The Real Thing

...So began yesterday's U2 concert at MSU's Spartan Stadium, and it was even better than....

OK, so the question of the day: What is the real thing, really?

24 hours after the U2 spectacle, I'm still pondering the real thing and what it means. Of course, it's a question that was more frequently on my mind 20 years ago (coincidentally, when I listened to U2 daily and without The Claw in front of me). It's a question I hope today's youth is still asking, with The Claw or not.

But maybe updated to: What is the thing, for realz?

Fans reaching out for the real thing at U2 on June 26. Photo courtesy CedarBend

Today I offer these 5 lessons from Bono and the band from my point of view, and from fellow bloggers/friends who were surely singing along with me last night:

1/ Play with forks in restaurants. That's how The Claw came about, aka now the set to the biggest tour ever.
2/ Accept Dooley's gigs. Big things can happen, in Spartan Stadium proportions, oh yes they can.
3/ Thing BIG! All the world's a stage, but guess what? You can control the size of that stage and it can be 360, like this.
4/ Smiling for 2 1/2 hours is a very good thing - possibly even better than the real thing. This U2 lesson is courtesy of my MSU colleague Heather Hill.
5/ Be an unstoppable force. We all have the power to influence someone, whether it's your son, your community, or a continent. So says fellow blogger Ari Adler, and wouldn't you agree?

What have you found on your own quest for the real thing? Let's all share those lasting impressions from last night's U2 concert. I'd love to hear from you.

Bucket Listing

My husband doesn't believe in bucket lists, but I think I do. I've always been a planner and isn't a bucket list the ultimate (literally) in planning?

As should be no surprise, there's an entire section of my bucket list that is dedicated to arts and cultural related activities - especially more travel. Even though I have set foot in most of the continents and lived in several countries, there is still so much of the world I want to see. In an interesting twist for an globe-trotting girl, some of my travel dreams are within the United States. When I lived in Spain during my study abroad year, my mission became to visit all of Spain's provinces. I came very close to my goal (the islands got me!), and while many of my friends were off exploring nearby European countries, I told myself I was getting to know one country to its fullest. (Of course, this meant sometimes I was traveling alone just to get to my goal...)

Today, I am committed to this same goal in my own country. All 50 states and the world, here I come!

Is travel on your bucket list? Have you reached all your destinations already? What places are must-sees in your book? I can't wait to hear from you.