Goals

I'm a goal oriented person.  For the past two years I've really been focusing on my professional goals.  I've worked hard and feel like a much better teacher.  While I still have my professional goals for this school year, I've decided that I need to be more active outside of work.  I always say that I love my job here, but don't really enjoy living in Kentucky.  I've come up with some goals that I think will help me to better appreciate living in Lexington, KY (in no particular order):

• Sample bourbon (This could involve a trip to a distillery.) Wild Turkey and Four Roses
• Eat at the Glitz!
• Visit Waveland
• Go to Red River Gorge
• Visit the Natural Bridge
• Go to Cumberland Falls
• Go to Keeneland for a day of races (double points if I go during both the fall and the spring season)
• Go to a UK game and invest in a UK shirt for the occasion (double points if I go to a football and a basketball game)
• Visit the Shaker Village
• Go on a Horse Farm Tour
• Visit as many Kentucky vineyards as possible, sample their wines, and bring home a wine glass with each vineyard's logo to add to my collection (This would probably be best achieved in multiple trips, as I would like to make it home safely.) - Talon, Lovers Leap, Christman Mill
• Buy something that was made in Kentucky and represents something about Kentucky (I imagine that would mean a trip to Berea.)
• Go to Louisville and do touristy things
• Go to the 2011 Paducah Quilt Show
• Go back to Chicago to do touristy things (I know this has nothing to do with Kentucky.  However, it is within driving distance, so I decided I could add it to the list.)
• Go camping and bike riding at Watoga State Park in West Virginia
• See the Biltmore decorated for Christmas 
• See a show at the Grand Ole Opry 
• Go to the 2011 Kentucky Derby (This is the goal I am most excited about, but also the most unsure about.  How am I going to get tickets?  I don't want to be in the infield.  Who is going with me?  Where do you actually buy a hat for the Derby?)

Wow, it didn't seem like so much when it was in my head!  And I thought of four more things to add to the list while I was making it.  It is fun to dream, but these will be more than just dreams!  They will become reality!  I'm thinking that I should start a new savings account just to finance all of these things.  But, man I am really looking forward to having a fun time accomplishing all of the things on my list!  It sure would be great to have company on these adventures.  Want to join me?