Defining Medium-Term Goals

Quick review - these are the goals that are going to take a year or more to complete, or about six months to a year's worth of salary.

1. Hike the Appalachian Trail. This is something I've wanted to do for a few years. From what I've read, most people find it takes 6-8 months, and $2-3k. Of course I mean the entire trail.
Refefined goal #1 - Through-hike the Appalachian Trail.

2. Get a master's degree. Finding my dream job in the field of linguistics, sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, etc. pretty much requires at least one graduate degree. This will definitely not be done in 1001 days; the earliest I could possibly finish a degree would be in May 2010.
Redefined goal #2 - Begin a master's degree in linguistics.

3. Get my legs tattooed. I have a design in mind for both my legs from ankle to knee, and an artist in mind as well. Think of this one as commissioning a custom painting from an excellent artist, and the cost (several thousand dollars) will not seem quite as staggering as it did initially. I have yet to look at my finances to see how I can budget it in, but that will be part of my action plan.
Redefined goal #3 - Unchanged.

4. Do some bike touring. This is about the same as #7.
Redefined goal #4 - Deleted.

5. Grow my hair out to waist length. So I can donate it to bald kids, of course. What's to redefine?
Redefined goal #5 - Unchanged.


6. Take the train across Canada. Ridiculously expensive but I've heard it's an amazing trip and well worth it. I adore train travel. Budgeting details to come in a later action plan posting.
Redefined goal #6 - Unchanged.

7. Go on a human-powered camping trip. I realize that goal #1 (Appalachian Trail) is an example of this. I was thinking bike or canoe, though. And I was also thinking a significantly shorter trip than 6-8 months. Maybe a week. This is a short-term goal, and henceforth will be known as Short-Term Goal #74.
Redefined goal #7 - Deleted.

8. Go on a pilgrimage. This is really also a short-term goal, so I'm off to edit that post, again.
Redefined goal #8 - Deleted.

9. Increase net worth. Been over this one already. I'll see if I really do manage to double my nothing in 2008, then we'll talk about 2009.
Redefined goal #9 - Deleted.

10. Travel to Africa. I'd like to spend about a month or two, ideally, doing some humanitarian work. Literacy work maybe, I enjoyed studying that in university. I visited Tanzania when I was 17 and really loved it there, I'd like to return to East Africa.
Redefined goal #10 - Spend 6-8 weeks in East Africa doing humanitarian work of a linguistic nature.

And while I'm at it, let's go over my long-term goals, even though they probably cannot be accomplished in under three years:

1. Buy some property. It's mad expensive around here. I believe that at this point, with the Vancouver real estate market how it is and my life being how it is, renting is by far the better choice for me. I'm paying $425 a month, and a condo costs $300k nevermind an ugly townhouse. It's a no-brainer. But I would like to look into buying some real estate, in some other non-Vancouver (sob) location. It would have to be semi-rural anyway because of goal #2.
Redefined goal #1 - Become familiar with the real estate market to facilitate the eventual purchase of property.

2. Farm some property. I am a fiercely independent and as stubborn as a donkey, and I don't like having to rely on other people when I can reasonably do it myself. So to that end I really would like to grow as much of my own food as possible. I'm not talking commercial farming at all - maybe more along the lines of a very large garden that could adequately supply a family or two. Uh, I'd also like a couple sheep. Fibre arts you know.
Redefined goal #2 - Deleted, but only because it's not in the scope of this project.

SHAZAM! I've already finished some of my micro-goals, so I'll be posting updates on them.