So about 2 years ago, I came up with a list of things I wanted to do before I turned 35 (Rae's List). Clearly, I'll be 35 next year (Yikes!!!) and haven't really crossed much off the list. Sooo, I'm updating my list and making it a list of things to do before I turn 40...which - not that I really wanna think about turning 40 - but will happen in 6 years (Yikes!!!). This gives me 6 years to concentrate on crossing things off my list. I think the fun comes with trying to do each thing. Of course, I'd love to get married and have a child before I'm 40, but that's not my call. That's all on God. BUT, I'm putting it on my list. I'll update every few months and blog about my progress. For most of the things on my list, it's not that I'm afraid to do it or don't have the time. It's that I don't have the funds to do it. I'm not worried though. Let's see how much I can cross off in 6 years, 6 months, and 24 days. Ready? Set? GO!
Updated List:
- Become Dr. Rae Weakly, EdD
- Get counseling license
- Sky dive
- Para sail
- Jet ski
- Swim w/dolphins
- Bungee jump
- Cliff dive
- Stay in a hotel (or beach house) on the beach
- Stay in a resort
- Stay in an expensive hotel for at least one night without worrying about price
- Learn Spanish - be able to hold conversation with native speakers & my sister
- Learn a 3rd language (Portuguese, Italian, French, or Japanese)
- Learn to play acoustic guitar
- Shake hands w/a celebrity
- Become a published author
- Fall in love
- Get married
- Have a child
- Travel to other countries/cities/states - Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Brazil, Holy Land, St. Thomas Virgin Islands, Italy, Spain, Japan, Cuba, Columbia, Tahiti, Philippines, Virginia, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Phoenix, Jamaica
- Become owner of THRIVING business, AYM Enrichment Center
- Learn to belly dance
- Learn to Salsa
- Take Hip Hop class
- Get a professional makeover
- Go to a spa
- Get 3rd tattoo
- Ride a motorcycle
- Take kickboxing class
- Fly first class
- Have at least one of my novels optioned for film
- Wear shorts in public *NOTE* When I wrote this 2 years ago, I hadn't worn shorts in 12 years cos I was self-conscious about my legs. Still kinda self conscious, but I have worn shorts since I added this to the list. Yay me!
- Wear a daring (yet tasteful) dress
- Start research on what makes other countries' educational system work & what America can do to catch up
- Comfortably wear a swimsuit without cover (no shirt over it...no beach pants to cover my legs, etc)
- Participate in a walkathon
- Run a mile
- Go white-water rafting
- Learn how to ski
- Try a fruity alcoholic drink: Had a margarita...pretty good!
- Sing at a karaoke bar
- Learn sign language
- Become debt free
- Buy first house
- Buy my Escalade EXT
- Approach an attractive guy (if only for conversation. Even @ 33, I clam up around cute guys)
- Attend a Superbowl game
- Go to an awards show
- Get nose pierced
- Climb the Statue of Liberty
- Eat @ an expensive restaurant: Did this for my birthday, thanks to my friend!
- Set up a foundation for kids
- Become a motivational speak/mentor for young girls/teen girls
- Play basketball without dying
- Buy my parents their dream house
- Spend a whole day doing absolutely nothing (take a me-day): Had my 1st "me-day" early last year...have had several since then.
- Donate a substantial amount of $ for a worthy cause
- Learn how to play piano
- Plan a camp for girls and/or creative kids
- Experience Las Vegas (or Atlantic City) gambling once
- Research bo
El Rostro de Analia. My show, El Rostro de Analia, is leaving me! Just when I've discovered it. I've only been it watching for about 2 months. If I'm not mistaken - and I could be - Friday will be the series finale, so to speak. I know etapas final basically means final stage or final chapter, so I'm assuming that it's the same as a series finale as opposed to a season finale. Which means, after Friday, no more Analia. Now I have to find another novela to watch. Maybe Mas Sabe el Diablo, with cutie pie, Jencarlos Canela. 
Seriously, watching the Spanish channels has helped me TREMENDOUSLY with my espanol. No matter how cheesy the novelas may be - and some of them are really cheesy - I'm getting much better with my Spanish. I also buy the Latino mags like People En Espanol to read.
NBA Finals. Rashard Lewis is a Houstonian and an Alief Elsik High School (my Alma Mater) graduate, so GO MAGIC! If it can't be the Rockets (who, btw, passed up a chance to have Lewis on the team like, 10 years ago), I'll take a fellow Houstonian getting the ring/trophy.
Rae's List. So, last year, I came up with a list of things I'd like to do. It was originally for before I turn 35, but, clearly I'll be 35 in 2 years. Anyway, the list ended up having about 60 things on it. Now, ask me how many I've actually done? Go on. Ask. One! That's it. I've managed to cross of one thing off my list (wear shorts - I haven't worn shorts since about 1995 because I didn't like m legs and I did it last year). The good thing is, by the end of this year, I will have crossed off about 14 more things, including skydiving, getting my 3rd tattoo, and learn salsa (all this summer). I also get to cross of travel to Puerto Rico when we go in December. My sister and I are going to get our 3rd tattoo to celebrate her 27th birthday in July. I want an angel, but the ones I've seen have been too detailed (and painful looking). I'm still searching for the perfect angel. I LOVE angels. Like, really. I collect anything that has to do with angels. I actually have a creepy, yet cool story that goes with why I collect angels (besides the fact that the Bible tells us that God sends His angels to protect us). It's a blog post in itself that I'll tell another time - soon, though.
So, if you've read my "Rae's List" blog post, you know that visit Puerto Rico is on my list of things to do before - or by the time - I turn 35 (in, like, 3 years). I've wanted to go to PR since high school, when I saw a Puerto Rican cutie pie (don't remember his name or where I saw him, I just remember that he was fine). Then I actually saw pics and heard from others how gorgeous it is and instantly fell in love.
I'd made plans to go after graduating from college, 10 years ago, but money (or lack thereof) put a stop to it. Well, next year, I'll be graduating with my doctorate degree and I figured, what better way to celebrate becoming Dr. Rae Weakly, EdD, than taking a trip to Puerto Rico.
So, next year, during spring break, my sister, cousin, and I will be spending 10 glorious days in Puerto Rico. I have 5 months til we board that airplane. 5 months to save money for mucho spending dinero. 5 months to lose any weight I've put my mind to losing. 5 months to practice my espanol. 5 months!
Our trip is still in the planning stage, but, you can believe we'll be there come March 12th. My sis and I are determined to see this trip through. Nothing's going to stop us, not even a failing economy, unless, of course, God decides it ain't happening (and we've already prayed on that). I cannot wait. I think I deserve the trip. I have pics of PR plastered on my bedroom wall as inspiration and incentive to keep persevering. This doctorate thing is driving me insane, oh, but when I'm chilling on some beach, relaxing and having fun, the hard work will be worth it!
About 2 weeks ago, I finished reading a book called, Lilah's List, by Robyn Amos - a good (romance) book, by the way. The main character, Lilah, made a list of things she wanted to do by the time she was 30. She started the list at 16, forgot it after college, and came across it again 3 weeks before her 30th b-day. Lilah only had about half her list crossed off, so, she decided - or rather, her bff decided for her - to attempt to cross off what's left in 3 weeks.
This novel has inspired me to create my own list. Obviously, I can't do a "Before I turn 30" list because I've already past that monumental birthday. My next "big" b-day is 35. Actually, I was going to make it a "Before I turn 40" list, but my parents and sister are of the opinion that I need to change the age to 35. The fact that this only gives me 3 years to cross of my list items didn't matter to them. So, my list is "Rae's List of Things to do Before 35" or "Rae's List" for short. *NOTE: list is not in any order of importance.
- Become Dr. Rae Weakly, EdD
- Get counseling license
- Go sky diving
- Go para sailing
- Go jet skiing
- Swim with dolphins
- Go bungee jumping
- Go cliff diving
- Stay in a hotel (or beach house) on the beach
- Stay in a resort
- Stay in an expensive hotel for at least one night without worrying about price
- Learn Spanish - be able to hold conversation with native speakers & my sister
- Learn a 3rd language (Portuguese, Italian, French, or Japanese)
- Learn to play acoustic guitar
- Shake hands with a celebrity
- Become a published author
- Fall in love
- Get married
- Have a child
- Travel to other countries/cities/states - Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Brazil, Holy Land, St. Thomas Virgin Islands, Italy, Spain, Japan, Cuba, Columbia, Tahiti, Philippines, Virginia, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Phoenix,
- Become owner of THRIVING business, AYM Enrichment Center
- Learn to belly dance
- Learn to Salsa
- Learn to dance Hip Hop
- Get a professional makeover
- Go to a spa
- Get 3rd tattoo (I even know what and where, just not too fond of pain)
- Ride a motorcycle
- Learn kickboxing
- Fly first class
- Have at least one of my novels optioned for film
- Wear shorts in public (I'm self-conscious about my legs...haven't worn shorts in about 12 years)
- Wear a daring (yet tasteful) dress
- Start research on what makes other countries' educational system work & what America can do to catch up
- Comfortably wear a swimsuit without cover (no shirt over it...no beach pants to cover my legs, etc)
- Participate in a walkathon
- Run a mile
- Go white-water rafting
- Go skiing
- Try a fruity alcoholic drink
- Sing at a karaoke bar
- Learn sign language
- Become debt free
- Buy first house
- Buy my Escalade EXT
- Approach an attractive guy (if only for conversation. Even @ 32 I clam up around cute guys)
- Attend a Superbowl game
- Go to an awards show
- Get nose pierced
- Climb the Statue of Liberty
- Eat @ an expensive restaurant
- Set up a foundation for kids (still thinking of what it'll be for)
- Become a motivational speak/mentor for young girls/teen girls
- Play basketball without dying
- Buy my parents their dream house
- Spend a whole day doing absolutely nothing (take a me-day)
- Donate a substantial amount of $ for a worthy cause
- Learn how to play piano
- Plan a camp for girls and/or creative kids
- Experience Las Vegas (or Atlantic City) gambling once
- Research both sides of my family. We have a whole side of French and Native American (my great great grandparents on both sides)ancestors that I know nothing about. I also want to research our ancestors who were slaves.
So, that's it...so far, at least. Long list, right? Now that I think about it, it'll probably be more interesting, more exciting, to try to accomplish these things in 3 years as oppose to 8. I created this list on my 32nd birthday (last Sunday - September 28th). How fitting! Every once in a while, I'll update my list, crossing off things that I've accomplished. Let's see how many I can cross off in 3 years. Ready. Set. GO!
You will love Puerto Rico. I will post your blog spot on my site on Puerto Rico news site so people can dream with you.
E. Suarez
www.prpolitico.com