rebuilt and moved on, teaching us what it means to be resilient, and reminding future generations to appreciate the sacrifices made to give us all that we have today.

Speaking Up

Next week I am doing something that is a big deal for me - public speaking (list item #10).

I was invited to speak at the 4th Annual Internal Brand Canada conference being held in Toronto. It's not a huge conference or anything but I saw it as a challenge for me - an opportunity to do something outside of my comfort zone, but something I think I could do well at with some practice.

If you've known me a long time, you know I've always been a very shy person. I have come a long way. When I was really young, I used to make my brother talk for me to anyone outside of my immediate family (and maybe grandparents). In elementary school, my shyness was often mistaken for me not paying attention, or worse, being unintelligent. There was (and is) nothing worse to me than people thinking I'm not smart, simply because I was quiet in group settings. I recognized at a very early age that I'd need to be brave and get better at speaking up in group situations to make sure people took notice of my ideas and brain power (ha).

In the 4th grade, our school held a talent show. It was completely voluntary - so (naturally...) I signed up to be a performer, telling jokes. I can vividly remember my mom getting a call from the teacher about my intentions.

"She signed up to do what???!! In front of the whole school? Lauren did?"

My Mom got off the phone looking confused. She sat me down, and was quite serious.  I wondered if I was in trouble. She chose her words carefully, cautiously. She was sure I simply had not understood the nature of the show being for the whole school and parents, or the fact that it wasn't mandatory for students to perform. When I told her I understood, she looked more confused. She then asked me (in the most supportive, loving, but bewildered way) why I had chosen to tell jokes. To her, I wasn't an overly funny kid. I was clever, and liked a good joke, but I wasn't funny. So why jokes? Obviously, I responded, it was because I couldn't sing or dance. My mom told me as long as I was sure I wanted to do this, she'd help me with whatever I thought I needed help with.

The day of the talent show arrived. I had borrowed a giant wrinkle dog puppet from family friends (my mom's "help") - someone to be on stage with me to be a part of my routine. I was wearing overalls but I am not sure why (also my mother's idea - probably to match the puppet). What I did know I was absolutely soul sucking terrified. I was in a fog of fear.  My act was after a classmate's lip-synching, leather pant and jacket wearing rendition of Gowan's "You're a Strange Animal" - the kid had star power and had the crowd mesmerized. How the heck could I follow that?

But I did. I got up there. I only remember the very first joke I told:

Q: Why did the circle, square and triangle go jogging?
A: Because they wanted to stay in shape

Within seconds, one of the teachers in the back broke out in loud, genuine, hearty guffaws. I had succeeded. And while I still would be painfully shy for many years to come, I had slowly but surely poked my head out of my shell just a little bit, enough to know that someday I would be capable of being a person who could easily express myself to a large group of people.

Thirty some odd years later, I'll be getting up on stage to do my first "professional" public speaking gig. While I probably won't break out the shape joke, the whole thing is a bit of a tip of a hat to the fourth grader in me who took a chance, and did something terrifying, knowing that it would make me a better person in the long run.

Oh and the lip-syncher who "opened" for me in the talent show? Yeah, he's the lead singer in a little band called Finger Eleven. I guess more than one of us went places :)

Back on Track

There has been a lot going on. Which has made me kind of check out and hide from a lot of things I like doing (like writing for example). So my list item of writing everyday has been a bit fail. I've been told that perhaps that goal was a bit too lofty and not to beat myself up. I do wish though, that I had kept things up a little better over the last little while.

I'm getting back on track though so I'm ready to get back to this list thing. So far, this is where we were:

• Write everyday (here, in this blog!)
• Buy a new bicycle. My new house is near such great pathway systems and I would really enjoy getting out more in the nice weather
• Go back to school. I have a plan for this. Stay tuned.
• Run a 5KM run event
• Do at least one random act of kindness every month
• Mail a letter a week. People like getting fun mail
• Read a book a month (I read books quickly but often forget to make time to read).
• Take golf lessons. The trees will thank me.
• Plant a veggie garden.
• Do a public speaking gig. This has always terrified me a lot although I know I am capable. Time to break out of that comfort zone.
• Call my Mom every week.

The next part of the list was travel related:

• Napa Valley - If all goes to plan, this is where I will actually celebrate my 40th birthday. I want to eat good food and drink good wine. Rinse and repeat.
• Vegas - its been 9 or so years and I'd like to try some different things there that I didn't get to do the first time around.
• Ireland - I've wanted to go to Ireland for more than 20 years. A certain someone I know is getting married there next year. What better reason to head over there?
• Vancouver - Ive been on a few business trips here but I want to go back and do a long weekend adventure in and around Vancouver.
• Montreal - I've never been here. Which makes me a bad Canadian, a bad foodie and it also makes me sad. Its been on the list about 15 years. It's time Montreal, it's time. Perhaps while I'm there I could do a visit to Quebec City too. I love that place.
• Italy - I've been to Italy for a day - not quite enough. There are so many places I want to see in Italy, many trips in my life will be needed. 
• Boston - This has been on my list since I was about 14 and wanted to go to Harvard law. My reasons for travelling there may have shifted but I still want to check out the city.
• Chicago - Another place I've always wanted to go to and just explore for a long weekend.
• San Francisco.

So what else? Here is most of the rest of the list!

• Take a culinary class. I'd like to learn knife skills and maybe learn how to cook a specific type of food.

The next three are related:

• Start a wine collection.
• Buy a wine fridge.
• Learn more about wine.
• Learn to hang a picture. Properly.
• Find a new volunteer gig.
• Learn how to put air in my tires (I know, I should know this).
• Learn how to change a tire.
• Make time for myself to get a massage every month.
• Hit 25 blood donations (5 more to go!).
• Sing one song by myself in Karaoke.
• Become a mentor in a mentoring program.
• Go for at least one hike in the mountains a month (June-September - I am not crazy).
• Learn Spanish. At least in a basic conversational way.
• Finish my company website (the company I own, not the one I work for)

This leaves about 5 spots left on my list. I am going to wait a bit to fill them with "to dos" - I am sure I'll get some ideas in the coming months. I'm also up to suggestions!

It's nice to be back to focusing on this.