Thirty-two down...20 to go...

What: #2 Do that headstand pose from my yoga class

Where: My bedroom and living room
When: September 29
Why: Awhile ago, I was in a yoga class that was a bit more advanced than usual, and one of the poses was the headstand. There were many variations. Some did it slowly and controlled from the tripod pose, others did it as a full hand-stand, and others used the wall to keep their balance. I couldn't do it in any form. At the time, I blamed my wrist for being too weak (it had recently been injured and I was still hesitant to put too much pressure on it), but then I found a video tutorial on YouTube that let me use my forearms, so I tried it today and after letting my body adjust to the idea of being inverted, I was successful at it. Then, to confirm my success, I shared it with a friend via Skype.

The first one I demonstrated was the one on my forearms, but then I tried another one on my hands and head and it actually was easier. It probably looked cooler, too, but we didn't get a picture of that one.

Thirty-one down...21 to go...

What: #54 See the Cascade Falls in Jackson, MI

Where: The Cascades County Park, Jackson
When: September 2
Why: It was always known in my family that I have a relative (my great-great-grandfather) that helped to build the Cascades in Jackson, but despite living within driving distance most of my life - and even visiting relatives on the other side of town - I have never made it there to see what, in fact, the Cascades really were. In my head, they were a somewhat altered waterfall of rocks, moss, and trees made to look really lovely in an otherwise natural setting. That would be quite a scene because, frankly, in this part of the state there aren't any waterfalls to be found. Turns out, I could not be more wrong about what I was about to experience!

Certainly it has gone through a few changes since it was first envisioned and opened in the early 30s, but after a recent renovation, it really is a place that brings people in to see it; families, couples, all generations were there enjoying the night. I was impressed, and I tend to have a pretty low threshold for things that seem a bit high on the cheesy factor, so this is actually quite impressive. Sure, the music does sort of add an element of the ridiculous (note: I'm not saying Bob Seger is ridiculous...he's a legend!), but there were also classical pieces played, and moments without the soundtrack to just hear the water. And the sheer size of it doesn't really come through in these images, so that also took me by surprise.


There are hundreds of seats set up in an amphitheater area where you can just sit back and relax and take it all in.

If that is too passive, you can walk up alongside each tier via stairways and walkways, but be prepared - I'm warning you - to get quite wet!

Thirty down...22 to go...

What: #8 Set foot in a Canadian Province I’ve never been to 

Where: New Brunswick, followed by Nova Scotia
When: Aug 11-18
Why: Living so near to Ontario, that has been my most frequent experience of visiting Canada, and but for a family vacation to Quebec in high school, it is the only province I've spent any time in at all. So, I had to put to the test what I once heard someone say: Canada is like our attic, you get up there and you're like "wow, I didn't know all this was up here!"

I was already on a road trip through Maine, so heading into New Brunswick was an easy decision. We got there by car ferry via Campobello Island, and spent a few days driving around, seeing the not-so-bustling city of Saint John, the oddly empty beach resort town of Shediac, the dunes and soapery in Bouctouche, and the Kouchibouguac National Park. After that, we headed to Nova Scotia to Cape Breton Island, then Halifax and Lunenburg. We finished up coming back through N.B. to see the Hopewell Rocks and the Kingsbrae Gardens in St. Andrews, where we got to participate in a ladybug release. Yes, it was awesome.

Now, as it turns out, the Atlantic Provinces had fallen on drought-like times this summer, much as parts of the midwest. Until, much to our dismay, we arrived and so did the rain. It lent itself to many jokes we made at New Brunswick's expense, such as "Welcome to New Brunswick: Yes, it's the only way to get to Nova Scotia" or "Welcome to New Brunswick, where the sun never shines." Somehow, the scenery in Nova Scotia made the low clouds and drizzling rain seem more scenic and tolerable.

Overall, there were a ton of things I learned and loved about "The Maritimes." New Brunswick is very dominated by the Acadian/French culture, altho the biggest thing people come there to do is Magnetic Hill, which yes, actually did astound me! It also has seemingly no people, as in there were about 20 of us at the movies on a Saturday night. And Nova Scotia, they have great music, lots of rocky cliffs and rolling terrain and fragrant forests and cute seaside towns. Both of them have areas on the Bay of Fundy that will blow your mind (amazing fossils, 40 foot tides, etc.).

Enjoy a few of the photos of this trip!

Twenty-nine down...23 to go...

What: #77 Use a totally cliché pick-up line

Where: Smuggler's Den Campground
When: August 9
Why: Throughout my life, I've always had a bit of a bold streak, and it lends itself to lots of amusing anecdotes that friends will torture me with into my golden years. One of the ways my boldness manifests itself most often is in the presence of handsome strangers. So, this one seemed easy enough, but somehow premeditated boldness was not as easy as when it just randomly strikes. Thus, it took a large chunk of the year to finally tackle this list item. Alas, the moment finally arose when I decided to try a totally cliché pick-up line.

It happened at our campground; there was a new arrival at the site across from us and he seemed very well-equipped...in terms of camping gear, of course. He had his laptop, a lantern, a great tent, a bottle of wine, a nice chair, lots of fun accessories, but seemed devoid of a camping partner. So, eventually I couldn't take the curiosity any longer and just wandered into his site, sat down next to him around his campfire, and asked "So, are you here alone?" Ok, maybe not super smooth, but definitely cheesy and lame, and I guess that's what I was going for in this case. He and I struck up a conversation (he WAS there alone, thankfully). He was a photographer on assignment to get a few early morning shots of the fog rolling in around Acadia, and there was no shortage of that the days we were there. He shared some of his images, we chatted for awhile, but then it was time for me to make s'mores back at my own campsite, and sometimes, that takes priority. I did invite him to join us, he did decline, and that is the end of our story.

Twenty-eight down...24 to go...

What: #7 Hike in a National Park I’ve never been to

Where: Acadia National Park, Maine
When: August 8-10
Why: Growing up, I was fortunate to be exposed to the joys of being outdoors, traveling with my family to many national parks across the country, and I often recall vivid memories from many of those amazing road trips. With so many of my travels being international lately, I had felt I was missing out on a few of the awesome things we have in this country. After another amazing trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (which didn't count for this because I've been there countless times), I knew I was hooked and ready to get back to the parks. For me, Acadia has stood out as this really timeless place, and I wanted to experience it for myself, and as I had a road trip planned out that way, it fit easily into the itinerary.

For me, the best things to do in Acadia were biking the carriage roads, hiking on a few great trails, and getting up close in the tide pools. Or, as our ranger guide said one day, "be wanderers and wonder-ers." So, we took that to heart.

The carriage roads (imagined and constructed by Rockefeller along with the hand-built stone bridges) were a treat, hard enough to feel like you earned the views, but not so hard that it was altogether miserable.

And the hikes, up the Beehive, along the Ocean Trail, around the summit of Cadillac Mountain, and to the top of Flying Mountain...each was amazing in its own way. 

And finally those tide pools, it really was impressive how much life you find in them. I could have spent hours, days, seeing and doing more in the park, but the adventures I did have already are some of my new favorite memories.