The Adventures of Ren LaForme and the Great 28 (and some from the Grand 27)

Last year, I wrote about how my friends Tara and Hannah started a tradition of exchanging challenges for their birthdays. They gave me 27 challenges for my 27th birthday... and I totally failed to meet them all. 

Seriously, I didn't even complete half of them. I am the worst.

So, this year, I'm planning to finish my 27th birthday challenges and the new ones for my 28th! It's ambitious, but I know I can do it all. Here we go.

  1. Play a team sport.
  2. Take the Florida train somewhere (one more chance).
  3. Fail big. Then rebound.
  4. Walk through an orange grove.
  5. Conquer a fear.
  6. Decidedly determine one good thing about every person you meet this year.
  7. See one personal project through to the end.
  8. Pick a fruit or vegetable. Eat it every week.
  9. Do a photoshoot or video with one of the dogs.
  10. Go fishin'.
  11. Marry a girl named Keeley.
  12. Forgive a grudge.
  13. Improve your baseball swing.
  14. Leave a permanent, physical mark in 3 places on Earth.
  15. Say yes to things you might normally say no to. So no to things you might normally say yes to.
  16. Color a picture and mail it to someone with no notice.
  17. Do something you can't experience any other time or place.
  18. Do two outdoor activities a week. (Drinking outside at a bar doesn't count.)
  19. Mic drop.
  20. Pick a place to travel and go.
  21. Write something satirical. 
  22. Read five new authors.
  23. Make a toast.
  24. Identify five people who serve as sources of inspiration for you.
  25. Run a 5K.
  26. Visit a new place and leave technology at home. Enjoy.
  27. For every drink you buy, match 50% of the cost and put it in savings. See how much you have at 29.
  28. Take a selfie with a wild animal.

Here's what's left from last year:

  1. Attend a performance of the Florida Orchestra.
  2. See a Broadway show in Tampa.
  3. Perform five acts of kindness toward strangers.
  4. Read three new books. (It was 20. I read 17.)
  5. Make a video with Ming and Finn.
  6. Eat an entire meal you caught/created yourself.
  7. Drink at three new-to-you bars with historical significance. (It was five. I went to two.)
  8. Take pictures with two famous people you meet. (It was three. I met one. Sorta.)
  9. Talk with a different accent for one entire day.
  10. Choose your top five beers and host a tasting.
  11. Catch the sunrise and the sunset on the same day.
  12. Give Hannah an assist on her list.
  13. Take the Florida train somewhere.
  14. Picnic at a park in Tampa.