These relics of remembrance are just like shipwrecks, only they’re gone faster than the smell after it rains.

25 is a special number for me today.

In its honor, I shall recount, in no particular order, 25 events and items worth remembering from my summer.

1 500 g bottle of L-glutamine consumed
10 lbs gained
1 authentic Seattle Uitilikilt received as a gift
1 Columbia Titanium Grade Jacket purchased
400+ hours acquiring/tuning man skills
4 months first-hand exposure to/interaction with “the other side.”
1 Nude cyclist event attended
1 1996 Tacoma broken and entered
1 Fender 8G – ES acquired
1 Old friendship reborn
2 Friendships deepened
1 Tire repair kit reluctantly purchased
1 Stack of clothes disposed of
2 Mountains partially hiked
200 miles ridden via bicycle
60 miles run via a pair of New Balance 1006’s
4 Books purchased
2 CDs ordered
1 Life perspective overhauled
3 Single friends lost (and 3 Married friends gained)
1 Longboard given to GoodWill
1 Small stack of clothing trashed
1 Relationship reluctantly ended
1 POS fleece given to GoodWill (Sentimentalism should be used sparingly. The past easily turns to excess baggage.)

I don’t have any regrets, but there are a few things I wish I’d done. There’s always a few “shoulda, coulda, woulda’s.”

My Spanish project never took off. It’s not necessary for the FBI, but it would be nice to have. Luckily, I still have a few years to learn it. It’s too bad I wasn’t able to find/make more opportunities to get to know Biotech Girl. She was really cool. I should have started voice lessons as soon as I got to Seattle rather than waiting a month, but I still had time to improve significantly. I should have made more time for temple outings; I wish I had.

I have another year to do better, and hopefully, another 75 after that.

So Long Astoria - The Ataris