Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Turning 30 and the List of 30.

Today is my 30th birthday. I've been dreading this day for quite some time, as I've always felt that 30 is a landmark birthday. In your 20s, I feel like you can get away with a lot, but at 30...well, you're a real adult.

It hasn't quite sunken in, but I'm sure it will over the next few days. I know I'm a little sad on this birthday, as I thought my life would be slightly different by this time (mainly-kids). But I'm optimistic that the next ten years are going to be amazing because in all reality, my 20s weren't that great. I AM ready to leave them behind.

Anyway, to celebrate my 30th birthday, I really wanted to give myself a list of things to do, or accomplish, before my next birthday. Some are things just for me, some are for others, but all are things that I think will make my 30th year quite spectacular. I think I might post about some of them, and I know I'll keep a running list and my progress somewhere on the blog, but it's here for now.

The List of 30:
  1. Volunteer at a soup kitchen (probably in Pontiac)
  2. Complete 3 "pay-it-forward" transactions in drive-thrus (paying for the person behind me)
  3. Write a letter to someone I haven't talked to in awhile and post it
  4. Learn to play bass guitar (fitting, as Matt refinished and gave me one as a present this year)
  5. Take a sewing class
  6. Crochet a new blanket for our bed
  7. Get a tattoo
  8. Cull my book collection
  9. Lose 100 pounds (no, it's not unrealistic-I've lost 30 in about 3 months)
  10. Celebrate 6 months of no pop (currently at 3 months)
  11. Take my goddaughter to the zoo and spend a day spoiling her
  12. Take a weekend vacation with Matt to someplace new
  13. Go through all of my clothing and donate items to charity
  14. Clean out our storage unit
  15. Make homemade bread 
  16. Learn 15 new, healthy recipes and share
  17. Go camping
  18. Finish our wedding scrapbook and albums
  19. Read Clarissa
  20. Send out holiday cards
  21. Visit a farmer's market
  22. Learn to can different fruits and make jams (and do so!-Apple butter in the fall?)
  23. Mend a few friendships (I have people in mind....)
  24. Compliment 5 strangers
  25. Give a class a weird, unexpected, and much needed extra credit assignment
  26. Finish writing my novel
  27. Participate in NaNoWriMo 2015
  28. Try 5 new restaurants
  29. Learn how to meditate
  30. Organize a surprise for someone

12 comments:

  1. Happy birthday! That's a great list :)

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  2. Ha - I love #19. The ultimate book to conquer! YOU CAN DO IT. :P Also, #26. A very happy birthday to you. x

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  3. Happy Birthday! Your list is awesome!

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  4. Happy Birthday! And good luck with your list :) All these goals sound awesome! - Maggie @ macarons & paperbacks

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  5. Happy birthday! In a few days I turn 50!! Come on in, the water's fine. ;) My 40's were way better than my 20's. Anyway, I love your list of things to do. Mending friendships is always an important thing to do. I had a goal for my 50th birthday--I wanted to start growing out my gray hair. It has been quite the ordeal. But, I cut all my hair off and got cute highlights. Maybe I'll have to make a list.

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  6. Happy birthday! I turned 30 this past August (making me almost 31! Gasp!). I thought too late of making a list of 30 things to do before I turned 30. Whoops. I like your idea of 30 things to do before your next birthday, and your list definitely seems manageable. I might give this a try this year!

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  7. Happy Birthday! 30 isn't so bad - and I love your list.

    Also, I compliment strangers all the time if they're wearing a great dress or pair of shoes. :)

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  8. I love these kinds of list. Seriously - welcome to the best decade. :)

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  9. I love your list! Happy birthday. In my opinion (and experience so far at only 31) your 20s are great, but your 30s are even better!

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  10. Happy belated birthday!!! This is a wonderful list, and I wish you all the best with it and with this new year of your life.

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  11. The 30s are great! You've hopefully achieved some maturity and a sense of what you want to do with your life, and now you can really get on with it. Your list is a wonderful start. You're inspiring me to do the same, only I'm a couple of decades ahead of you.

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