I'm Giving Myself 25 Gifts.

Tomorrow will mark the end of month six of my Remote Year experience. I'm half-way done with this crazy year. What do I have to show for it so far? Lots of cool Instagram pictures, awesome new friends and really beautiful and hilarious memories.

When I left for Remote Year in July, I didn't have any expectations. I didn't write down any goals. I didn't make a bucket list. I didn't ever ask myself what I wanted to get out of this experience. Basically, I just wanted my bag to be under 50 pounds and to have a cool travel blog. I've continued to fail at both. 

As I consider about what I truly want out of the remainder of this year, I keep going back to the same thoughts. Am I feeling challenged? No, not really. Do I know "me" better than I did before? I don't know. Am I growing? I've probably gained a couple pounds, but that's not what I'm talking about here.

January has been a crazy month. One where I've felt a little confused, a little lost, a little out of my element and sometimes even a little crazy. Sure, the Remote Year life is an awesome life. But it can also be fast-paced, overwhelming and borderline unrealistic (for me).

This week I decided that, moving forward, in between all the hours working, partying, wandering and having ridiculous adventures, I want to intentionally focus on me.

 So, I decided that I'm giving myself 25 gifts. Twenty-five meaningful little habits to put my energy towards for the next six months of Remote Year and the months that follow through the end of 2017. Plus, this is the year I'll reach 25 years of life on this earth, so it sounded like a good number.

I'm sharing my list of gifts with you below. Not because I think you care even a little bit. Honestly, if you were giving yourself 25 gifts (which you should), I likely wouldn't care at all. I probably would scroll past it on Facebook. I'm sharing this because I'm non-committal and am honestly just bad at sticking to things that I say I'm going to do. I somehow think that sharing this will push me to keep these practices top of mind instead of this being just another list in my journal that never gets a second look. And, maybe it'll inspire you, too. :) 

My 25 Gifts to Myself

1. The gift of regular meditation. Everyone deserves 10 minutes of peace and quiet to reflect each day.
2. The gift of writing every day. I've been trying to write 750 words per day for the past several years and it's actually been more like writing 750 words one time per week. Writing is good for the soul, and it helps you remember stuff.
3. The gift of physical activity. I hate working out, but they say exercise is important for a long and healthy life. So I guess it's time to develop some better habits.
4. The gift of eating better. My body just doesn't deserve the amount of Pringles and candy bars I put into it. I'll never give up chicken wings, tacos and craft beer, but it's about moderation, right? Salads are good, too.
5. The gift of being a better Diabetic. After 20 years, I know how to handle this disease. The ups and downs are inexcusable and it's time to start giving my Diabetes the attention and love it deserves.
6. The gift of Tinder. Okay, honestly, I gave myself the gift of tinder YEARS ago when it first came out on the market. I'm using it as a metaphor for a fresh outlook on dating. A new outlook that involves nothing but simplicity and fun. Bye-bye to literally anyone who stresses or annoys me.
7. The gift of keeping in touch. Every single thing about who I am is because of my amazing family and friends. I have them to thank for everything great in life. I love them so much, and they should never be taken advantage of or swept to the side.
8. The gift of solo adventures. Remote Year friends, I love y'all to pieces. But there's something to be said for taking 48-hours to do whatever you want without anyone around to bother you or ruin your plans.
9. The gift of career development. NRHA, we're almost three years strong, and that makes me so happy! I'm just saying that I want to spend more time reflecting on my career and developing some meaningful short- and long-term goals. 
10. The gift of facing fears. I was going to bungee jump the other day and got so scared I almost cried. But there's no better time than right now to do everything crazy.
11. The gift of new, deep connections. One of my absolute favorite things to do is have passionate conversations. I love to understand what makes people tick. It gives me inspiration and energy, and I always learn something new. 
12. The gift of giving back. The world has given me a lot, and the least I can do is give back more of my time and money to people and places that need it.
13. The gift of reading. I have a new kindle and have almost 100 books on my list. Thank goodness for airplane rides. 
14. The gift of education. There's always something new to be learned, it's just a matter of dedicating time to taking an online course or participating in a workshop. I'm ready to get some new skills under my belt.
15. The gift of critical thinking. We should all be asking big questions and having controversial conversations now more than ever. It's the only way to help the world keep moving forward.
16. The gift of complaining less. I've never once enjoyed hearing someone complain, so I don't want to do it anymore. What's the point, anyways? If you don't like something, change it.
17. The gift of accepting others. There's that saying, "you don't know someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes," or something like that. It's easy to forget that everyone has deep-rooted reasons for being who they are. 
18. The gift of Spotify. I'm the only person I know who doesn't use Spotify, and that's ridiculous.
19. The gift of disconnecting. Have you ever gone 24-hours without a phone? I've tried so many times and always give in. A day without technology really does sound amazing.
20. The gift of laugher. I have this one friend who always seems to be laughing. I don't know if it's real or fake, but I admire him for that trait. He makes me want to be a person who's always laughing.
21. The gift of feeling. Sometimes it's hard to come to terms with feelings. I'm not great at it, and I want to get better.
22. The gift of speaking my mind more. Thoughts and opinions don't really matter if you never share them.
23. The gift of a five year plan. Lol, just kidding. But maybe a six-month plan? Just so I have something to say when people ask what I'm doing after Remote Year. 
24. The gift of living in the moment. Isn't there some quote about how every moment you spend worrying about the past or future is a moment you'll never get back? I definitely don't have time to be missing out on what's going on around me. 
25. The gift of being myself openly and awesomely, without any regrets.