list

What I Do When I’m Alone

* Make up random songs about what I’m doing.

* Narrate my actions in a Sam Elliott voice.

* Have full conversations with my dog.

* Let my laundry pile up for days weeks.

* Clean 90% of the time. Like you would probably be worried for my health if you saw my ratio of cleaning to other life activities.

* Watch Netflix like it’s my second job.

* Walk around in no and/or hobo clothes.

* Eat really weird meals that probably don’t actually count as meals, like a handful of popcorn, some dark chocolate blueberries, and a hunk of sourdough with cheese.

* Start 50 projects and businesses then remember OMG, I HAVE STUFF TO DO!!!!

* Cry a lot about really weird stuff, like dropping things on the floor and comedy romances.

* Sing at the top of my lungs for 2 seconds and love my inner-Beyonce until I remember I have neighbors and immediately revert to my quiet-as-a-mouse humming.

* Take selfies.

Photo on 2014-01-14 at 22.53 #2

* Eat in my bed BECAUSE WHY WOULDN’T YOU?!

* Rearrange things all. The. Time.

* Turn the AC (or heat) off and on every two seconds because my body doesn’t know what it wants.

* Random dance moves while walking from room to room.

* Let my dog sleep in my bed………… white sheets and all.

* Contemplate the finality of death until I have an existential crisis and ensuing panic attack.

* Write.

* Snapchat random and grotesque faces to my friends.

* Talk to maaayyybbeee two people on the phone, max.

* Go for really long walk ‘n’ talks with my pup. (They’re never as cool as the ones on The West Wing.)

* Skype my sister for nothing less than five hours, even if we’re just cooking in silence at the same time.

* Inspect every flaw of my body and come up with an intricate way to solve it NOW!

* Vine idiotic videos, then later delete them when I realize they aren’t funny at all.

* Create unique, delicious dishes I can inevitably never recreate around other humans.

* Laugh at everything so often and weirdly that I scare myself when I realize how shrill I sound.

* Grade papers, and papers, and papers, AND MORE PAPERS!

* Have one person fashion shows before deciding I hate all my clothes.

* Drink, like, 78 sodas.

* Read.

* Utilize my TV, laptop, phone, and camera all at the same time. #megadesk

* Pass out at odd times such as 6 p.m. before waking up at around 9 or 10, realize I still have to do chores, but decide to write a random blog instead.

26 Gonnas for 26!

Happy July, everyone! This is one of my favorite, yet busiest months. Birthdays, parties, holidays, vacations, and anniversaries like Oprah is handing them out — one for you, and one for you, and one for YOU! I’m going to be on the run most of this month, but I won’t leave you hanging without entries. However, they’ll be on a sort of off-kilter timeline. Can ya dig?

With my birthday looming in a mere 11 (almost 10!) days, I decided to kick off the month with a birthday-related gonna challenge… for myself. I mean, overall, 25 was great. It had marvelous moments, but also dark ones. I went through a bit of a quarter-life crisis, and though I’m sure it’s not completely done with me, the crisis is definitely on the waning end of a decline. But you know what? I’m ready for better than great; I’m ready for amazing.

After reading this article, it didn’t take me long to figure out what I wanted to get myself for my name day: my break; my second chance. Sure, I overcame a few of the bigger gonnas I’d set up for myself in year two-five, but ever the perfectionist, I want to do better. Ever the believer of my own late bloomed-ness, I am hoping 26 is going to be my door-opening year. Every year after that will build on the success I hope know 26 will be. Happy sort-of-late-twentyhood to me!

1. Wake up with the sun at least 180 days over the next year.
2. Fly to visit my sister in Japan.*
3. Finish my screenplay.
4. Don’t let items I have gathered to create a project sit on my shelf for more than 2 weeks… ever.
5. Diagnose and solve my voice problems, then sing publicly when I have the all clear.
6. Get my teaching license.
7. Write one blog every week!
8. Learn to drive a manual car.
9. Make 50 YouTube videos.
10. Get over my fear of heights by climbing a lighthouse, ziplining, both, or more!
11. Teach someone something life-changing. **
12. Make a Southern road trip to Texas and back.*
13. Finish writing a book with C.
14. Learn how to sew.
15. Go legit camping for a weekend with J and the pups.
16. Spend more time with my family. **
17. Do some photoshoots (at least one!) with a professional photographer.
18. Get something published.
19. Raise $500 for my business, Southern Sheek.
20. Do a Goodwill-level cleanout every 3 months until I only have what I (for the most part) need.
21. Let go of toxic people in my life.
22. Make a weekend trip to a new place, any place.
23. Write and send fanmail to all those people who have inspired me along the way.
24. Meet a sloth!
25. Really make 10 people’s day – five of whom I know and five strangers.
26. Be thankful and say so at the end of every day.

* Money allowing.
** Specifics to come when I figure it out!

I’m gonna do this! What are y’all gonna do this year?