5 Things I Want to Do in 2017

Oh, Facebook. The weird shit you come up with never ceases to amaze me...

I saw a friend share this "5 Things You Should Do in 2017" Facebook Survey this morning and I thought that I would give it a shot. I am always looking for motivation, you know? So I did it for myself...

Lies, all lies. I did NOT start this year with a lot of energy. I didn't even have a drink in my hand at midnight, and I wound up spending the first hour of the new year at a park using WiFi to tell my daughter Happy New Year. And seriously? I already do all five of those things. So if those are the things that will make ALL OF MY WISHES COME TRUE...um, why didn't it happen already?

1. I just got home from a trip to Cuba.

2. I kissed countless men around the world in 2016. What?! I like kissing.

3. I am always smiling - I literally make a point to force myself to smile, even when I don't feel like it.

It's probably why so many guys want to kiss me. "Happy Girls are the Prettiest Girls" and all that jazz.

4. Negative people? I just wrote a melodramatic Instagram post on Dec 27th about deleting all of the people who no longer deserve a place in my place from my phone.

The life you have led doesn’t need to be the only life you have. – Anna Quindlen This is something I'll be mulling over as I spend the remainder of 2016 in Havana. So many things have happened this year, so many people flitting in and out of my life - some wonderful, some leaving a trail of heartache and tears in their wake. It's been a crazy year. I'm ready for it to fucking be over already. Before boarding my flight this morning, I deleted everyone that no longer deserves a place in my life from my phone. I plan to step off that return flight home on January 2 with a spring in my step and all of this unpleasantness just a fading memory... Three cheers for a happy, healthy and magical New Year! ?

A photo posted by Jenn ✈️ The Rebel Chick (@therebelchick) on Dec 27, 2016 at 6:15am PST

5. I do live in the moment. I have to. If I was constantly looking back, my past would drag me down into the deepest, darkest pits of hell. The future? I really have absolutely no idea what it will look like, so I can't even fantasize about it.

I am already, according to Facebook, winning at life. 

So why does my life basically suck? I mean, I have my health and all of my fingers and toes and all, but let's face it, 2016 was no bed of roses and while it's only January 4th, 2017 seems to be following suit...

So screw that. I am making my own list of things for 2017. Let's call it my bucket list for 2017, shall we?

5 Things I Want to Do in 2017

1. I want to go to Manchu Picchu. This has been on my bucket list forever and ever. I have dreamt of it. I think Manchu Picchu will provide me with some sort of spiritual awakening, and I have felt it calling to me since I first saw photos as a teenager. I want to see it with my own two eyes, finally. I want to see if it feels as magical as I have always imagined it would...I am working on quitting smoking, and I think that I will be physically ready to actually hike by the time I figure out how to make this happen.
2. I want to sell my house and move out of Miami. I got divorced, my kid grew up - I am ready to say goodbye to my past and start living the rest of my life. I knew right away that I would never be happy in Miami after my ex left me, and it's proven to be true. I HATE IT HERE as a single woman, and every day that I am stuck here, a little part of my soul dies. The only reason I am still here is because of my daughter. I am waiting for Angeline to get settled in her adulthood before I sell the house and figure out my next move.
3. I want to rebuild the success of my blog. While I am not struggling, I have been so detached from the blogging and social media world since my divorce that I am not earning anywhere near what I used to, and I am not traveling as much for work as I used to. I am probably at 40% overall of where I was when my ex moved out in June 2015. I want to focus on rebuilding the success I spent so many years working to achieve. I am focused. I am determined. I am making a comeback in 2017. 
4. I want to go to the Fiji Islands. I am a beach bum, a water baby...those crystal blue green waters of the Fiji Islands have been calling to me for years and I am going to figure out a way to get there this year if it kills me!
5. I want to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. As I mentioned in #4, and you probably realize by the amount of beach photos on my blog and social media, I love the ocean. I live for the deep blue sea. I love the salty air, the water, the marine life swimming beneath the surface...and one of my all time favorite activities is snorkeling! I would love to get dive certified, but I have always held back on trying because of issues with my ears popping when I free dive. I really, really want to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, and I think that this year might be the year I finally do it!

Do you have any special things you'd like to do in 2017? Any special places you hope to travel to? I'd love to hear about them!