The 2007-08 fad: The Bucket List. A list of achievements/extreme activities you want to achieve before you ‘kick the bucket’.

I started my “Things to do before I’m too old to enjoy them” list in the 9th grade, which was shortly after I saw a documentary about an older woman who went skydiving to prove she wasn’t afraid of dying. I want to skydive. I want to bungee jump. I want to do everything. Several items were/are on my list: ride a gondola in Venice (check); walk on a glacier (check); take a dance class (check).

In November of 2006 I started taking salsa lessons from I Dance Studio in Oklahoma City (http://www.idancestudio.com/). At first I admit to being a bit timid to this new skill, but it soon began to grow on me and now I confess to practicing my salsa dancing with the lines on the carpet in my office in Juneau when no one else is there. So much about it makes me happy, including the tempo, passion behind the words I cannot always understand, and the feeling of gratification it gives me to know I can ‘communicate’ — even if only with an ‘open break’ or ’side basic’ step — with a completely new culture.

The folks I began learning with are now some of my most cherished friends, and we’ve formed great bonds of friendship within these past two years. My girls there especially have encouraged me every step of the way, have gone camping with me, celebrate holidays and inside jokes with me, and have proven to be pillars of fresh perspective, honesty, and support in my life. Never would I have imagined that I’d find such qualities in others who were also seeking a new adventure (or check mark for their respective lists), but I found them nonetheless.

Wednesday’s featured friends: My fabulous friends from IDance Studio — especially my Mad Hatters! Thanks to each of you, the end of my twenties have been twice as grand as the first half was. You’ve been lovers of individuality, and you encourage me to find my way via the passions and talents I possess. Thank you for motivating me to use my own strengths and weaknesses for a greater good.