I want to tell a story about the beginning of my journey into radical life extension.

The night I turned 27, I was working the night shift. I was somewhat distraught over the fact I was a year older. Ever since I hit 25, birthdays were no longer fun and became a reminder of the fact I was going to die one day. Even though I don’t particularity care for the slight changes in my skin and other aging signs, my fear of aging revolves around death. Life is beautiful, and death is the end of this amazing experience.

My entire perspective changed in the wee hours of my birthday morning when I stumbled across a discussion of someone who just recently signed up with ALCOR. As soon as I read about ALCOR, I immediately not only started researching cryonics, but also reading about other life extension theories.

What now, in comparison, only seems like a small spark of hope was then a blast as bright as the sun in my mind that night. I could not read fast enough. I could not learn quick enough. I felt a world of possibilities open up. I still feel that way. 

I quickly decided to begin a CR routine, as I had previously researched it but lacked the motivation to properly execute the diet. And, I requested an information packet from ALCOR.

The Packet. Oh, The Packet.

The Packet sits unopened on my desk at home. Not because I am hesitant about sighing up. Not because I am procrastinating. I am waiting for the move to be properly supported by our budget.

But it remains unopened.

I planned on opening it, but I waited. I was extremely excited with this discovery, so I was going to open it when I had plenty of time to read everything. I didn’t want to tease myself. A day turned into a week, which turned into a month. The thick envelope remained untouched.

Now, it seems this envelope is a goal I am reaching for, and when the time is right it will be mine. Opening this envelope will be like cutting a ribbon on a new building. Opening this envolpe will be like a kid finally getting to open hir christmas presents.

Opening this envelope is a huge symbolic step toward my goal of radical life extension.

My research is near obsession, my motivation is deep, and my goals are very lofty. But possible. Maybe not probable, at least not *today*, but I’m counting on “one day”.  Baring all out nuclear war (you get the idea), One Day my goals will be possible.

One Day may not come for me without help from ALCOR. Ideally, I will never have to use their services, but I cannot ignore the possibility of my need for them.

For now, The Packet sits on my desk. The day I open it, I intend on throwing a cryonics party. Forget birthday parties, the day I open this envelope is bigger to me than any birthday. So is my CR birthday.

The decision alone to sign up with ALCOR was a life changing moment, and I await the day I sign up with tenacious desire.

The Packet serves as a mile marker on my road to radical life extension, and hopefully other therapies will be developed to extend my road.  

But until I reach “Packet Day”, at least I have an interesting conversation piece for visiting guest. O.o