Hi world! Chris here. I’m finally back after a month long hiatus that was only supposed to last two weeks. My bad. In my defense, I was starting the new semester and getting into my classes and work so I wasn’t just doing nothing. I already had to do one presentation and write some essays. Unfortunately, school has to come first.

However, now that things are falling into something that at least resembles a routine, I’m ready to restart Here, There, and Back Again! This is going to be a super big year with a lot of amazing fun things going on and I can’t wait to share them all with you. Because of all of that, this post is going to be something of a teaser/sneak-peak at what’s coming up. I also think it will be a casual way for people to get to know me a little more because I know some you followers are newbies.

The majority of these “Things To Do” will probably be more for me personally, but there will still be options for any and every one. You should definitely take some notes for those days when you don’t know what you want to do with yourself.

(BTW: I’m aware that it’s February now and not January when this topic would have made more sense. I just don’t care.)

1: Reading Challenge

I have an account on Goodreads.com (linked on the sidebar) where I can befriend authors and other bookworms alike to review and discuss the novels we read. It’s a great way to connect with the literary world and it also keeps you accountable as a reader. With an account you can set up your own reading challenge for the year to ensure you hit the number of books you want. This year, my goal is 20. This probably seems small for someone that is literally studying books for my degree, but my goal is to only count the books I read for fun and not for class. If you make an account, add me and help keep me on track!

2: Writing Challenge

Obviously these two had to go first for me as they’re both very connected. I’ve basically finished all the classes for my English degree, so this semester my courses really focus on my creative writing minor. I even had to create a writing schedule that I’m supposed to use every day. And that’s why this is one of my big “Things To Do” this year. If I could finish the first draft of my book that I’ve been ignoring for months, that would be amazing. However, I’ll just be happy if I can convince myself to write SOMETHING every day.

3: Love the Planet

Global Warming is real. It’s happening and the Earth is hurting for it. The least we can do is start recycling some stuff. It’s not hard to set out a box by your trashcan that you can use to hold your recyclables. At least that’s a lot easier than actually reducing the amount of plastic you use. Doing both would be the best, but baby steps are fine as long as they’re in the right direction. Next you can try carrying around a reusable cup! (There’s a reason my family calls me The Hippie) #peace #love #rockn’roll

4: Fall into the Habit of Health

I am the worst about getting really obsessed with working out for prolonged periods of time and then I miss one workout and suddenly I haven’t worked out for weeks. Then I feel bad about being lazy so I dive in all over again. It’s just an endless cycle of healthy and non-healthy habits. This year, I’m trying to do things right so I don’t have to constantly jump between going hardcore and doing nothing. I make sure I run 2-3 times a week and then I try to walk as much as I can to get in steps for every day of the week (more walking and less driving is also another way to get environmental!). I also throw in periods of stretching and Yoga. Keeping everything chill ensures I don’t feel as much pressure about being fit and working out so it comes more naturally to be active in my daily life.

Of course, working out isn’t the only way to be healthy. If that’s not what interests you, try working on your mental health too. Write down three positive things about the day every night before you go to sleep. Or make sure to tell yourself one thing you love about yourself every morning when you look in the mirror. These are easy things to help brighten up your life. They’re at least worth a try!

5: Give Gardening a Try

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I’m a very casual gardener and that means that the flowers I get really excited about and plant at the house usually end up as my mom’s responsibility. As a self-proclaimed nature lover, I feel like that’s cheating. I’m excited for the upcoming warmer weather to give me the chance to get back out there and dirty up my hands again. Maybe I’ll finally learn how to keep inside plants alive. I swear the moment I put a flower in a pot, it dies. It’s a goal to stop that this year!

6: See the Sunrise

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Over the summer I would get up at 6am every day to go run at the barn before it got too hot (I was in one of those exercise phases I mentioned). It resulted in some of the most peaceful moments and left me feeling great for the rest of the day. The world was always completely still besides me and the animals and sometimes they would even run with me on the other side of the fence. Unfortunately, I’m not much an an early riser in the winter, so I probably won’t be up for early morning sunrises until things warm up. However, I have plans to watch the sunrise on the beach when I do start again.

7: Go to a Concert

My FAVORITE band is finally coming to an arena close to where I live this summer and, as someone who has never been to a concert before, I am SO EXCITED to go see them. I just love The Lumineers so much. If you’ve never listened to them, please do. It’s fantastic.

8: Get a Tattoo

I understand that this is a bit of a controversial topic. My parents personally hate tattoos and they really don’t want their kids to get them. But, two of those kids already did, so I think that means it’s my time to do it too. My big brother has also promised to pay for my first tattoo, so all I have to do now is wait for him to get back from his deployment. I’ve wanted this for years, so I don’t see any regret in my future.

9: Study Abroad

I’m going to metaphorically knock on wood as I type this because I don’t want to jinx this from actually happening. At the moment, I’m all signed up and accepted for an English Study Abroad Program that will take place in both England and Scotland this summer so that I can study the Mythology of Harry Potter with one of my favorite professors and some other students. I’m unbelievably excited about it even though it’s going to cost me an arm and a leg. First of all, I love Harry Potter, and second of all, I’ve always wanted to go to both of these places. This summer is about to be the peak of my existence.

Of course, I know not everyone can study abroad, so take this as liberally as you want. Go somewhere in your hometown that you’ve never been before. That’s still getting you out of the house and into the world!

10: Post It!

While I don’t think that people should constantly be on their electronics or constantly be online, I also don’t think that being on social media is a bad thing. When it’s done right, it can actually be really good. This semester I’m actually taking a class that studies social media and how it’s used in language and daily life. Because having an online presence is something that companies look at in writers nowadays, I’m excited to learn how to grow my social media accounts.

That being said, if you aren’t following me on Instagram, you should. The link to my account is on the sidebar.

11: Cook!

I know I’ve stated it before, but it’s so true that it’s always worth repeating how much I LOVE food. There’s a saying in my family that the world is made up of two types of people; those who eat to live and those who live to eat. We Ruckers (for the most part) live to eat. Unfortunately, only a few of us also put that love of food into the actual making of food. I personally enjoy cooking, but I never actually feel like doing it after spending the whole day jumping between classes, work, and whatever else I’m doing. Sometimes time is also an issue. Either way, most days I just end up grabbing food on campus or throwing together a PB&J. I’m not expecting to completely flip my eating habits over night, but I think it’s doable to try and cook a real meal at least once a week. Especially now that my sister got me a Game of Thrones cookbook for Christmas and I really want to try some of that stuff!

I also have a whole Pinterest board that is filled with delicious looking food. My account is linked on the side bar if you would like to borrow any of the recipes I have saved there. I promise they all look amazing.

12: Turn 21

So this “Thing To Do” is very specifically for me (and everyone else around my age). Don’t worry, it’s not like I’m excited to turn 21 and start chugging a bunch of alcohol, I really just want to hit the milestone. I love getting to celebrate things, so birthdays always seem like a really big deal to me. I also really love the fact that I’ll be turning 21 in 2020 because that’s like the roaring twenties all over again. I’m a Great Gatsby nerd so that’s really cool to me.

13: Try Life in the City

This had to go right behind my birthday “Thing To Do” because both of these will actually be happening at the same time. That’s right, I’m turning 21, in the 20s, in New York City. I’m beyond excited. For part of the trip I get to study all the landscapes and settings that helped make up F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and for the other part I get to go all tourist and take in the fact that I’ll be in New York City. That’s probably not a big deal for a lot of people, but I grew up on a literal cow farm so I’m about as small town as it gets. New York City is going to be like a whole new world.

(If anyone has any suggestions on what to do, where to eat, what to see, etc, please leave a comment and let me know!)

14: Movie Marathon

For months now (maybe years actually) I have been dying to sit down and watch The Lord of the Rings series. This is a series I grew up loving and used to watch like every summer. Now, it’s been forever since I saw all of them. All I want to do is spend an entire day binge watching the entire thing. But, I don’t just want to watch the movies, I want to have a full on experience. I saw a post once about a girl that made her boyfriend watch the entire Lord of the Rings series in one day so she made him themed breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, and dessert. That’s the kind of marathon I’m planning on doing this year.

(BTW: because I’m going on a Harry Potter themed study abroad, I also really want to rewatch those movies as well. However, I would love to do that with the two friends I’m going on the trip with. It’s a lot to ask someone to give up enough time to binge watch that many movies, but I really wanna do it. We can make themed foods and drinks from Hogwarts and Hogsmead and it can be super cute. Please leave a like on this post so that I can use your likes to help persuade them into this. 1 like=1 more push to get them to do it.)

15: Get Outside!

This is a given for me. Wilmington has been hit by some kind of warm front, so I’m actually sitting outside to write this instead of having to hide inside the library. I’m literally just sitting on a picnic table, but it’s already so much better than having to push through the crowds of Port City Java to find an open chair. See, it doesn’t have to be a full on hike in the mountains to get outside. You can just sit on the stoop outside your door and still get to soak in some sun. I would personally rather walk through the woods, but it really doesn’t matter where you are as long as you’re outside breathing in some fresh air.

16: Face Your Fear

I apparently have very small veins that are very hard to find because every time the doctor has had to take my blood it takes forever and they have to try both arms and I end up crying from repeatedly being stabbed. However, I have still tried to give blood at my high school blood drives because I think it’s a nice thing to do. That being said, I was unable to give blood both times because I was on antibiotics for one and my heart rate was too fast for the other. Now, giving blood has actually become one of my fears. Since I’m technically supposed to be an adult, I reckon it’s time for me to start facing my fears and this seems like a good one to start with. I have no real plan for it other than sometime this year, I want to try and give blood.

If you have your own personal fear that is possible to face down like this one is, I officially challenge you to overcome it this year. I’ll be sure to update you all on the progress of my own attempt to face my fears and maybe we can take them down together!

17: Try Ghost Hunting

This “Thing To Do” is 100% inspired by one of my favorite YouTube channels, BuzzFeed Unsolved. Probably about half of the videos they produce involve two guys named Ryan and Shane spending the night in haunted locations around the world to see if they can find any ghosts. It sounds kind of dumb, but it’s so funny. I also happen to fully believe in the supernatural, so I would love to do something like that and see if anything happens. I’m not into seances or anything, but just going to one of the haunted places and seeing it for myself would be super cool.

If you know of any supposedly haunted areas, leave a comment and let me know!

18: Learn a New Skill

I LOVE to dance. Am I good at it? Well that’s up to personal opinion. I took a swing dance class my freshman year of college, but I honestly remember nothing from it. Other than that, I’ve had absolutely no training besides all my attempts to copy the ending scene of Dirty Dancing every time I watch it. However, I have always wanted to take dancing lessons. I know that may not be a realistic goal this year because it takes both time and money, but even if I can’t manage a real class, I could at least find some tutorial videos online. Either way, I would love to use this year to pursue something that I enjoy just for the love of it and I think you should too! Everyone has some kind of hobbie that they would like to spend more time on. Even if you don’t wanna make it into a career, just make sure you give it enough time to enjoy it.

19: Tell Your Comfort Zone “So Long”

Because I love to dance, it’s probably not much of a surprise that I also love to sing. It actually runs in my family because all of my siblings are singers. Jacob was in show choir, Rae ruled the talent show, and Erin and I are excellent during car concerts. It’s been a longtime goal of mine to try and sing in front of an audience. I almost did in middle school, but my anxiety was just too bad to face the crowd. However, my friends have already agreed to a karaoke night for my birthday this year so I might be checking off this goal in a month or two. I’m sure it will broadcast on Instagram, so as long as you’re following me, you’ll know about it.

20: Graduate!

I’m gonna end this list on a personal note. As long as everything goes according to plan (and I don’t see why it won’t) I will be graduating a semester early, so I’ll be done with college in 2020 instead of 2021. While I am unbelievably excited to be done with school, I’m also incredibly nervous about what comes next. This year is going to bring an end to this chapter of my life and that’s crazy to think about. It really makes me want to complete everything on this list just to make sure I finish college right. Then, when I graduate I can look back and see all the amazing things I’ve accomplished. To be a part of it all, make sure you join the journey by hitting the follow button on the sidebar, or you can follow with your email by hitting the follow button on the bottom bar!

Until the next time, stay safe out there!

Updates: Posts will be uploaded on Thursdays instead of Mondays now! Weekends are better for homework now, so I have more time to write the blog during the week. I’m still planning on uploading every other week so that I don’t get overwhelmed, but I might not need to do that with my writing schedule. We’ll play it by ear for now.

Thanks for reading!