Featured Sponsor: Eager Beaver (+ Giveaway)

Okay, I'm just going to put it out there, I love Sara. I love her outlook, I love her site, I love her whole deal... it's good. What I love even more is that I get the opportunity to share inspiring ladies like Sara here on LCH. Remember Stephanie's post last week? So many rad gals to meet! Here's her story!

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Do you mind telling us a little bit about Eager Beaver and yourself? How did the idea for EB come about? 

I’m Sara Kinninmont, a writer, dreamer, adventurer, and, most importantly, an Eager Beaver. I created my website as a means of not only combining my loves, but in hopes of inspiring myself and others to Live Like You Give a Damn!

I started keeping a list of fun to-do's back in 2007. It wasn't until December of 2010 that I decided to create Eager Beaver. Once I had the name and the tag line, there was no denying that it had to happen.

Incidentally, the original list now has over 6000 things on it!

The sidebar of EB boldly states the "Top 5 things people wanna do"… all 5 of which I think would be awesome to experience. How do you come up with the ideas, or are they user-submitted?

I’m always fascinated by the Top 5s. It’s interesting when they differ from my own and when I see an item on there that I hadn’t expected so many people to connect with.  So far, all of the items on the list are ones that I’ve dreamed up, but I am always open to suggestions and would love to hear them. I try and make a concerted effort to cover a broad range of interests and geographic locations. The list is by no means only things I want to do. I certainly don’t ever see myself “wearing a Speedo with confidence.”

If you had to pick 3 things off your list that you're eager to get done as soon as possible, what would they be? 

I LOVE animals. An absolute must for me is to watch a baby elephant in the wild. 

Lately I’ve been dreaming of an epic cross-country road trip, preferably the US. I think it’s something that must be done at least once. 

And third, I want to eliminate “coulda, shoulda, woulda from my lexicon.” I’m not horribly prone to it. I believe things happen as they should and try not to worry too much, but there’s always room for improvement.  

What are some list items you've accomplished that you're most proud of?

In terms of physical bravery, the skeleton was amazing. I felt invincible afterwards. The CN Edgewalk was also great. It was strange because I had no butterflies. I just felt at peace up there. Anything that takes you out of your normal comfort zone expands the very definition you have of yourself. Whenever I feel doubtful about my ability to do something, I think about how I hurdled head first down an icy track going 96kms an hour. That normally puts things into perspective.  

What would you say inspires you on a daily basis? Any specific people, places or events?

In terms of ideas for the list, inspiration comes from paying attention and lots of reading: blogs, magazines, books etc.

Inspiration for Living Like You Give a Damn comes from my family, namely my parents. I was essentially raised to live this way. No matter how hair-brained the idea, my parents were supportive. Whether I wanted to take synchronized swimming lessons or lapidary classes, they were game, regardless of the fact that I very rarely showed an actually affinity or talent for any of it. They also stressed the need to try everything once food wise. If I didn’t like something I never had to have it again, but I had to try it once. Because of this, my favorite food when I was a child was escargot. I was never told they were gross therefore I never thought there were. 

You've been hard at your list for half a decade now… do you plan to keep adding and attaining as long as you possibly can?

I do. But not just for the sake of checking things off, but more so as a continuing journey of uncovering pieces of myself. I certainly don’t love everything I try and many of them are a one-time thing, but you also never know when that one thing you push yourself to try might be your new favorite thing. 

What is a typical day like in the life of Sara? Is there such a thing as "typical" day for you?

Right now things are a bit quieter than normal. I’m doing the research for a travel book I’m writing. A typical day involves lots and lots of reading and a visit to the library. Despite the seeming monotony of it, I get as excited about finding a nugget of information I want to share with other EagerBeavers as I do from bungee jumping. 

If you could build Eager Beaver into something even bigger than it already is, what would you do? How would you share the EB bravado with the world?

Ideally, I‘d love to reach as many people as I can with the list, not so much with the intention of making them want to do all of the things on it, but to make them think about living with intention. It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut. Whether it’s always watching the same show, listening to the same music or eating the same food, we make choices daily out of habit. What about instead of subs for lunch you try that little Vietnamese place you always walk by and have a banh mi instead. Maybe just once watch a documentary instead of your latest HBO-obsession. It’s easy to do as you have always done, but trying something new can be deeply satisfying in ways you never could have imagined. 

I see EagerBeaver as a tool for inspiration. The book I’m working on will be an extension of that, full of ideas for things that will break you out of your comfort zone and hopefully have fun in the process. 

Okay, enough faddy duddy serious talk, let's get silly. What is the absolute most-ridiculous silliest-thing-ever item you've check off of your EB list? 

“Embracing entomophagy” – bug eating. I ate some salt ‘n vinegar flavored crickets. If you can get past what you are eating, they’re actually not bad. Eating weird things is never really an issue for me.

The difference between delicious and gross is really just a social construct. North Americans love cheese and cannot imagine living without it, but many cultures find it disgusting. Vice versa with bugs etc. 

How about the silliest/most ridiculous one you aspire to?

Maybe it’s a Canadian thing, but peeing my name in the snow. A girlfriend even bought me one of those pee funnels. For some reason, the idea of actually doing it is more nerve wracking than sky diving for me. 

If you could advise the Honeybees in anyway, about how to make goals and attain them, what would you tell them to do?

Doing things out of habit can sometimes mask fear of the unknown. It seems safe because we know what to expect from them, but that safety is an illusion. Remember that everything you now do regularly and likely take for granted, like riding a bike or sending an email, was once brand new to you. You had to move out of your comfort zone to do it. It’s not about doing things “before you die” but making the most of your life in the moment. For me, having live too little and not having take advantage of life’s abundance is far more frightening than death. 

Go out and Live Like You Give a Damn!

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GIVEAWAY!

Okay, so are you inspired yet?! Just reading what Sara has to say about Eager Beaver (and living with intention, in general) is just so seriously awesome. Seeing things like this really make me want to get out and do something rad... something that I may not have otherwise done.  (But probably not pee my name in the snow... I don't know... maybe.)

Now Sara wants to help motivate you to really live out your dreams (both big and small!) by offering up one lucky winner an amazing Kate Spade passport cover! Travel the world, see the sights, and check things off of your list! 

In order to be entered to win, just pop on over to the Eager Beaver and sign up for her site! It's a simple, painless process and it'll put you among hundreds of other individuals seeking out adventure in life! Please leave a comment below after you've signed up and let us know what you'd like to check off of your list!

For extra entries, please do the following and leave a separate comment below for each!

+ "Like" Eager Beaver on Facebook!

+ Follow Eager Beaver on Twitter!

You've got a total of three chances to win! A winner will be drawn at random next week and contacted shortly thereafter. Now let's hear about things on your list! Good luck! xo