VENTURING INTO NEW EXPERIENCES
Free Time
For an entire year, I challenged myself to do something new, revisit something long forgotten, or experience something for the last time. All inspired by a 2001 calendar book I rescued from the trash - and had kept for all these years!
Growing up, I cleaned my father's office. Main tasks included cleaning bathrooms, emptying trash, vacuuming. After 10 years, one key learnings was that you can understand people by their waste.
It's surprising what people toss in trashcans when they don't have to take it out—like full soda cans hidden under papers, leaking on your leg, or chewed gum stuck to the bottom with a dirty Kleenex. I also noticed some people barely created waste, while others always had a mountain of it.
Cleaning that office shaped my life and gave me deep respect for those who clean up after me.
I have never considered myself a "dumpster diver." In fact the idea grosses me out. My favorite part though about cleaning my dad's office, was the ability to pull out of the trash the unwanted adverting prints they would get in the mail. I collected a pile of those unwanted flyers and books. All showcasing different paper textures, colors schemes or stock images. At the end of the day, it was all trash, and I too ended up recycling all of them. I did however save one, a 2001 calendar.
This burnt red, hard cover calendar still means a lot to me. I never knew what to do with it, but I knew I needed to keep it (yes, I still have it 15 years later). A piece of advertisement, from a paper company, this calendar offered more than just keeping track of the date. It offered 2001 activities to do in your life. Ranging from day to day activities to more out there, preplanned adventures. I have always marveled at how doing something so simple can change your entire day.
This year, I am finally taking inspiration from this calendar.
While I'm not sure I will checkoff skydiving from the list of activities, I do plan to make margaritas from scratch. All in an effort to change up my very predictable routine and day to day life.
Life is short and you have to explore while you can. Each day I will try something new, do something different, learn and explore. Everyday will be a new day.
Below are the images taken from each activity.
