Too late to dream? Inspired by The Last Lecture

Having been inspired by Randy Pauch's The Last Lecture, I've reflected on some things and came up with a list of things/dreams that I've always wanted to do and see. I call them Mis Diez Cosas, my ten things. I've done and seen a few of these from the list, so there are some that still need doing, but I may not be able to do them all.


Mis Diez Cosas

Snow
Mountains
Get a Corvette
Be an astronomer
Go to Argentina
Go to Spain, Barcelona
Snag a redhead
Chase tornadoes
Participate in Los San Fermines in Pamplona
Do the pilgrimage Road of Santiago de Compostela


As I kid there were two things that I wished to see: mountains and snow. I saw my first mountain range at age 9 and did not see any again until after I turned 22. The funny thing was that in each instance they were the same mountains of northern México. Mountains would be on my horizons when I visited Monterrey and Saltillo once a year during my university years and then again for my short stay in Spain in 1999; which is where I saw my first snow, albeit on the ground, in my first few days there. Although my first snow fall occurred in Dallas, the most memorable snowfall was on my 31st Christmas: a white Christmas in South Texas.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted a corvette and probably will never have one. At least I drove my uncle’s a couple times when I was in high school. There’s something about that car. Ask my dad. He’s always wanted one too and he’ll tell you that when I was a kid, I could spot one coming down the road before he noticed it too. I inherited my dad’s eagle eyes for sure.

My first science fair project was about stars and constellations. Astronomy was been a hobby of mine from early on; I was in 2nd grade for that Stars project. I got my first telescope around that time too: I remember waking up in the middle of night Christmas morning and seeing the telescope sitting in our living room right next to the Christmas tree. You can imagine my giddiness. We didn’t have much money those days, but “Santa” had enough to get me my first telescope. Though math and I never got along for me to do the astronomy thing professionally, but I aim to get one of those 12” Schmidt-Cassegrains to peruse the heavens with my daughter.

I did a report on Argentina when I was in the 4th grade and have always wanted to visit ever since. It was not until I got older that I wanted to go to Spain. We had a foreign exchange student from Barcelona spend my senior year at our high school, where we became pretty good friends, since then had wanted to visit Spain. A little later the 1992 Olympics reignited my wanting to visit and see Antoni Gaudí’s La Sagrada Familia in person. I was lucky and blessed to spend a short three-month semester in Madrid, where I took a few weekend trips throughout the Spanish countryside. The first chance I got I went to Barcelona where I spent a really quick day and a half there. I spent most of my 36 hours or so visiting and staring at La Sagrada Familia. Oh yeah, I stayed with my foreign exchange student friend and her family.

Redheads are a big weakness for me. I had a redheaded roommate in college and she was really cool. I’ve had redheaded friends: so close, yet so far. Gut wretching. I think Mary Ann from the next town over corrupted me forever.

I’ve always wanted to chase tornadoes. Perhaps they are as equally dangerous as chasing redheads I’m sure. I almost went to chase the Jarrell tornado of 1997 with an old friend who used to do it in college. Considering what we were hearing, we smartly opted to stay in San Antonio and wait for the storm to arrive.

The running of the bulls in Pamplona has always intrigued me. I already have it mapped it out in my head: I’m going to hang on for dear life at the very beginning of the run, wait for all the bulls to be a few blocks away and then I’ll take my time getting to the Plaza de Toros at the end. Perhaps I’ll spend one of my birthdays at Los San Fermines.

I got a tattoo of the cross of Santiago a couple months after I returned from Spain. It serves as a constant reminder to one day do the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella across the northern expanse of Spain. A grad school classmate and her husband did it the summer between our two years of our masters of history program. I was so jealous. Maybe I’ll do it one of these years after I’ve hooked up a redheaded Argentine astronomer, bought a corvette, run away from the bulls and chased a few tornadoes.