Sometimes I joke that I feel like I live in the 1990’s because I’m currently living without the internet and cable TV at home. But since moving here, do I really miss these luxuries? Not really!  I spent the last month actually living and exploring all that Cape Town has to offer. I sleep normal hours, run daily, and just joined a bikram yoga studio. The less I stress, the more balanced I become, at work and at home.  So for my birthday today, I came up with a list, a sort of to-do list, for my 26th year:

1. Get up before sunrise and greet the dawn. Watch the world wake up around you.
2. Learn first aid.
3. Plant more trees and learn to identify them.
4. Exercise often.  Run daily.  Don’t feel guilty on the days you’re too tired.
5. Explore more of South Africa outside of Cape Town, including Kruger.
6. Climb a mountain.
7. Throw a party.
8. Learn more about the stars (and then sleep under them).
9. Learn a foreign language and use it to order a beer.
10. Conquer a fear.
11. Get a room with a view.
12. Enjoy sundowners while watching a desert sunset.
13. Learn not to say yes when I mean no.
14. Shower in a waterfall.
15. Invest in my community.
16. Drive on the left-hand side of the road.
17. Learn to make chocolate.
18. Accept myself for who I am.
19. Learn something new daily.
20. Write a personal mission statement. Follow it. Then revise it.