I have a huge, ongoing list I’ve kept since middle school of things I wanted to do and places I wanted to go before I died. It’s exciting to read and remember all the ones that are checked off as well as the ones I have yet to cross out.

The top experiences of my life:

Skydiving - Sophomore year of college, a week after my first boyfriend and I broke up. I felt I needed to start living up to my motto. This was followed by my first cigarette, my first time smoking hookah, my first drunken escapade and my first random makeout session with a strange boy (not all in the same night!). Wrong order? Perhaps. But the feeling of jumping out of a plane is indescribable and life-altering. In a very, very good way.

Falling in love – By far the coolest, and scariest thing, I’ve ever done..

Kickboxing, Self-Defense – Even though I am still petrified of any encounter in which I may have to remember these moves, I was at my peak physically and felt like an incredibly strong woman during these classes and I miss them.

Raising Lions – What started as a need to get back to myself (aka, living wide) after a break-up from my first but not nearly true love, turned into one of the coolest stories of my life. Not only did I get to help raise lion cubs in South Africa, alone for 3 weeks from family and friends and bf; I also met some amazing people and held some big snakes, got to cuddle with a cheetah as well as the lions and rode an elephant.
Lions are unforgiving and selfish and magnificent. And the fact that these white lions are being decimated is a tragedy. I’m glad I could do a small part.

Adopting Bond - A semi-spontaneous decision that I questioned for a few brief moments before I took him home. I’m eternally grateful that I found him out of all the kitties. He is my greatest achievement.

Can’t wait to add more…