Un-Vicarious Life

If living through a year and a half of restrictions and social distancing, cancelled concerts and closed county fairs, shuttered theme parks and months without seeing friends in person taught me anything, it was that a life worth living is full of new experiences that take place outside of the home. I spent hundreds more hours inside my home with my daughter than I might have otherwise and I now maintain a sourdough starter in my fridge, 2 things I am very thankful for. However, having been unable to go on a proper trip, make new acquaintances, experience once in a lifetime events, and enjoy a well produced stage show in a packed theater for over a year are losses I will never forgive the virus for. I did however gain a greater understanding for how much joy I derive from new experiences, starting a new project, or first getting to know new people (face to face rather than over a zoom call) and a true appreciation for new to me and fully novel experiences

The one thing to makes me truly special, if I have one, is that I can embody a new skill or experience at the drop of a hat and collect hobbies like a hoarder collects junk. Like anyone, it can be all too easy for me to binge the new season of "Too Hott To Handle" or re-watch the entire "How I Met Your Mother" series to get ready for the newly announced spin off and then question where all my time has gone, but it pains me more than almost any other living creature to look back to see those once in a lifetime experiences I missed. Being fully vaxed, and finally being allowed back into indoor seating at restaurants and events, I am going to hunt down new experiences and sample those "firsts" in a way I never allowed myself to in the past.

Why Should Anyone Care?

Maybe there is a urge inside me that burns hotter than it does in most to experience new things, but if you ask most people to name a few things they really want to do, that they think will change their lives, (real bucket list type stuff) they will almost certainly list at least a few things that are relatively accessible for them; things like run a half marathon (or full marathon if really ambitious), skydive, bungie jump, climb a famous (but not so remote) peak, mushing a dog team that might only take a thoughtful introduction to the right people and the cost of a boring date night, gaining a better understanding of older relatives before they are gone, or simply eating a really great meal at a very specific restaurant that is pricey but still affordable with just a little bit of saving. I want to inspire people to invest in those once in a lifetime trips, pursue the 3 months of training to run a half marathon, prioritize having those conversations with relatives they have meant to have for years, create art, take those pictures from the top of that peak that is only a day hike away, and find opportunities to enjoy the new experiences they never knew they were hoping to have.

I want to present a new "first", from training for and running my first long distance race to collecting those stories from my grandmother that might not exist after she is gone, a new experience every month in a format that both captures my personal experience and helps built a road map to follow for those looking to live the same experience in their own life, a real kick in the ass to turn someday into a defined date on the calendar and turn "what if" into "when I did that". Half chronical of the steps I took along the way (running a marathon will take more preparation than skydiving) and half inspiration for people to better live their own lives and take on new challenges, Un-Vicarious is both a record of events and a call to action.

At the beginning of each month, members will receive access to videos, essays, materials lists, and budgets and savings tips (when appropriate) teasing the experience and showing preparations to introduce the new first and to give members a chance to start on their own similar journey. Later in the month, a video and essay about the actual experience with be made available to members and progress videos and notes may be released between for particularly involved processes. Each month will be archived, but ultimately members will be given the chance to know about the new experience before it is actually completed or while it is still being worked towards, which will allow input, comments, and requests leading up to the completion of the new experience, in part a way to be a part of the experience and in part a way to inspire their own future experiences. Un-Vicarious aims to be inspiration more than entertainment, but will still provide an experience to those who will not attempt any particular experience.