1. Study hard. Get decent GMAT scores. Get into a decent MBA program.

2. Volunteer at various nonprofits like it’s a full-time job.  Define which causes are most important to me. Decide if non-profit development is what I want to do with my MBA.

3. Learn more about Filipino history, culture, and current events. Learn to speak Tagalog.

4. Travel more. Long weekend trips:  Williamsburg/Richmond/VaBeach/ Washington, DC/New Orleans/Toronto/KeyWest/Miami

5. If I’m going to see all 7 continents before I’m 30, I need to hit at least one this year:  Africa, South America, Australia, or Antarctica. YES, Antarctica!

6. Wellness:  Get fit, eat better, look great in a bathing suit by summertime. The usual drill:  yoga, cardio kickboxing, maybe try swimming this year.

7.  Read more. In 2009, my boyfriend read 57 books.  I read one.

8. Pay attention to the news/current events. Not just domestically, but globally.

9. Blog more…. I need the practice if I really want to write articles about travel/lifestyles.

10.  Interview people with interesting careers/lifestyles/goals.  Treat them to lunch and talk about what makes them tick.  Once a month.  Maintain existing network.

Most days I imagine my life unfolding as chapters in a book.

On rare occasions, I find myself composing scenes for a movie.  My mind chooses camera angles, close ups, edits conversations, and even chooses a soundtrack. As we do most nights, when we are fortunate to have enough energy left unspent to enjoy a half hour of reading, I am thumbing through Hemmingway’s A Movable Feast.  Taking a moment to rest my eyes and snuggle deeper under the blanket, my mind began reminiscing of the halloween party we hosted two weeks ago.

Instead of snapshots of costumes, or youtube clips of memorable monster mash dancers, or audioclips retelling the latest clever joke, my mind’s eye viewed it as the opening credits to a movie.  Assimilating all my memories and redistributing the vibe of the party.  Setting the scene in our loft subtly furnished and surrounded by books.  Setting the mood with smiles on everyone’s faces and vivacious dance music.  Introducing the characters  as they arrive at the party in imaginative costumes, sharing laughs and beers.  As I imagined the camera angles, I could even sense where actor’s credits would fall on the screen.

All in all, the opening credits were fascinating to view in my mind’s eye.  I wished I could watch the rest of the movie, and it made me so thankful for the friends that surround me and make everyday interesting and fun.