Completing 23 Trips Around The Sun

What I've accomplished during my interstellar trip so far...

Published on April 15, 2005 By Zoomba In Life Journals

On Monday, I turn 23. Nothing special about the age really, I've passed most of the big milestones for age already (16 - Driving, 18 - Porn, Smoking and Voting, 21 - Drinking) so there isn't some new doorway being opened to me like before. At 25 I'll get cheaper car insurance and be able to rent a car, and at 35 I can run for President of the United States. One isn't that exciting, the other not really a possibility.

I'm not one to celebrate birthdays really, I typically like to let them pass unnoticed, but not because I have an issue with getting older (couldn't care less about my age really), but more because it doesn't strike me as a special day. At best, I'll treat myself to dinner somewhere nice, buy a new video game and enjoy some quiet time alone. That's how I like it.

However, one thing I do tend to do is a bit of reflection on what I've done so far. This year I'm actually going to write it out. So I now present to you, the likely uninterested reader, a list of my accomplishments in life to date

1. Learned to Walk, Talk and Read
2. Learned to ride a bike
3. Learned basic Math skills (I gave up after Calculus)
4. Learned how to use computers
5. Learned how to disassemble computers
6. Learned how to fix the computers I took apart (yes, this was a separate step that came much later... many broken machines to show for that)
7. Participated for 12 years in the AAUW Booksale at Penn State, helping to raise millions of dollars for scholarships to help women go to college
8. Leanred to drive (after totaling one car)
9. Spent a Spring Break doing disaster recovery work in North Carolina after a bad season of Hurricanes
10. Graduated from High School
11. Managed two campus computer labs along and directed the 10 other student employees for 2 years
12. Ran all IT Resources for the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Dept @ PSU for 2 years
13. Went on my first plane trip
14. Visited 2 foreign countries (England, New Zealand)
15. Jumped off a bridge Link
16. Jumped off the tallest building in the S. Hemisphere
17. Graduated from College in 3 and a half years with a B.S. in Information Sciences & Technology and a minor in IT Telecommunications
18. Was Best Man at my Best Friend's wedding.
19. Got a job in the IT field in New England
20. Became financially independent, with no outstanding debt.
21. Moved far away from home and live on my own
22. Got a Cat (yes, getting my own pet was a big moment)
23. Survived another year

----
Ok, I feel like I'm ready to take on another trip around the sun!

Comments

MarcieMoo

on Apr 15, 2005

Happy be-earlied birthday, Zoomba!

My 25th is coming up and I'm realizing how pathetic I really am. Oy veys.

Zoomba

on Apr 15, 2005

It's all in how you look at your accomplishments. My 12 years with the booksale involved moving boxes and boxes of books from a warehouse to a sale site. I contributed an essential piece that enabled millions of dollars to be raised for scholarship funds. With my NC trip, myself and two other friends developed a asset tracking database to help residents and town officials better assess the cost of recovery.

I managed to hold challenging and rewarding jobs in college that taught me a lot more than my coursework could ever hope to. I played my cards right and didn't have any debt when I left college, giving me a VERY solid start to the rest of my life.

My few trips abroad have helped me get a better sense of what people are like beyond our own borders.

I've done some fun and crazy things so far, though not as many as I would like. Part of the value of having a list like this is it helps me highlight what I still want to accomplish. Such as my plan to move to NZ in a few years.

You're almost 25, you've graduated college and have a job... that's a LOT more than many people can claim. That in itself is a great accomplishment.

Dr Guy

on Apr 15, 2005

(16 - Driving, 18 - Porn, Smoking and Voting, 21 - Drinking)

What a difference a generation and continent make. Mine was 16- drinking, 17 -smoking, 18 - driving, Voting, registering for the draft (never was drafted).

21 was nothing. Of course when I did turn 21, your parents were still thinking of you!

BTW: my son completes his 19th Thursday. Yes, I am old enough to be your father!

Cordelia

on Apr 15, 2005

Part of the value of having a list like this is it helps me highlight what I still want to accomplish.

Kudos on the list, I must start my own soon. I just keep forgetting to do it...

When was your birthday again?

I know some of your plans for the weekend didn't quite make it but you should go out and do something you have never done before - even a small thing (you don't have to jump off a bridge or anything crazy like that).

Zoomba

on Apr 15, 2005

Cordelia:

Actually, despite not being able to take Friday and Monday off, my parents are still coming up to visit me. They should be here in an hour or two actually

Going to explore the Hartford area a bit... maybe hit up the Mark Twain house, or drive out to Mystic to see the Aquarium.

Oh, and maybe you should try out that ginko stuff to help your memory... Or better yet, put a calendar reminder up to remind you of the other calendar entry you already have to remind you

shadesofgrey

on Apr 15, 2005

drive out to Mystic to see the Aquarium.

The aquarium isn't that great, but the seaport is amazing! You should definitely pop into the seaport if you are there for a day--do you live around there? I grew up just across the border in RI and we used to go the seaport all the time--they do candlelight tours at christmas that are truly loved by those of us who are dorks at heart!

Happy Birthday--I like your accomplishment list. 23 was a good year for me, I hope is it for you as well!

Zoomba

on Apr 15, 2005

I live just east of Hartford, so Mystic is roughly an hour or so from me.

Cordelia

on Apr 15, 2005

Oh, and maybe you should try out that ginko stuff to help your memory... Or better yet, put a calendar reminder up to remind you of the other calendar entry you already have to remind you

Don't be a smartass young man, I'll beat you with my cane!

Ravenblack

on Apr 16, 2005

Have a happy birthday, Zoomba.

Zoomba

on Apr 16, 2005

ROFL! Thank you LW, that was great

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