[M]etabrain [E]ntry [L]og - Braindumps on things Mel Chua has found shiny lately.

Dangerous things I’d like to do at some point in my life

I realize I’m likely to have a time limit on these, so I’d better start figuring this out while I’m still in my twenties. Not all of them are all that dangerous – actually, there are tons of safety considerations for all of them – but they’ll still take plenty of prep. (I’m in no shape to do any of them now, but that’s being worked on.)

1. Kitesurfing.

2. Wingsuit. This implies learning to skydive first. (Note that I don’t have to plummet off the side of a cliff; I’m fine hopping out of a plane.)

3. Motorcycling. This is the first one I’m going to be tackling; Liz, Kelcy, Ginneh, and I all want to get our licenses, and have been talking about taking classes this spring for quite some time. I look forward to my early birthday present, and figuring out the logistics (logistical logistics and financial logistics) of having a bike in Raleigh this summer.

4. Speaking of bikes – someday I’d like to bike across the US. This one will probably be with my brother Jason once he graduates from Stanford.

5. Compete in a martial arts tournament – freestyle sparring.

There are other things I’d like to learn – parkour, skateboarding, skiing (or maybe snowboarding), etc – but those will be tackled as opportunities come up. Some of the things I’m working on (rock climbing, soccer) are steps towards other things – strong forearms for non-RSI-ness, the ability to run and react to the movement of others around me but not physically touching me (something I’ve traditionally been pretty lousy at since I don’t have auditory peripheral awareness) – but these five are on my Actual List of Things to Do.

At the moment, though, I still struggle to complete a single pull-up. So… there is progress to be made.