25 before 25

December 20, 2023

So I am 24 now. And I know what has been keeping you up on these dark and stormy nights. What has haunted you as you daydream at your desk. What has kept you from exploring the tender fruits that this world has to offer. Did Kearns accomplish all 24 goals before she turned 24? 

I did not accomplish all my goals, but I did a damn good job of crossing off a lot of big items. See the culminated stories below. Some are short and sweet and need no explanation. Some are lengthy and enjoyable I hope to tell until I can’t remember the full details. 

Overall these goals were hopes and dreams that laid dormant in me. They were brought to life and manifested through my (what some might say) Virgo tendencies (for non-astrology girlies, list making, planning, being overall anal). I realized a few things over the year with this list. 

First off, if I create a list, I will get it done. The determination to complete said tasks ricochet tenfold. So I will be doing that again (stay until the end for 25 before 25!). 

Second, I imagined these goals in a very specific way. Looking back now I was vague but this actually lent me grace in the end. It also showed me that we may plan for a specific future and even though what materializes may not be what we pictured, it is no less an accomplishment or what we deserve and need. I am so beyond grateful for this past year and what opportunities, friends, hobbies, and hardships it has brought into my life. I cannot say thank you enough and I hope as I age and grow my appreciation for life does nothing but flourish. 

  1. Volunteer: I am on the Associate Board for a non-profit organization and recently was asked to step up as the Co-Chair of the board. The folks I have met through this organization have become such true inspirations and uplifting forces in my life. I cannot wait for the year we have planned ahead.
  2. Get a second source of income: This is one that did not happen how I hoped it would. I wanted to get a second job with a paycheck every two weeks. Instead I began dog walking, cat sitting, and making bracelets on the side. All the money I received from these jobs were stashed in my HYSA for my future home. 
  3. Get a promotion: This didn’t happen in the way I thought it would either. I was hoping to get a promotion in the role I had at the time. Life had other plans for me and for that I am so unbelievably grateful. I had to leave my last job that I was completely in love with. It was a difficult decision but since I have found a new opportunity that will support my growth and passions. I would have never expected this “promotion” to come from a new employer but at the time I just could not see things that were greater than my wildest dreams.
  4. Travel to 1 new domestic location: I did this x6! Visited Breckenridge, Colorado for a family reunion in January. Then I visited Austin, Texas with my favorite girlies. Then Sedona moved to Salt Lake City, Utah so of course I had to visit her. I visited a new city upstate Nyack. Then work sent me to Boston, Massachusetts for my first work trip and first time in Boston. Ended my 24th year by heading to Old Saybrook, Connecticut.
  5. Travel to 1 new international location: I took a trip up to our great northern neighbors. I visited Toronto for a solo weekend and it was exactly what I needed at that moment. 
  6. See my sister in a lead role: THIS GENERATION’S GREATEST MATILDA PERFORMANCE. I visited home to spend time with family and see my sister fearlessly pursue a passion and excel in her calling. I am so proud of her and the opportunities that lay ahead of her.
  7. Sell something I made by hand: I sold so many bracelets this past year! When I started I expected the clients to give me exactly what they wanted. I would ask “What beads do you want? What colors? Any themes?” and most of the time I was looking for concrete answers so I could ensure they would actually like the final product. To my surprise, most people told me they trusted my creative eye. ME? You trust MY creative eye? Making these custom bracelets instilled a creative confidence in me that has always been lacking. I am so grateful for the opportunities my friends and family allowed me to be creative and give these custom gifts. 
  8. Read 12 books: Honestly I lost count but I am pretty sure I hit 12. I try not to create too many quantifiable rigid goals around reading. My philosophy on reading (and life) is to do it so it's fun. Start and don’t finish a book because its boring or because another one caught your eye or because you feel like it. Read one book a year. Read one hundred books a year. Who cares! As long as you are having fun. 
  9. See Sedona + Kristen at least once: I saw them more than that! I am so grateful for these ladies and the stability they have provided throughout the year. Keeping up long distance friendships is not a walk in the park, even though sometimes that’s all I wish I could do with them. 
  10. Continue Letters Home dinners: My friend, Soraya, and I hosted 2 dinners and they were both equally delicious and heart warming. We decided to move away from this project due to major life changes but I am hoping to continue hosting and feeding my loved ones.
  11. Write more postcards to grandma: Since moving across the country, I have become much more devoted to my family. It is so true that distance makes the heart grow fonder. One thing that I have always aimed for was keeping in touch with my grandmother more. Since I was a baby she has relentlessly sent me cards for every national holiday, birthday, and just to say I love you. These cards have fueled our relationship and I mourn the day that these cards will stop arriving. Until then I will do my best in sending postcards back. If I see a rack anywhere I go, I find the most Tomiko-like card and write her a quick note. It has been a great writing exercise for me and I know that grandma’s just need a little extra love <3
  12. Go to a live concert: I attended a NIKI concert with my friend Anna, where I then ran into my college friends! It was such a joyous reminder of why we crave and need in person connection. So happy to be in a city that prioritizes venues and events that make space to join with folks under a shared passion. 
  13. Visit a national park: When I visited Sedona in Utah, we visited Zion and Bryce National Park and it is one of my core memories from this past year. It was my first time really visiting a national park and I am looking forward to hiking and backpacking more in the future. It was also such a special experience to do this with my best friend. Nothing like exploring your early twenties than some adult hobbies. 
  14. Workout consistently & learn to have fun with it: I picked up long distance running again at the beginning of the year and it became a safe time and space for me. It also brought so many many new friends and support systems into my life. I also finally signed myself up for soccer after years of harping on my “tragic” soccer-less childhood. And just as I imagined when I was 7 years old, I love it! I never previously considered myself sporty but this year I have proven to myself that our self-perception is always evolving. It is such a joy and human experience to feel yourself evolve and relish in the freedom or redefine yourself.
  15. Change my hair(style): I dyed it a reddish brown and I LOVED it! Thinking about kicking it up a notch this year and going more red than brown. 
  16. Experience a new feeling: This year I experienced a few new feelings, to be honestly mostly negative ones. It was a very difficult year for me in the career and love departments. I don’t want to dwell so much on these hardships but they are crucial to address since they are a part of my story and have shaped me into who I am today. Due to these new negative feelings, I was able to recover and rebuild and discovered new feelings of resilience and confidence. Sometimes your life has to break down for you to rebuild it back up. 
  1. Confidence 
  2. Betrayal 
  3. Nauseous Pain 
  4. Duality of Emotions 
  5. Competitiveness

Overall 23 was a really tough year. Some of the greatest growing aches and pains to date. I am empowered for 24 and below is a list of 25 things to accomplish before I turn 25. See you again next year xx.

  1. Travel to 1 new domestic location
  2. Travel to 1 new international location
  3. Run a half marathon race
  4. Make a zine
  5. Start saving to buy a home
  6. Go on an Amtrak trip
  7. Launch my website/blog
  8. Be an extra in a TV show/movie
  9. Learn a new art/creative form (pottery, visual design, piano, etc.)
  10. Attend poetry/creative writing workshops and open mics 
  11. Get one writing piece published
  12. Work on a work project outside my current account
  13. Have an elementary level conversation in Korean
  14. Read 12 books
  15. Run a marathon
  16. Visit Toan in Singapore
  17. Be on time more
  18. Practice soccer
  19. Go on a trip with my dad
  20. Get a second source of income
  21. Spend more 1-1 time with my mom
  22. Host more gatherings
  23. Cook a new dish every month 
  24. Go to a concert by myself
  25. Fall in love