The List

Perhaps you've heard of this before - a list of thirty things to do before you turn 30 years old - but two years ago I hadn't. I was volunteering abroad and a housemate introduced me to the idea; I was hooked! 


It probably helped that at the time 30 seemed practically unattainable. I was 23, fresh out of college, jobless due to the then-recent economic plunge into darkness (hence the volunteering abroad), and living off of my (meager) life savings in a foreign country. Life was a coming-of-age novel and I was reading under the covers.


Now, suddenly, it's two years later and I've only ticked off two items on my checklist. This isn't to say the last two years have been boring by any means, but I will admit they seemed to have lacked focus. I have a great job and loving friends and family, but seem to need a good challenge.


I have 28 items and 5 years. That's pretty much 6 things each year. Time to get a move on! So, without further ado, I present to you...


The List. (in the order i thought of them)
1. Learn a 3rd language conversationally

     1a. Visit a country where that language is spoken, and have a conversation!

2. Visit Europe Honeymoon check! (I'll spare you the details) July-Aug 2012

      2a. Get to as many of these as possible: Italy, Spain, UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Greece, Switzerland, Turkey, Scotland.

3. Buy a car That-escalated-quickly check. December 2012

4. Know how to change important fluids in my car

      4a. Oil, windshield washer fluid, radiator fluid, other?

5. Bake a cake from scratch (BONUS: without a recipe)

6. Scuba dive Update 7/9/2012: Learn to cook 10 vegetables in a way that I will like
      6a. Has to be healthy-ish. (Basically: cannot be smothered in cheese.)

7. Take my parents on a trip where they pay for nothing (other than their souvenirs)

8. Sew my own dress (one that I’ll actually wear!) I-feel-pretty-when-I-twirl check! July 2011

9. Start my own translation business

10. Skinny Dip (anywhere!)

11. Paint something on a canvas with real paint

12. Cook a turkey

13. Rent a fun car for a weekend and/or road trip

      13a. No specific destination

14. Take my niece on an “aunt/niece” outing

15. Improve my relationship with my sister – be more than sisters; be friends.

16. Go to Ellis Island to look up my families

17. Get caught in the rain and instead of getting mad, run around and enjoy it! Soggy Check! June 24, 2011

18. See the Northern Lights

19. Go to Disneyland or World Princess Check! June 25, 2011

20. Make scrapbooks for the major trips I go on

21. Ride a tandem bicycle

22. Design an advertisement or save-the-date for someone

23. Volunteer abroad – Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia Update 2/4/2013: Go car-free one day/work week

24. Go back to school to get a graduate degree

25. Learn to drive a motorcycle
      25a. Ride in Bikers for Babies!!

26. Play in a concert band again   Chiggity Check!! August 2010

27. Plan one day each week to eat vegetarian

28. Run in a 5k Check! July 17, 2010

29. Sky dive

30. Plant and maintain a garden for at least one summer