The Burning Man and I: Things I Want To Do Before The Scimitar Falls

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — Mark Twain

He’s right, you know. All work and no play does make Jack a dull boy. Life doesn’t have to feel like a race against time, but being aware of our own unscaled beanstalks somehow gives us a sense of urgency to live amazingly. Plus we love lists! Here’s mine.

1. Experience Burning Man. 2. Smoke a Cuban cigar wearing a sarong that’s just so wrong. 3. Live in Siena in Italy for a year. 4. Cuss in Italian. Artfully and with great passion– like a tempest. And complete with the hand gestures. 5. Say yes to Jameelon’s “Come act “My Short Skirt” on stage!” 6. Spend a whole weekend with my son doing the things HE likes. 7. Go to a tribute concert for Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen and Chet Baker. 8. Give more to Spark of Hope c/o Starbucks. My son gives each year and he gets such a kick when Starbucks sends him Christmas cards. 9. Go to New York City and walk around Manhattan in high heels and a red peacoat and beret, and try not to smile so widely. 10. Volunteer. Maybe read fairy tales to kids from books with pretty pop up pages. 11. Leave the city for a week and head for the beaches all over the Philippines. Lie down on the sand at midnight to wax philosophical about the stars then snort-laugh with my best friend Angel. 12. Go to Dean’s hilltop cottage in San Francisco and beam his crazy lights at the forest. Super Blairwitch-y! 13. Have a fancy dress masquerade party with my friends. 14. Watch President Obama speak. In person. 15. Tell stories more vividly. Listen more closely. 16. Take more photographs. Of faces, places and everything breathtaking. 17. Read up– like a whole lot more– on architecture, literature and the greatest moments in fashion. 18. Watch Aerosmith in concert. Chicago or LA. With Gaston, Dru, Angel and Aaron. 19. Get a tattoo, and not be a sissy about it. Never regret it! 20. Write a fan letter to my mom, my sister and Carl. 21. Scour London for antique jewelry, lamps and chairs. 22. Ride a white horse speckled with gray. I was thinking side saddle but who am I kidding.. I want to look fierce! 23. Go to Oktoberfest in Germany and gawk at the revelers. Promote San Miguel beer shamelessly.

24. Cook believing it’s a real art using spices from all over, and drink wine while cooking.. yeah, like a contessa/ drama queen. 25. Collect gold jewelry from India. 26. Live in a building with a spectacular view. 27. Invite friends over ala-Sex In The City. Everyone has to look her prettiest, even Ricky. 28. Go to France and, armed with pidgin French, and have fun watching the locals scratch their heads when I engage them in small talk . 29. Visit Colette’s grave in Paris. 30. Be amazed by amazing Thailand. 31. Fire dancing again! I did this last Christmas in Puerto Galera, with David and Sylvain smiling in the background.

32. Ride an elephant. 33. Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Look for Brad and Angelina’s mansion. 34. Listen to ragtime and jazz. Still in New Orleans. 35. Own a fiery red orange Balenciaga dress. And bequeath it to my future granddaughter. 36. Watch more funny movies. Look for Woody Allen’s best. 37. Go trekking and camping on mountaintops again. And bamboo-rafting down the river like I’m 12 again. 38. Tour Europe by train, and walk the city streets as much as I can. See the chapels, the museums, the El Raso flea market in Madrid, the rundown villas, everything. 39. Memorize my favorite Pablo Neruda and Charles Baudelaire poems. 40. Be a cheese expert. 41. Quit putting off reading the classics.. the really good ones: Dickens, Voltaire, Flaubert. 42. Buy myself a Hearts On Fire diamond ring. 43. Have a flaming red-pink-orange rose named after me using all the names I call myself. Claudia Isabel Beatrice. Ok, Helena, too. 44. Speak my mind more often. In English, Filipino, French and Italian. Oui, Gaston, bien sûr! No, Claudia, è vietato fumare accanitamente! 44. Dance more. 45. Be amazed, fall in love/adore and be adored, be an editor and live like a rockstar. Yeah, these all go together.