greetings!

a few years ago, i said some words about trying new things. i made a list of a bunch of new things i wanted to try, the idea being that trying new things improves your quality of life or something and even, apparently, slows down time. most of these things have as of yet gone uncompleted. i can blame this, i guess, on being in the midst of chronic illness at the time, moving halfway across the country which ruled out my ability to do things such as “go swing dancing at the wabasha street caves” (i have, in the years since, taken a couple swing dancing classes though!!) and amazingly, i still have not managed to cross off “take an appalachian clogging class” even though i now find myself in appalachia. and no, i have still not watched titanic.

i made this list when there was a lot of uncertainty in my life, and now as i sit down to write a new list, there is a lot of uncertainty in the world. but maybe that’s something that’s always been there and it took advertisement number 98458764 going “in these uncertain times, treat yourself to a new car” to make us realize it. maybe you can’t count on anything, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stop seeking out new adventures in this life. and so i present to you, a list of the things i’ve managed to complete from that first list, a list of new things i happened to have done last year despite the global pandemic, a list of new things i’d like to try and do in this next year, and the beginnings of a list for 2022. take from it whatever inspiration you may need to make your own list. happy new year everyone!!

three years ago:

  • make dampfnudel
  • read to kill a mockingbird
  • try meditation
  • try korean shaved ice
  • play dnd
  • make a sweater for my dog (technically i said i was gonna knit the sweater, but i instead made it out of the sleeve of one of my old sweaters so i’ll count it)

last year:

  • experimented with a new style of 2D art (see above)
  • dyed my hair blonde
  • learned to drive a mail truck
  • made a hot pot
  • got a medusa piercing
  • made ethiopian food
  • helped make a quilt
  • dressed up as a jester
  • made a cheesecake (which in my 2018 post i said i would never ever do but here we are. i didn’t eat any of it though.)
  • illustrated a book
  • got a pet chameleon
  • made sichuan mung bean jelly
  • got a christmas tree

this year:

  • go ziplining (yes this was on 2018’s list and yes i have been planning to do this every single year since about 2015)
  • go indoor skydiving (also from 2018)
  • experiment with fermentation, in particular some of the recipes from the noma guide to fermentation
  • make pond puddings, hopefully with more success than in the great british bake off
  • learn about ar/vr and try incorporating it into my art
  • read mastering the art of french cooking
  • sew upcycled clothing
  • have a day of mindfulness, as outlined in the miracle of mindfulness
  • make a convenience store tasting menu
  • watch stranger things

next year:

  • learn a new language (language tbd)
  • make the fruit cake from dessert person (a 2-month process!)
  • go caving (maybe. i gotta read into the earth and get back to you)
  • ???????

-kara