Jyoti's #5: Go on a solo vacation

Phew, after a long time getting back to updating this blog and making progress on 30 before 30! So, a few months ago I went to visit my most fabulous friend Corrin and it turned out that she ended needing to travel for work right when I was going to be there. Sad to not spend as much time together but happy to say hello to checking off one of my 30 before 30 - a solo vacation!

I was traveling from Tuesday-Sunday (I think?) and Corrin and I spent the weekend in Amsterdam, which means I had 3 wonderful days to spend by myself in London. How was it? In short, AMAZING. I obviously missed my friend, but it was so fun to explore the city on my own, have no schedule, see lots of sights when and how I wanted to and just spend some time with little old me! The only tough part was taking pictures, so you can see below that I perfected the one-armed-self-portrait technique. Haha.

Overall, a fantastic time and will definitely be doing this again in the future. See, so many learnings from 30 before 30 :)

Going shopping in London. Topshop, here I come!

Buckingham Palace. They invited me in but I said no, you know, wanted to keep it low key.

Walking across the Millennium Bridge. I was lucky to have gotten the best weather ever. If London is always like this, I want to live here!

In front of Big Ben. Hardest picture EVER to take with so many people walking by!

FAV PICTURE EVA!

Leilani's 30 before 30 list

While flying through the air Jyoti and Leilani became quick friends discussing life and different trapeze tricks. One day while working on our trampoline back-flips, the two were discussing them nearing the big 3-0 to which Jyoti explained her 30 before 30 to which Leilani responded enthusiastically, wanting to join. And so it goes, a third joins the journey of completely their 30 before 30’s. 

Leilani's 30 before 30 list: to be completed by March 21, 2013

1. Become intermediate in Trapeze
2. Learn to run
3. Perform at an open mike night  
4. Finish my children’s book, start a grown-up one
5. Learn Hebrew
6. Volunteer more consistently (maybe habitat for humanity)
7. Learn to drive stick-shift
8. Learn to snowboard/ski (at least a bunny slope)
9. Figure skate
10. Meditate daily for 8 weeks straight
11. Photography
12. Learn another instrument
13. Write 1 letter/lost card weekly
14. Twinkle again
15. Learn to surf
16. Build a snowman
17. Love and trust fearlessly
18. Write a song
19. Ride a motorcycle
20. Compete in something
21. Patent my brilliant idea
22. Do an unassisted handstand (handstand backbend for bonus points)
23. Become proficient in one new form of dance (tap, tango, swing, hiphop, flamenco, etc. – ideas welcome) 
24. Take a trip where I don’t book my ticket until the day I leave
25. Visit two countries I’ve never been to
26. Jockey a horse
27. Donate blood
28. TBD*
29. TBD*
30. TBD*

* Note: I have about ten other items on a waitlist for these last three spots, but as I cannot choose from them and also feel like I’ll have some epiphany or someone will have a great idea of what one of these list items should be I am going to open it to suggestions and ideas and will decide a bit down the road. Here’s to 30 before 30

Jyoti's #12: Send the cutest guy in the bar a drink

Ha, I wish I had a picture to go along with this one. I went out with Di and Jen Onka and some more friends in the city last night to celebrate Di turning the big 3-0!

Once we made it to Black Door (and after I secured my coat, no jackass was going to get it this time!) and downed a few wines (and, fine, kamikaze shots) I informed Di and Jen about my  need to fulfill this item on my 30 before 30 list.

I was super nervous (remember, outgoing does NOT equal comfortable hitting on guys), but scanned the bar and found a cute guy, who had a cute friend that Jen was into too. With some help from the bartender, we sent the guys tequila shots. I ran away before the guys knew it was me who sent them, but Jen did some good across-the-bar flirting.

I know, I know, I copped out a little by running away. But, I made up for it by writing my number on a napkin for another guy at the end of the night. Turned out to be a d-bag, but the larger lesson is that Jyoti is getting brave.

Watch out NYC, this is going to be dangerous! :)

Jyoti's #21: Send out Holiday Cards

 

The first one I checked off the list was sending out holiday cards. I sent out about 50-60 cards this holiday season (sorry if you didn't get one!), and I have to say, I am quite glad I did it. It was nice to get back in touch with people that I have missed talking to, and it was a good opportunity to take a few lines to let people know how much they really mean to me. I don't think you can tell people you care about them too many times! I'm actually thinking about keeping this up as a yearly tradition, yay for unexpected positive outcomes of the 30 before 30 list! :)

Phil's 30 before 30 list

This is Jyoti, I'm going to take the liberty of posting Phil's list for him :) Phil, obvi.com feel free to edit/change as you want! Phil has until April 29, 2013 to finish his list. What a baby.

1. Beat Jyoti at best of 3 ping-pong match (and handle that forehand!)
2. Complete an Ironman triathlon
3. Go Skydiving
4. See Machu Picchu / hike the Incan Trail
5. Bake an Apple Pie
6. Visit all 7 continents
7. Read more books, watch less TV
8. Drive an exotic car
9. Visit Ireland (and see the Guiness factory)
10. Go skeet shooting
11. Ski Whistler
12. Visit the Canadian Rockies 
13. Go to an 'epic' concert
14. Go camping
15. Don't eat meat / Don't drink for one month (not nec. at the same time)
16. Go to Wrigley field for a (Daytime!) baseball game
17. Visit Italy
18. Take a hot air balloon ride
19. Dedicate my life to something other than work for at least a month
20. Build a Snowman
21. Go sledding!
22. See the Northern Lights!
23. ?
24. ?
25. ?
26. ?
27. ?
28. ?
29. ?
30. ?

Maybe number 23 should be finishing up your 30 before 30 list, eh? ;)

Jyoti's 30 before 30 list

Hello all, of course, the first posts will be our lists as they stand. First, here is Jyoti's list - to be completed by February 2, 2012!  Update: I am now giving myself the leeway to finish (most of) these by the time I am DONE with my 30th year. So, February 2, 2013 it is!

Jyoti's 30 before through 30 list:

1. Beat Phil again at best of 3 ping-pong match (crush him with laser forehand!)
2. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
3. Go Skydiving - sadly will have to wait until post-30, when it's warm again
4. Write a collection of 10, comprehensive poems
5. Go on a solo vacation
6. Incorporate and begin some sort of business
7. Spend a day without saying one single word
8. Perform on stage in some way, small or big
9. Do a pull up
10. Try out to be a ball girl for the US Open - sadly couldn't do it this year because of work, 2012 it is!
11. Fly out of lines (trapeze)
12. Send the cutest guy in the bar a drink
13. Donate blood
14. Go to Wrigley field for a baseball game - sadly didn't make it out to Chicago in time. Another one for 2012!
15. Go to Paris again
16. Print out the gazillion photos I have and put them into albums
17. Date and love without being scared/accepting the chance of getting hurt
18. Take a hot air balloon ride
19. Buy myself something I love from Tiffany's
20. Make a piece of art I want to keep on my walls for at least 10 years
21. Send out Holiday Cards
22. Go to a music festival
23. Dance and kiss in a warm rainshower
24. Get back to volunteering weekly
25. Write at least 50% of the book I always talk about
26. Actually donate the clothes I don't wear instead of thinking "one day..."
27. Write a) letters to the most important people in my life telling them what they mean to me and how much I love them (can never do this enough right?) and b) thank you letters to the teachers who have influenced me the most (words can't express what some of these teachers did for me, and how much they have influenced me for years and years after leaving their classrooms)
28. Write a letter to myself to open when I am 35
29. Hike to somewhere I can see (and maybe swim in?) an amazing waterfall
30. Do an unassisted backflip on the trampoline

and ps, I don't care what bs has been going around, I am an Aquarius 4EVA!!