Update and a Bucket List
Brief Life Update
I am thankful for everyone that has been there for me the last several months. Even a singular message exchange has had an impact and I am grateful for all. I’ve been trying to take a more active stance in hanging out and initiating activities. I think it has been going well with a positive impact, aside from some neglected chores and such.
My projects for work all passed permitting and started construction this month, concurrently. Another one in [REDACTED] was revived this month to be complete before year end.
Tuscon trip was enjoyable; work was busy during that week but it worked out well. Hanging out and doing stuff. I had a great time at the beach, hanging out with family, biking every day, saw dolphins and armadillos. I prolonged the trip and went to Atlanta and Charlotte before going home, working with reduced hours. Very fun, great experiences, seeing friends, good food, all the works. Food: Ethiopian at Desta, Malaysian at Mamak Vegan Kitchen, Guyanese home cooking at [REDACTED]’s fiance’s grandma’s house, Waffle House All-Star Special, vegan Oh My Soul (mid, pricey, and preachy). I complemented the bicycle of a door dasher walking in Atlanta and I thought they didn’t hear so I repeated, and they gave a weird look and double ignored me. Whoops. Don’t talk to strangers, unless they are at the calisthenics park with nunchucks. Repaired a blind hem and pocket rip at the airport while waiting. Hundreds of coquí frogs chirping in the darkness. Played a ton of Vampire Survivors with [REDACTED] during the Charlotte heat wave. I am planning another extended trip in October and November out west so that’s exciting.
Coqui frog in Atlanta Botanical Garden
619 Ponce in Atlanta. I saw it in early construction last year. It will be Atlanta’s first locally-sourced mass timber office. Cross-laminated Timber, Net zero carbon, LEED Core & Shell and Fitwel cert, natural wood columns and ceiling. Pretty cool
My coworker [REDACTED] sleeping on the job
Goals and a Bucket List
First, I am extremely fortunate in my life and have already experienced so much to be fulfilled and grateful for. I do not experience hunger, danger, homelessness, disease, poverty, and other sufferings that millions of others currently experience in the world today. I recognize my privilege and often feel pressure to help others and guilt in my leisure, knowing I did little to earn its majority. Doubly, I often feel like I am not fully utilizing my time, my luck in life, my skills, and my energy towards good endeavors to capitalize on my life circumstances. I am trying my best.
I had some goals written down for this year, but most were relatively broad and not measurable, with exception of one weight goal. I completed that June 20th and have maintained it since.
I have been documenting my goal setting since 2020, which mostly centered around learning Korean, Japanese, Chinese, interpersonal skills, gaining weight, and career related stuff. Before that, completing college, landing a job in solar, etc. These occupied a good amount of time, but actually, not really. There were many other achievements and fun experiences interlaced between everything that kind of "just happened". Trips, competitions, activities, meeting new people, trying something new. I think those are important experiences, the joy and spontaneity from unplanned adventures, going with the flow around you, accepting what others and the world is offering you. I also can see those kinds of opportunities diminishing in frequency. Friends are far away, working full time with responsibilities, marriage and child care are in the equation. Free time is less, and also more dependent on one's own actions and direction. Wake work sleep whoops there goes a month. Then a year. Then a decade. No one is going to set your goals and do the work for you. They may help, offer insight, encouragement, maybe even the opposite, and pull you towards destructive habits. In the end, it is wholly up to you to make the decisions and pursue them. This is where I am right now. Motivated, healthy, and dreaming of what I want to do. What will make me the most happy and fulfilled. I have created a list of goals like a bucket list, to be completed before I turn 30.
The list activities fill a variety of categories and range from easily doable to very difficult, and even impossible. Also, the time frame to complete these is optimistic, perhaps unfeasible. But this is all purposeful. It is a kind of exercise of Parkinson's law, where things expand to fill the time or space allotted. So a normal bucket list will be dawdled till retirement or death, while this timed bucket list will be driven and aspiring. Even if I were to complete just 30%, it would be incredibly fulfilling. I cannot refuse to dream, captive by overly pragmatic goals and ideas. There will be mistakes and maybe things left unachieved, but the pursuit of them and mentality is an achievement in and of itself. I also hope the pursuit of them will help me connect and share experiences with friends, family, and strangers.
I don't want anyone to believe this kind of activity is restricted to world travels and million dollar cars and marathons. Setting and achieving goals like paying off a debt, buying property, getting a job, saving an emergency fund, buying a car, visiting your grandmother, or recovering from/managing an illness are wonderful list items. I also don't want anyone to feel I am telling them what to do. I am sharing what I want to do on this platform. You are free to do whatever, whenever, and however you want.
Da List
- Travel to Slovakia
- “ Nigeria
- “ Utrecht
- “ Senegal
- “ South Africa
- “ Indonesia
- “ Malaysia
- “ Brazil
- “ Spain
- “ Southern China
- “ Bolivia
- “ Kyushu or Okinawa
- “ Papau New Guinea
- “ Morocco
- “ Scandinavia
- “ Galapagos
- “ Borneo or Amazon rainforest
- Sail across the Pacific
- Swim with sharks
- Ski on Niseko powder
- Watch a meteor shower with clear sky
- Go bike camping
- Complete a one arm pull-up with each arm
- Run a sub 12s 100m
- Dunk on 10ft rim
- Hold a 5s handstand
- Hold a 5s one arm handstand
- Rep 5 muscle ups
- Perform 5 consecutive windmills
- “ “ “ swipes
- “ “ “ jackhammers
- “ “ “ flares
- “ “ “ airflares
- Perform 10 second headspin without tapping
- Perform 2000 spin
- Perform standing backflip
- Middle split
- Front split
- Surf a wave
- Skate a half-pipe
- Backflip skiing
- Rollerblade backwards
- Hold a bicycle wheelie 10s
- Juggle 3 items for 1min
- Complete a decathlon
- Swim 1mile without stopping
- Conventional deadlift 315lb
- Go glade skiing
- Reach 5.0 NTRP tennis rating
- Learn 10 tangin moves
- “ “ jersey “
- “ “ litefeet “
- “ “ afrodance/amapiano “
- “ “ chicago footwork “
- “ “ locking “
- “ “ jookin “
- “ “ tricking “
- “ “ house “
- Learn to deathdrop
- Learn basics of Judo
- “ “ “ Muay Thai
- “ “ “ Boxing
- “ “ “ bachata
- Publish a book
- Sell a painting to a stranger
- Sell a photograph “ “ “
- Graffiti somewhere
- Release a song/remix on streaming platforms
- Paint 100 things
- Set up a booth at an Arts walk
- Try bike doordashing
- Own 30 well fitting garments I like
- Max my IRA every year
- Drive a fast car, over 200 mph
- Ride in a stunt plane
- Drive a drifting car
- Earn EIT license
- Earn PE license
- Publish a conference paper in EE/solar
- Reach C1 proficiency in Mandarin
- Reach C1 proficiency in Japanese
- Reach B2 proficiency in Shanghainese
- Reach B2 proficiency in ASL
- Reach B2 proficiency in Spanish
- Reach A1 proficiency in Arabic
- “ “ “ “ Twi
- “ “ “ “ Yoruba
- “ “ “ “ Tagalog
- “ “ “ “ Malayalam
- “ “ “ “ Hindi
- “ “ “ “ Gujarati
- “ “ “ “ Nepali
- “ “ “ “ Bengali
- “ “ “ “ Urdu
- “ “ “ “ Italian
- “ “ “ “ Portuguese
- “ “ “ “ Cantonese
- “ “ “ “ Swahili
- “ “ “ “ Dutch
- “ “ “ “ Thai
- “ “ “ “ Vietnamese
- “ “ “ “ German
- Host an international student
- Own a solar installation >100kW
- Plant 5 edible perennial plants
- Own multi-acre permaculture farm
- Own a cargo ebike
- Complete a public speaking course
- Grant $50k
- Grant $10M
- Digitize and organize [REDACTED]’s film photos and videos
- Invent something/file a patent
- Learn CPR, First aid, and Heimlich
- Make a tasty baozi
- Grow hair 1ft length
- Shoot a sniper rifle
- DJ a live event/club
- Work in China
- Work in Japan
- Work as a photojournalist for AP/Reuters
- Try fufu
- Dance in public and enjoy it
- Send 50 letters with a painting to my peoples
- Post somewhere once a month
- Pet a dinosaur
- Solve climate change
- Eradicate global inequality and poverty
- Talk to my grandma and great grandma fluently in Shanghainese
That’s the list. Maybe we share a goal and can work together or share experiences. Maybe you have already done an item or adjacent, and I would appreciate any insights or tips. Either way, feel free to message or call me about anything at all.
- [REDACTED]
