Bucket List Bios

Those of you that know me know how much I love plans. Even right now I want to text a friend to find out our “plans.” However, I took a class last year that was very ambiguous. It took me awhile to catch on but what doesn’t challenge you, doesn’t change you. I prefer having plans but sometimes the best outcomes happen from no plans at all. I’ve been keeping a running tab of things I hope to do one day – my bucket list – also linked as a tab on the blog. I’m going to talk about two things I have recently checked off the list and both of them were planned unplanned adventures!

When: Wednesday afternoon àThursday morning

Where: Skipping graduate classes à Boone, North Carolina (4.5 hours away)

Who: my roommate, Shauna, Sundy Best, and new friends from Kentucky

What: spontaneous trip to see Sundy Best and Corey Smith perform a concert at Appalachian State University

Why: YOLO

The story: Now that the scene is set, Shauna and I took off, showed up, arrived at the bar, and realized that we were perhaps the oldest people in line to get in. There were lots of undergraduate college students around us, which we usually love, but not when we want to have a few beers and hear our favorite band (or when they are peeing outside on a truck – which happened.) 

Waiting to get in. The bar was BYOB check in style.

"Heaven must be a Kentucky kind of place" and "Kentucky kicks ass" shirts.

After we were in and settled I overheard someone at the bar say they were from Kentucky. I freaked out, introduced myself, and made some new friends. Shauna and I watched, loved, and sang along with every song Sundy Best performed. (The students around us had no clue who they were and we yelled at them over and over to just shut up and learn to love them.) 

Front row, far right.

After they finished and Corey Smith’s band was setting up we walked over to the merchandise table where our new Kentucky friends were and I said to them, “Can you introduce us to your other Kentucky friends?” And guess who we got to meet? Sundy Best! Kris and Nick! (Now you are probably thinking – wow, cool, that is great to check off your bucket list but noooo.. there is more!) After we chatted a bit, took some pictures, and chatted some more it clicked in Kris’ mind that Shauna and I drove almost 5 hours on a work night to watch them. That is when we both got big kisses on the cheek! And here is where I can cross “kiss a boy in a band” off my bucket list!! It was one of the best nights ever. After Corey Smith finished we hung out a little more and then finally drove around Boone to find late night food and a hotel. After sleeping only a few hours we made the trek back up to JMU where we had to rush into work and keep on keeping on! Thinking of the excitement from the night before is what kept me going all day!

Shauna, Sundy Best (Nick and Kris), and me!

When: That day in January that I ran a mile for the first time à early Saturday morning in April

Where: Planet Fitness gym à JMU’s campus

Who: my roommate, Shauna, other cohort friends, and 700 other racers

What: 5K race to support girls and women health and physical education

Why: It was a color run with a box of Girl Scout cookies at the end!

The story: There isn’t much to this story except that when it comes to physical activity I am a lazy ass. You might laugh but really – I have always led an active lifestyle with really high metabolism and haven’t ever worked up a habit of exercising regularly (except the two years in high school that Mom and I fell in love with Pilates). One semester I tried going to the gym with a friend every morning at 6AM or so and half the time I think he found me stretching sleeping on the yoga mats when it was time to leave. I do enough to be a fairly healthy person but certainly nothing extra for sure! This all changed in January when I joined a gym in Harrisonburg for pretty cheap and really didn’t know what else to do there so I jumped on a treadmill.

At this point I was only really concerned about getting the guy signing me up's phone number. Mission accomplished.

After a few trips I challenged myself to run a mile – something I had never done in my life. (Full disclosure, I somehow always lied got away with not running the complete mile in grade school or high school – even for the Presidential fitness test!) After a mile became a smoother trek I tried to knock my time down to under 10 minutes. Then I added more distance. I had never pushed myself so hard physically before. It was pretty awesome if I’m honest about it. Who would have ever thought I would say that?! Then I went on a gym hiatus. I was working on my portfolio and class and applying for jobs and work got busy. I just didn’t make time and needed to stay focused on other things. Excuses, excuses, I know. But it’s my life so whatever, that’s what happened.

A few weeks ago I was inspired by an email advertising a race and started back at the gym again. The seed of running a 5K was planted in my head. It was already on my bucket list but really I thought I had years to accomplish that. One night I was pretty fired up about something which is great fuel for the gym. I didn’t set out trying to run 3 miles but as I got closer I just kept going. Afterwards I thought, that’s it, I have to sign up! I’m on a roll! Over the next two weeks I had some muscle pain in my calves so I didn’t get out as often as I would have liked. In fact, I have only ran twice in that time frame but I was already signed up and determined. My goal was to take it easy but finish strong. I wanted to run this race, not walk it. Since I didn’t know what type of pain I would experience in my calves I decided 15 minute miles was a safe pace and wanted to finish the race in 45 minutes. After being blasted with red, purple, yellow, blue, and green every kilometer, I ran through that finish line so proud of myself. Get this – my time was a little over 30 minutes. SO PROUD! The end was made a little sweeter by being rewarded with a box of girl scout cookies…. And brunch at Billy Jack’s complete with a bloody Mary and my favorite breakfast sliders.

Jumping for joy with my CSPA little. Check out the mountains in the background. I get that view everyday.

No, things didn’t go as planned for me in the last few weeks but I accomplished something I never thought I would be able to do. I made memories that will never be able to be replaced. Life is unpredictable and ambiguous and that’s okay with me. I’ve been challenged and I’ve been changed. What have you done lately that has surprised you? What do you want to do?