64 Wild Things for My 64th Birthday

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This season, from September 1 until January 9, is my favorite time of year. Not only do I love the holidays…Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas…my birthday is January 9.

For the third year in a row, I’m celebrating my birthday in a big way by enjoying special experiences leading up to the actual day…one for each year of my life. Although it’s fun to celebrate in such a way (check out last year’s activities), and I learn new things about myself and the world I live in, I almost didn’t participate this year. It’s a huge time commitment to squeeze in 64 extra activities as I approach my 64th birthday. I honestly don’t have the time for anything else beyond what I’m already doing.

However, as I contemplated skipping the birthday festivities, I felt sad. And sadness will not do.

So, this year, a bit of a compromise. I did list 64 wild things for my 64th birthday. Most are not new experiences. Instead, they are things I want to do and I’m allowing the random selection of when they are done to be the fun part.

Rather than write experiences out on slips of paper to draw from a jar, I’m using an online random number generator. And as I did last year, I’m not tying myself to doing the activity on the day it is selected. My goal is to do them all by my birthday…with the exception of adventures that will unfold over the course of 2022.

64 Wild Things for My 64th Birthday

Here’s how this works.

I listed and numbered 64 activities in my notebook. Beginning on November 7, I randomly select a number, using the online generator, and then date the chosen activity.

While there are some “wild” experiences on the list, I’m leaning heavily into adventures. My word for 2022 is “adventure” and I’m super excited about that. As I complete this wild year and embrace an adventurous one, this blend of birthday activities moves me into a new year.

I’ll create birthday posts twice a month, to update on what I’ve done. And like last year, I’ll not write about every experience but highlight some that I’ve done. I’ll also note whether the activity is completed, in process or scheduled out.

Here are the first activities from the past week:

11/7/21 Plan a Solo Weekend Adventure (booked in Springfield MO for 12/10 – 12/12)

11/8/21 “Shop” for a Vintage VW Van (completed)

The VW Van is my symbol for 2022, representing adventure. For fun I included this activity as a way to put my intentions out into the universe.

I discovered VW Vans, from the 60s and 70s, range in price from $5000, for a van that needs tons of work, to $150,000 for a fully restored vehicle.

The one pictured here is a 1967 model, for $79,900.

I can see me driving one of these on road trips!

11/9/21 Dancer’s Legs (in process)

I love that when I ask a question or put a request out there, I get a response. Next year brings adventures and big plans coming to fruition. I need my legs, which were damaged due to a car accident in 1995 and years of chronic pain and inflammation, to keep up with me!

I’ve been walking daily, to strengthen them. When I asked what else I could do, to keep my legs limber, flexible and strong, two things immediately came into my awareness…tai chi and this course from DailyOm…Dancer’s Legs.

Before my legs gave out on me, I practiced tai chi. I feel ready to return to this beautiful moving meditation. And although I had not heard of this course called Dancer’s Legs, it popped into my email and caught my eye.

This fourteen day course focuses on small movements that strengthen, tone and elongate the muscles in the legs. Taught by a dancer, this sounds like the perfect course for me. I have a very full week this week and I’m out of town this weekend. I begin Dancer’s Legs next Monday.

11/10/21 Research Things to Do in Savannah Georgia (completed)

Next year I have 15 adventures that I’d like to experience, in 15 different US locations. All 15 cities made my birthday activities list. As they are randomly selected, I am looking at activities, tours, accommodations, vegan restaurants, etc. and creating a section in my adventure notebook about each. Plus I already have trips planned for Gatlinburg, Tennessee and John’s Island, South Carolina.

For each city, I request a visitor’s guide and sign up for their email newsletters. I’m also ordering historic maps from Amazon for each location. See the one I ordered for Savannah HERE. Plus I create a Pinterest Board for each city, to keep info together.

Also included separately on my birthday list is to email pitches to the tourism board of each city and several accommodations for comped stays. This keeps me moving toward my goals as a travel blogger.

11/11/21 Search for Adventure Related Hashtags on Instagram (completed)

Instagram is my primary source for connecting with brands and travel partners. I’ve focused on this social media platform for the past two years, learning as I go, and hashtags are an important component when posting.

I currently use 18 – 30 hashtags every time I post. This year I created lists of hashtags focused on solo travel and living life beyond the edges. For next year, my Year of Adventures, I’m including 10 adventure related hashtags.

On Instagram I don’t want to use hashtags that have high numbers…in the millions…because new posts quickly drop out of sight. I want under a million and over 50,000 with a couple under that number.

Here are my ten adventure hashtags:

#yearofadventures #adventureanywhere #adventurealways #adventureepic #adventureiscalling #adventureislife #adventurespirit #adventuremore #adventureseeker and #soloadventures

I save these on my phone where I can easily copy and paste to appropriate posts.

Join me on my adventures and follow me on Instagram, if you aren’t already! I’m always happy to return the follow.

11/12/21 Create an Adventure List for 2022 (in process)

11/13/21 Shared Adventures with My Grandkids (in the planning stage)

These adventures will take place in 2022. I have six grandchildren. This activity has challenges. One grandson is living in Moscow, Russia for two years, getting his master’s degree. The youngest just turned a year old. The four in between are all teens.

I’m looking forward to the challenges though and sharing my love for adventure with each child. I’ll need to get creative sharing an adventure with my grandson living in Russia.

11/14/21 Watch a Film or Listen to a Podcast Featuring a Wild Woman (completed)

11/15/21 Research Things to Do in Memphis, Tennessee (completed)

I just selected this one today and started by requesting a travel guide and signing up for info. I find these research type activities so much fun! Doing the research and then engaging my imagination before travel creates an amazing travel experience for me.

Headed Toward 64

I am off with a bang on the birthday activities for this year and happy with the way the experiences are flowing and/or lining up. I’m engaging my creativity and playfulness without overburdening myself, time wise. It’s a win/win. Truly, I’m grateful that I gave myself a green light to celebrate in this way.

Watch for an update in a couple of weeks!

 

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