i introduced my thirty before i am thirty list in one of my first blog posts. i have been able to complete a few more to do’s on the list, so i thought i’d share.
number twenty: own a really good camera (digital SLR). for christmas this year aaron & i bought each other a sony digital SLR. to clarify, we didn’t both get a camera, we bought each other half of one. i haven’t used it much & still know nothing about what i can actually do with it (other than point-and-shoot); perhaps i should add another item to my list: photography class.
number twenty-four: find out my blood type. for the entire time i have been on the planet, i have never known my blood type. it turns out it really isn’t unusual for people not to know their blood type since you really only need to know it if you need a transfusion, but i was always really curious. when i completed #25 on my list (see below), my blood was typed. turns out i am B positive. after doing a bit of research, i discovered that B positive is pretty rare for an american (only 8.5% of the population), but more prevalent in asian countries (i am korean after all).
number twenty-five: donate blood to a blood bank. this to-do has, by far, been the most difficult one on the list to complete. i hadn’t ever donated blood before, largely due to my small size & world travel, but it was something i always wanted to do. plus, it was the best possible chance for me to complete #24 (see above). i decided that there was no time like the present, so i made an appointment with the local blood bank. while i am a good candidate on paper – good on blood pressure, pulse, temperature, weight & hemoglobin level – it turns out i am a not-so-good candidate in real life. i will spare you the details, but the short story is that i got really sick after the donation. this was not because i am squeamish about blood or anything, but i was a bit dehydrated which lowered my blood pressure (and i already have really low blood pressure), it was my first time donating (i guess it gets easier every time) & i am just over the weight minimum (i spent the weekend before “bulking up” to be sure i could actually donate). i am really glad i donated, despite the after-effects & continued bruising & pain in my left arm (i don’t think this is normal), so i would encourage any one who might be on the fence about donation to go ahead and do it! while i was at the blood bank i read a statistic that surprised me & made me really glad i donated: only 38% of the population is able to donate blood & only 10% actually do.
{a warm blanket & comfy recliner at the blood bank}
{everyone was choosing hot pink for their wrap, so i chose lime green}
do you have a bucket list? what’s on your to-do list before the next milestone birthday?
M