checkin’ a few more items off the good ole gotta-do-this-before-I-die list (2018 edition)

It’s that time of year again–when we take stock of big events and personal hurdles. I find it encouraging and exciting to go back through the last 365 days come the first of every January. If you couldn’t already tell, my current pass times of choice are travel, art, music, as well as good food and beer. I’m sure these will change as I mature, but for now, I’ve checked a few more items off the good ole gotta-do-this-before-I-die list.

The 7 countries I visited: 

Canada, Germany, Denmark, Norway, England, Iceland, and The Netherlands

The 50+ cities I visited: 

Austin, Palm Springs, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Windsor, Chicago, Galt, Grass Valley, Lake Tahoe, Fort Jones, Omaha, Dallas, Longview, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Atlanta, Athens, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Solvang, Dana Point, Sacramento, Caliente, Long Beach, Newport Beach, Berlin, Copenhagen, Ozark National Forest, Branson, London, East Sussex, Denver, Boulder, Bailey, Nederland, Chapel Hill, Saxapahaw, Rehoboth, Tulsa, Lawrence, Weston, Bergen, Odda, Flåm, Stavanger, Reykjavik, Selfoss, Reykjadalur, Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Vik, Hoff, Amsterdam, Paris, Strasbourg, Saarbrücken, and New Orleans

The 40+ breweries I visited: 

Blue Owl Brewing, Lazarus Brewing, Live Oak, Brewing, Jolly Pumpkin Brewery, Batch Brewing, Sandwich Brewing Co., Prairie Brewpub, Southern Tier Brewery, Piece Brewing, Upstream Brewing Company, Deep Ellum Brewing, Braindead Brewing, Oilhorse Brewing Company, Fremont Brewing, Cloudburst, Redhook Brewlab, Figueroa Mountain Brewery, Docent Brewing, Holzmarket, Stone Brewing, Mikkeller Bar, Bergenhus, Delirium Cafe, Ægir Bryggeri, Smiðjan Brugghús, Ölvisholt Brugghús, Vision Quest Brewing, Post Brewing, Mad Jack’s Mountain Brewery, The Very Nice Brewing Company, Dogfish Head Brewery, Revelation Craft Brewing Company, Casual Animals, Double Shift Brewing, Torn Label Brewing, Strange Days Brewing Company, Border Brewing Company, Stockyards Brewing, Cinderblock Brewing, BKS Artisan Ales, Boulevard Brewing, Kansas City Bier Company, Brewery Imperial, Freestate Brewing, Mother’s Brewing Company, and Lost Signal Brewing Company

The live music I witnessed: 

Son Little and Jade Bird (Reverb Lounge, Omaha)
Dan Auerbach and Robert Finley (The Truman in KCMO)
20th Anniversary Tour of Riverdance (Kauffman Center in KCMO)
Freek Fyre (Bat Bar, Austin), Diive (Neptune Theater, Seattle)
Run the Jewels and Lorde (The Sprint Center, KCMO)
Cold War Kids (Power and Light, KCMO)
David Byrne (The Kauffman Center,KCMO)
Akkilles (Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club, KCMO)
All the nights at Green Lady Lounge and Bayou on Vine in KCMO
U2 (United Center, Chicago)
Portugal the Man, Awol Nation, and Joywave (Buzz Beach Ball, KCMO)
Radiohead (PPG Arena, Pittsburgh)
Roger Waters (Copenhagen)
Coheed and Cambria (Liberty Hall, Lawrence)
Smashing Pumpkins (Aragon, Chicago)
Beck (Starlight Theater, KCMO)
Billy Joel (Kauffman Stadium, KCMO)
Carseat Headrest (Grinders in KCMO)
Twinshadow (Uptown Theater, KCMO)
Foo Fighters (Sprint Center, KCMO)
The Joy Formidable (Record Bar in KCMO)
Bastille (Uptown Theater, KCMO)
All the live music on Frenchman Street in New Orleans

The people I laughed at (with their consent): 

Jerry Seinfeld (KCMO), Neal Brennan (KCMO), Kevin Nealon (KCMO), and Anthony Jeselnik (London)

A few of the places I enjoyed art in person: 

Joselyn Art Museum (Omaha)
Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas)
Museum Island (Berlin)
Eastside Berlin Wall Galleries (Berlin)
Currywurst Museum (Berlin) –not really art, but still fascinating
Van Gough Museum (Amsterdam)
National Portrait Gallery (London)
Nelson Atkins (KCMO)
The Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh)
Photo Antiquities Museum of Photographic History (Pittsburgh)