Well lookie here, my first book came in the mail yesterday! Also, new glasses.

Meant to post this yesterday, but I didn’t have the urge to— it was my birthday, and now at the ripe old age of twenty-seven I’m awful pensive and at a few crossroads in my career. Roughly only a hundred more days in Arizona left before I rocket my belongings up to Oregon, so I’m definitely on the verge of changes galore. 

Inspired by Andrea, whom I have not met yet (but she is super inspiring, and the wife of my pal Ward!), I felt like writing a few lists to past and present selves.

To seventeen year old Meg:

Hi. It’s me from the future! The future is not really 100% awesome yet. (Spoiler: no jetpacks.) In fact, sometimes it makes us think it’s apocalyptic. But don’t fret about that, you’ll find out about what happens later. I don’t want to spoil things, but probably could list you a few things to save you some worry later. So here goes!

1. You’re going to be the toughest person on yourself. Let up sometimes.
2. Keep experimenting.
3. Guess what? You’re going to live longer than you think. I know ten years seems like a long time but it goes faster than you’d think, so take better care of yourself. 
4. Eventually, you do learn to ride a bike. It’s not impossible! You shouldn’t give up on hard things so easily.
5. You don’t go to New York City like you’ve been daydreaming—at least not yet. This is okay, you wind up going some other interesting places and meet some amazing people in the process. Though we still haven’t left the country. What’s up with that?
6. You do some pretty dumb things. But so far it’s working out. 
7. It’s okay to be a bit of a late-bloomer.
8. Don’t bother with the guitar. Waste of money! I’m sure there’s an instrument for us somewhere though.
9. You are in a rough place now. I won’t say that it will be all sunshine in the future, but it does get better.
10. Your hair may look drab now, but you’re going to try and dye it a lot of different shades. Don’t don’t don’t dye it black. Red is much much better.
11. Learn to live with less. You accumulate a lot of junk now, and it is bordering on ridiculousness.
12. Treat your parents better and learn more about the past. You’re kind of a jerk to them in the nearish future, and they don’t last forever. 
13. Take more risks. Learn skills that are meaningful.
14. You’re going to lose some friends— it just happens. But the next ones you meet are worth hanging onto. Try doubly-hard to keep in touch.
15. Write more letters, we’re still bad at this and need to hone our skills.
16. The desert is not for you. But it’s good to try new things anyhow.
17. We’re only now sort of figuring out what’s good for us. See? Late bloomer.

List for me now, for the near future:

So you’re twenty-seven. Let’s make the next year awesome and filled with things. Here are twenty-seven things I want to do once I move to make my twenty-seventh year bright:

1. try my hand at gardening, even if it’s a tiny container herb garden
2. visit the library all the time and learn some new things
3. make serious headway on a new space for screenprinting. VITAL
4. buy a pair of brightly-colored rain boots and hop in puddles
5. ride my bike confidently and often
6. take Levi to Forest Park for a hike
7. teach her to be a more friendly dog and take her on long walks exploring our new town often
8. connect with new people; befriend a photographer and someone who’s good with woodworking. There are ideas afoot and they need collaboration!
9. visit the farmer’s market monthly 
10. get in shape by walking, walking, walking
11. persuade friends to come visit
12. enjoy drawing parties with my future roommates
13. find ways to sustain myself financially— if with a new job, hopefully an amazing and creative one
14. find more dresses, more boots, and a haircut if you please!
15. needle-felt more— put together needle-felting club!
16. start working on personal projects, like producing prints, pillows, etc
17. find some secret gems of Portland
18. work on my cooking skills- make more with less, make fresh pasta, don’t starve but eat healthy and simply
19. take the Coast Starlight to San Francisco
20. learn an instrument. ukulele? banjo? something!
21. visit Hoyt Arboretum
22. check out the museum of contemporary craft
23. dance party! even if it’s just within the confines of my bedroom, though preferably on a roof somewhere.
24. enjoy the occasional lunch or dinner with friends i’ve never met in person yet
25. get accustomed to food-carts and their delights
26. walk to Fehrenbacher Hof for a coffee or breakfast
27. work on a book, content to be determined.