Assignment 18: Kelden Andrews

Highschool Bucket list:

1. I want to get good grades so I can get into college with little trouble

2. I want to get up to a grade 5.10 climbing regularly by the end of highschool

3. I want to go trad climbing atleast a couple times so that I can get comfortable with it

4. I want to get a job and get some real life working experience

College Bucket list: (assuming earning a degree is a given)

1. I want to get up to a grade 5.12 regularly by the end of college

2. I want to summit Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier by the end of college, preferably more too

3. I want to travel more and see a lot of the west coast of the US as I haven't been farther than chicago outside of an airport since I was to little to remember

4. I want to to finish and publish my book by at the latest college

Before I die:

1. I want to top out on K2 and do the Slovak direct (route on Denali) in less than 4 days

2. I want to travel to and see all 7 continents

3. I want to go sailing, I don't know where or for how long but I definitely want to go

4. I want to live a life I'm proud of

The last one on the before I die list is definitely the most important for me. Life is short and it's important for me to be able to look back on the years and feel glad I didn't miss anything, that I lived my life to the best possible effect. I suppose I learned this from my grandfather, he's the only genuinely and sincerely happy old person I've ever met. I always wondered why that was and eventually I figured it out sitting around Christmas table listening to him tell stories. He was proud of his life. He was not without regrets but he had lived himself out, he had traveled and sky dived and all this stuff and well, he had done everything he had wanted to do and the happiness that seemed to bring him really resonated with me. I decided I didn't want to live in half measures, I knew what I wanted to do and I decided I would do it. I've heard other people say they don't know what they want to do when they're older and ever since I had this epiphany I haven't felt any uncertainty or fear for my future, I know where I'm going and it fills me with satisfaction.