Don't Call it a Bucket List.

April is a busy month in my life. My Dad, my sister and I all have April birthdays, there's Easter, and Spring, and it always get me thinking about the passage of time and getting older.

One of my favorite things to do around this time of year is to think about what my younger self would think of my current self. As a child, I couldn't wait to grow up. There was something that seemed so alluring about being an adult and doing things on my own. As I got older, I quickly learned that it wasn't all buying whatever you want and eating ice cream for dinner (although I did do that last week on Ben & Jerry's Free Scoop Day), and I realized when you're a kid, you have a lot of funny ideas about being older.

For example:

• When I was five, I thought that as long as you had checks in your checkbook, you had money, and when I was told that I couldn't buy something in a store, I would frequently ask my mother "Well, can't you just write me a check?"

•  When I was in 5th grade, I was convinced that by age 24 I would be fashion designer or run a magazine, and I spent countless hours drawing dresses and outfits. I also frequently wore multi-colored windbreakers and turquoise sweat pants. The kind with the elastic at the ankles. Irony. 

• My sister and I both started tumbling classes at around age 3; by age 7, I was convinced I would be a world class gymnast and/or figure skater. I did a back bend at yoga last week, and I'm fairly sure I almost cracked in half. I clearly owe my 7-year old self an apology for not staying limber.

•  At thirteen, I saw my first women's college volleyball game at UH with my Junior High volleyball team, and immediately decided I was going to go to Pepperdine. Ten years later, I'm still worthless at volleyball, but I've graduated from Pepperdine!

At age 4, I thought that dress with the bows and polka dots was the classiest outfit ever made. Part of me still does.

So as you can see, life doesn't necessarily turn out the way we think it will when we're kids (although sometimes it does), but that doesn't mean it's not great, and furthermore, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't strive for things or make plans. When I got to thinking about all of my dreams and goals from childhood, I realized that there are still so many things that I want to do! So many, in fact, that I had to make a list (act surprised):

1. Write a book. Probably a cookbook. (working titles: Holy Grilled Cheesus! or Mmm! YOU Made This?!)

2. Ride in a hot air balloon.

3. Own and operate a bed and breakfast. Or a design firm. Or a giraffe farm.

4. Get married and have kids.

5. Learn French or Italian. or both. Or maybe just brush up on my Spanish...

6. Visit New York. (I think I've only been in the airport, which doesn't count.)

7. Go back to the Dominican Republic and visit the little girl I sponsor there (aaand probably live there for a few months? I love the DR).

8. Take some more art classes.

9. Take some more dance classes.

10. Go hang-gliding.

11.  Go zip-lining! In the forest! Or the jungle!

12. Get a dog.

And all of those things are in addition to my goals of solving the energy crisis, saving to buy a house somewhere in California, and becoming the first black pres.....oh wait. Anyhow, you get the gist.

In four days, I'll be twenty-four, but I'll be darned if that means I'm going to stop making big plans (and sometimes eating ice-cream for dinner). It's easy to get weighed down with the everyday burden of being an adult: grocery shopping, waking up early, writing stupid checks to pay stupid bills... but it's never too late to keep making plans, and to hope for the future, and somehow knowing that the best times are ahead of you, makes getting older way more fun.