Just to give you some perspective, I am writing this during the beginnings of social-distancing during the Coronavirus outbreak. Like you probably were, I was just trying to do my part but still maintain a sense of normalcy to my life. But with my two weeks’ supply of food in hand, some crappy weather mixed in, and a lot of time to think, I came up with this month’s article.
As I mentioned, two days under a mini-quarantine gives one plenty of time to let their mind wander. Even if the weather had been nice, and with unlimited streaming options available, it’s still rather hard not to reflect on what’s really important. It was a good time for me to appreciate my family but also to think about how much of my life I’m actually living. How many days, nights and weekends have I spent voluntarily doing the exact same things that were necessary this weekend when I could have been out actually living my life?
So then I start thinking about the fact that I turn 40 in 16 months. How my better half has a little over three years before she hits that mark. What do we want to accomplish? Where do we wanna go? Who do we wanna be? So under the suggestion of my wife (I can’t take credit for this), we have collectively started our own 40 By 40-ish Lists. Although it’s a work in progress and I am nowhere near finished, I’d like to share some of it with you. I broke them down into several different categories.
TRAVEL
-Visit Colorado, New Mexico, Utah or Arizona. I’ve never been out West. I want to see different terrain and different cultures within this very diverse American culture. I’m afraid of heights but I still want to see the Grand Canyon. And I want to do this all with my family, Griswold-style.
-Take a trip to Puerto Rico. It’s a great big world out there and up to this point I haven’t seen enough of it. What better time to start?
-Minimum of two non-kid trips. I definitely want my kids to experience all the things I didn’t get to at their age. But me and Mom also need some time to ourselves.
-Guys Weekend. I’m not looking to re-create “The Hangover” or anything, but a weekend at the lake or even a sports weekend could be an experience to remember.
FOOD
-Try 5 new foods or cuisines. I’m a huge fan of trying new foods but, like you, I can get caught in a routine of eating the same things over and over. Let’s branch out. There’s a million fish in the sea and dozens of international dishes I have yet to try.
-Turn my grill into a smoker. Gimme a couple YouTube videos and some time to have a few epic fails and I think I can figure this out.
ENTERTAINMENT
-Start a podcast. This is gonna happen. Not sure when. Not sure what it’s gonna be about. Will keep you posted though.
-Watch ALL Best Picture Winners from the 2000s. I used to watch a lot of movies. Now it’s the same movies over and over and I don’t even get to pick them. If I wanted to get back into movies again, this feels like a great place to start.
-Watch ALL movies from the Marvel Universe in order. Not order of release but the order in which the movies actually happen. I like superheroes. My kids like superheroes. I will use them as an excuse to make this happen.
OTHER
-Get a dog. The dog I want. For me. A Greg dog. With kids and lack of a massive backyard there are a lot of factors that will determine what kind of dog this will be. But when I find it, it’ll be obvious and, trust me, you’ll be one of the first to know.
-Run for office. Much like the podcast, I don’t know when this will happen or what office it will be for. But I have the itch to pursue public service.
-Benchpress my body weight 10 times. I’m leaving a few spots on my list for superficial things. This is one of them. I’m resisting the urge to hack this and add weight to the bar and lose weight at the same time so I don’t have to lift that much.
That’s what I’ve got so far. A work in progress. Part of the fun and the growth in this process is just making the list itself. Part of it is attempting these goals and enjoying the process even if I don’t accomplish them. But let’s be honest, it’ll feel great to make a few check marks on the way to making the most of this time I have left.
If you like what you read, feel free to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat @GregAAlmond. I’d love to hear your suggestions for my 40 By 40 List or even see yours.
-by Greg Almond
About the Author: Greg Almond is an on-air personality for Goober 95.1.
