The Beginning

I'm a list person. On my phone, scraps of paper on my desk, back of fliers/receipts/mail, on mirrors with whiteboard markers... I have lists everywhere. A sense of accomplishment guides my pen across the page to cross off each task. A smile passes my face from the small triumph of the moment. A little OCD, yes, I know. Therefore, when I got engaged last December, my first task was to list out the things I needed to do, plan, and accomplish in the short year before I officially become a "Mrs." on January 3, 2012. :) By starting a blog, I knew I would be able to hold myself accountable for getting it all done.

So what do I want/need/long/hope to do before I get married? My list turned into a hybrid of wedding checklist, bucket list, and although I thought it may be some single-ladies-only nights outs, I found that most of my items weren't necessarily things I wanted to do prior to getting married. They were things that I wanted to do in general; whether it be for myself, by myself, or with my fiance. I found that my future wedding date was just a good date in general to put myself on a strict timeline.

Therefore, without further ado, my "12 Before 2012":

1. Learn how to take great pictures on my SLR-- Last year before a trip to Barcelona, we got an DSLR. Although I take it out for big events, I still haven't learned how to use it to its potential. This year, I hope to actually learn how to use it and document my journey through this blog.
2. Plan my perfect wedding-- Since we both grew up in Manila and most of our family is there, we've decided that we'll be getting married in the Philippines. This poses many logistic, execution, and communication problems along with the regular stress of planning a wedding. I know I am stressing out my wedding planner already!
3. Scuba dive-- Ironically, growing up in a country made up of islands, I have not yet done this. So here it is.
4. Find my dream wedding dress-- Self explanatory. All girls need this on their wedding list.
5. Bungee jump-- Parasailing, check. Rock climbing, check. Skydiving, check. I guess this one should be easy, right?
6. Learn Zumba/Kickboxing/Pole-dancing-- Hopefully helps me fit into my dream dress (see above). :)
7. Take engagement pictures in Europe-- Being on the east coast, our travel bug always takes us to Europe, so would love to have that integrated in our special day.
8. Fly a plane-- I'm always riding one, so why not learn how to fly?
9. Take a French or Italian cooking class-- I'm a foodie. Hopefully I can learn something to share with my fellow foodie friends.
10. Go somewhere new for my bachelorette party with my favorite girls-- Any ideas?
11. Learn more about my family history, my parent's stories, and their life lessons-- Would love to pay tribute to my parents and family by putting something together and that I can share with my own family someday.
12. Marry my best friend. <3 

Thank you to Celine who inspired me to start this blog and document my own journey!