I was on the phone with my parents earlier tonight. I was experiencing that “meh” feeling that often comes around on Sunday nights. I prepare mentally to deal with another week. The conversation with my parents covered a wide variety of issues–how the Grandmas are doing, how’s my sister, what are they having for dinner, to Ebola.

I mentioned that I watched a documentary on Ebola in Liberia, and how sad it was to see people being turned away from hospitals because there was simply no room. These people are forced to return to their communities, thus spreading the virus to more people. I thought of friends who were dealing with illnesses, or even those that struggled with job loss or difficulty making ends meet.

No, this is not some epiphany, but rather a reminder of how lucky and blessed I really am. It’s moments like these that inspire me to stop and think about my life and live it as fully as I possibly can. As someone who has always dealt with anxiety, it can be hard to do this at times. It’s often easier to play it safe and not take risks. Less of a chance of getting hurt in the end.

But I realize that times when I force myself out of my comfort zone have been the most enriching and fulfilling experiences in my life. Those who have taken risks to get what they want and to experience great things have always been a source of inspiration for me. That’s why now, I am committing to challenge myself and to take risks with a bucket list. In no particular order, I would like to achieve the follow things, by 1 year from now.

1. Watch the sunrise

2. Travel to another country

3. Run a race

4. Finish the book I’ve always wanted to write

5. Read more

6. Post in my blog regularly

7. Go on a road trip

8. Spend all night walking around downtown Chicago, taking pictures and appreciating the night air

9. Start and finish a new series (recommendations welcome)

10. Get 200,000 followers on Twitter (I still need to hit 100K!)

11. Choreograph a new dance

12. Have a “girls night” with friends that involves wine, gossip, and nail polish.

13. Give yoga another try

14. Dye my hair for no reason other than to try something new

15. Knit something (Yeah, I can knit)

16. Get 1,000 followers on Instagram (I take good pictures!)

17. Cook something that people love (Forget about the grilled cheese incident of 2009.

18. Play a sport on the beach

19. Learn the capitals of the world (Sporcle.com, yo)

20. Come up with my own delicious cocktail to serve to my friends when they visit

21. Study Cantonese

22. Stay out all night

23. Visit the skydeck at Willis Tower

24. Purchase a blender

25. Spend an entire day watching the entire series of “The Office”, only taking breaks for food and the bathroom.

26. Get over 1,000 views on my blog in 1 day’s time

27. Bake a cake

28. Go to the gym regularly

I will be adding to this post as more goals develop. Comment below with your very own list, and tell me which ones you can do with me! I plan on documenting everything, as usual, on Megan’s Musings. 🙂