It's on her list!

Swim through a waterfall: check.

2009-08-04T05:51:00.001-07:00

When: early July 2009.

Where: Milla Milla Falls in the Atherton Tablelands in northern Queensland.

With whom: Elle Louise Duprey - we were on an Uncle Brian's tour of the Tablelands.

Isn't it winter in July in Australia? Yes. The water's almost freezing temperature didn't bother me until I was swimming back from the falls and realized my muscles were stiffening and my swimming strokes were decreasing in effectiveness. So I couldn't swim back to the falls a second time with Elle... sad. Because it was definitely a beautiful place.

I bet standing under and feeling the water actually fall made you smile. Indeed.

Hey, didn't I see those falls in a Herbal Essence commercial once? Why, yes, you did.

What's your position on waterfalls in general? I'm very pro. I'd like to swim under more of them, preferably in the middle of summer rather than winter.

There were crocodiles in that pool of water. False. I don't fight off man-eating reptiles for the sake of the list.

Milla Milla Falls -

If I remember correctly, this means 'lots of water' or 'lots of falling water'

in an Aboriginal language.

Achieving my goal!

My characteristic double-jointed elbows bent out of shape in celebration.

Too cold to swim back to the falls with Elle.

Elle and I, freezing but happy.

Paraglide: check.

2009-07-28T17:47:00.001-07:00

When: late July 2007.

Where: outside/above Cusco, Peru.

Felt like: I was flying.

Landed in: a cow field.

Any hitchhiking involved? Yes, we rode in the back of a farmer's truck.

Why was there hitchhiking involved? There was civil unrest in Peru at the time, and my guide thought a bridge was closed because of protests and that our van wouldn't be able to pick us up... turns out, there was no protest, and the bridge was open - our van was just late.

Would you do it again? Yes.

"Why would she want to jump out of a plane?" "It's on her LIST!"

2009-07-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

First of all, read the "about this blog" box.

I briefly mentioned my list in my Australia blog several weeks ago as I prepared to jump out of an airplane and swim through a waterfall. While I was so adventuring in northern Queensland, I discovered that my friend Dave was developing a list of his own. In his "musings," he's discovered The Buried Life guys who are encouraging him to "whoa, dream big!" (in the words of Juno). And he's decided to keep a blog about his list, which I thought was a brilliant idea... so I'm doing the same!

While I'm not going to add anything else to the official list, I fully expect to do other random cool stuff during the next seven years. I saw a humpback whale breach a few days ago, for example. And I bellydanced in a public place. Neither are on the list, but they are clearly list-worthy! These types of things are icing on the cake. I'd like to use this blog to record and celebrate both the icing and the official list items... and I'd like to brainstorm and dream with other people about my future lists, their lists, and anything else that might come up in all the listing mania! On the right, I've listed some cool things I've already been blessed enough to do, see, and experience... feel free to correct the list or suggest additional items. If you know of other similar blogs, let me know... I really think some of you should make your own list and start a blog! If blogs aren't your thing, make a list anyway and tell me so I can get overexcited for you :).

Finally... I hate to be cheesy, but I'd like to say that I would give up my lists and my passport in a heartbeat for my family and my favorite people. My parents are the reason I've gotten to see and do so much, not to mention their role in turning me into a happy, somewhat stable human being :). And the more places I visit and people I meet, the luckier I feel in terms of having my grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins. Most individuals are lucky if they feel close to two or three relatives. But I feel close to practically everyone on each huge side of my family. From what I can tell, this is a rare, amazing blessing.

People are more important than lists and adventure! Amen!

But lists are fun, too.

Oh, and ps. I read Barbara Kingsolver's "The Poisonwood Bible" recently, and in the acknowledgements she thanks her husband for "teaching me it's no use in waiting for things that appear only at a distance, and for believing a spirit of adventure will usually suffice." I think that is beautiful and true. And I'm making it the blog's official motto.