Top Ten Things I want to do in the U.S.A.
1. Take a long road trip out west. I really want to see the Grand Canyon. I’ve been saying it for years, but I’ve never made the journey. I think it’s time now. I’ve only been as far west as Minnesota, so I have a lot of exploring to do. Hopefully I can convince some of my family members to make the trip with me to increase the fun and decrease the cost.
2. Rock climb on the regular. I was hooked before, but now that I’ve gone outside I am really hooked. I want to climb a lot, learn from others and become self-sufficient. To make this happen I first have to make friends that climb outside and have their own gear. Then I need to invite myself along and learn from them. I think I can do that.
3. Go camping. I love hiking and camping, but for some reason I always forget how much I love it until I go. I enjoy everything about it. It’s relaxing and scenic and there’s always good food and great company. I went on a family backpacking trip right before I came to Thailand and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. In May I would like to go on at least two hiking or camping trips. Who’s with me?
4. Have a family bar-b-que. Last summer we had quite a few of these at the Schu farm and a couple in State College. Preparing for Katie’s wedding was fun because it meant we were all at home together. I can’t wait to smell salmon grilling, taste ice-cold lemonade and read a book on the deck while I’m waiting for the chefs to serve up the meal. There definitely has to be more than one though because I imagine myself hanging out in the shade at the Schu farm and also splashing around in the pool at Agrestic. That way both Momma Schu and Calder can show off their grilling abilities.
5. Pet a dog or two. It goes without saying that I want to hug and squeeze Charlie, but I’ve also been missing the dogs in my life. I’m an aunt to both Dutch and Ca$h and it has been way too long since I’ve seen them. A belly rub is in order for Dutch and a nap with Ca$h is needed.
6. Invite my Philly friends to the Schu farm for two nights in the magical forest. Last year for my friend’s and my birthday I had a few people come to Shamokin. We pitched a tent and slept outside for two days; it was amazing to say the least. This time I’m hoping we’ll make it a bit further into the woods and remember to bring enough water to last us for the entire trip. I think everyone had a good time so it shouldn’t be too hard to convince everyone for round two. This time I want double doses all around though, more people, activities and fun times.
7. Walk more and drive less. In Philly walking is kind of scary. I drive quite often because I’m usually carrying expensive equipment and you can’t ever let your guard down. Even so, I want to challenge myself to walk more and drive less. I spend way too much money on gas, oil, tires and mainly parking tickets and tows. Driving causes me nothing but stress and rage and I realized that once I came here. In Chonburi everything is relatively close to each other so it’s easy to walk around. That’s not always the case in the states. Basically I just want to stop making excuses to myself that something is too far away or it will take too long to walk, etc. I just need to put on my sneakers and go for it.
8. Move to a new state. I’m not sure where or when, but soon. My top priority is to get some much needed family and friend time in, make some money and then move out of Philadelphia. I really love Pennsylvania, but since my family lives there I figure I can come back any time I want to. Right now I’m thinking about Colorado or California. I’ve never been to either, but I moved to Thailand and I hadn’t ever been here before. For now I’m keeping my options open, so suggestions are welcome.
9. Take a dip in the freezing cold Atlantic. Can you believe it? I can’t either. I think the real reason I want to go to the beach on the east coast is because I know I’ll be there with good company. Thailand’s beaches kick the Jersey Shores’ ass, but having a good old fashion day trip to one of the most polluted shores in the country is always fun. I want to see awful American bodies in bikinis and eat pizza on the boardwalk while getting beeped at by the tramcar. Hopefully this time I won’t lose my car in Atlantic City for two hours though.
10. Simplify yet add complexity to my life. Huh? I want to add certain elements to my life that will broaden my horizons, but I don’t want to become bogged down by unnecessary evils. Since I’ve been here I’ve had a lot of time to think. Think about what I used to do and what I want to do. Who I am currently and who I strive to be. What I want and what I actually need. I bet all that sounds pretty vague, but you’ll get a better idea of what I mean in my next post.
