Blogversation: What is the one thing in life that you still most want to do?

Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation at Newvine Growing and on their blogs—asking questions of each other and responding. Others are absolutely welcome to join the conversation as well. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012.

This week was my turn to pose a question. So I asked: What is the one thing in life that you still most want to do?

In other words, what’s the number-one thing on your bucket list? I’m not a fan of the term “bucket list,” but I recently recorded a podcast with Matt Paxton, the breakout clutter cleaner on Hoarders. We got to talking about a random assortment of topics, the way the best late-night chats tend to, and touched on bucket lists.

 

Now, I’ve posted about bucket lists on my blog, Things I Want to Punch in the Face, so you can probably imagine I’m not the biggest fan of them. However, it did get me thinking about the thing or things I’d regret not doing if I were to croak tomorrow.

 

My immediate answer was travel. I’m in my forties but I haven’t gotten out of North America much. I’ve been to England and France, but those trips to Greece, Italy, Thailand, Egypt, Mauritius remain on my “to do” list and never seem to materialize. My excuses are run of the mill: I can’t afford it or I can’t afford to take the time.

 

Bullshit.

 

But beyond eating, praying, and loving my way around the globe, what I’d really regret is not finishing my memoir. It seems as if I’ve been working on and off on this for years and in fact, I recently found some writing from my early twenties that touched on this. So we’re talking 20 years I’ve been skirting and sniffing around this project without diving in and finishing it. Oh, I’ve worked on it. But again, money and time seem to rear their ugly heads. It’s hard to create a schedule that gives this room to breathe and develop and take shape. And I do need time for it. It’s much more emotionally demanding that anything I’ve ever done, writing or otherwise. It takes me to a dark place that’s hard to stay in when there are bills to be paid and life to be lived. So I’m moving back into a place where I can and will write something—anything—for the book each day. I may not be traveling soon but I am moving forward.

 

What's number one on your bucket list?

Blogversation: What do you want from your hometown?

Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation at Newvine Growing and on their blogs—asking questions of each other and responding. Others are absolutely welcome to join the conversation, as well. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012.

So I the short answer for this week's question, What do you want from your homeown?, is simple: Sunshine.

I live in Seattle, see? For the past couple of years, rain has been a reality, not just a myth. For the most part, I don't notice it. I work at home a lot of the time and don't have to deal with messy commutes and frizzy hair. But it can wear on a person. I have some friends who relocated here and have had a hard time with it. They are built for serious summer heat and can't wrap their minds around the fact that summer doesn't kick into gear until well after the Fourth of July.

They also can't stand the passive-aggressiveness. I get that. But I choose to ignore it. I come from the Midwest and see friendly wherever I go. I moved to Seattle seven years ago and have built an enormous social circle here. So like the rain, I just pay the wussy and the lame no heed. 

Well, most of the time. I was soaking in a tub at a naked Korean bathhouse with a friend when a woman paddled over to us and asked, "Do you know how to whisper?"

I was quickly filled with rage. "Are you ASKING us to whisper?" Seriously, just ask us to pipe down. 

So I don't ask much of my city, because it already gives so much to me in sheer beauty and pine-scented air. But, for the love of God, people, please just give it to me straight. I can handle it.

Blogversation 2012: How do you prefer to communicate?

Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation at Newvine Growing and on their blogs — asking questions of each other and responding. Others are absolutely welcome to join the conversation, as well. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012.

This week, the question, posed by Colleen Newvine Tebeau herself, concerns modern communication. I just thought yesterday that I needed to blog about a podcast I was on, two words that weren't part of my vernacular ten years ago. And then I started thinking about e-mail, texts, and mobile phones and how many young people today will never know the joy of finally getting access to the home phone and then getting your best friend or a crush on the other end. There was commitment involved with communication. 

Today we get "Call me maybe." 

So how do I use technology? In every way, shape, and form. As I write this, I just wrapped a hands-free cell phone call with mom as I drove home (which I dialed via Siri), I have a man Skyping me, a friend IM-ing me on Facebook, and random texts showing up on my smart phone.

You'd think I'd want to claw my face off.

However, the truth is, like a frog introduced to a pot of water, I've warmed up to technology as it's infiltrated my personal and professional life. I have many friends in different time zones and it's such a pleasure to instant message with a friend volunteering at an African baboon shelter (and a relief to know she's okay!) or bond on Facebook over Downton Abbey with a brother who I've been previously out of touch with. 

Sure, I used to think it weird that some friends only liked to communicate via text or e-mail. I'd leave a voicemail and without fail, they'd get in touch two days later…via e-mail. Now, I'm sometimes one of those cuckaloos. It may be inconvenient to talk or frankly, I know it will just take up more time than I have to spare. So I welcome technology because it allows me to communicate in new ways and it allows me to pair the technology to the occasion. Quick work question? E-mail with high importance tag. Interview with someone across the country? Skype video call with a headset. Chat with a friend? Facebook IM while I'm watching aforementioned Downton Abbey.

(phone: article.wn.com)