As you know, it is Thursday. I was not sure what to write about to share today, but as I sit here, 3 days prior to my 28th, listening to the heavy storm outside, I knew it had to be about life. Therefore, I am sharing my list of 30 things to do before 30.
You may know I am always thinking and overwhelmed with dreams, aspirations, hopes, goals, and general contemplation. As I noted, I turn 28 this Sunday, the 9th, and birthdays always get my mind racing about what I want to do in the upcoming year. My birthday week is a time I recontemplate New Years Resolutions, (this year I chose to focus on monthly improvements and reanalyze myself monthly, rather than set ‘resolutions’ that would simply be broken) and reflect.
I saw another blogger share this topic a couple years ago and always wanted to write my own. Obviously I have already started a blog, but this list is a year or two in the making, and I wanted to include it as it was one of the first goals that came to mind. This is neither a goals list nor a bucket list, but things I really want to get done while I can still be selfish with my time. You can decide exactly what I mean by that.
I suppose I will also admit that the reality of approaching the big 3-0 is setting in. I try not to panic too much about examining my past, whether I made the best decisions, or how much I have accomplished thus far, because that never does anyone any good. We must plan to look forward, always to the future, persevering ever forward, and possibly having some fun along the way! This is not a fully encompassing list, but some personal things I would like to make happen soon. Also to note, these items aren’t in any sort of order. I could write an entire other long list on family, career, and travel- easily, but for now I will just leave you with the fun ones.
Next to note, writing things down helps one stay focused, on track, and results in a higher likeliness of success or seeing the items through. I also just simply love writing lists. I had to double a few up and cut back as I could probably write hundreds of items, but I am attempting to remain somewhat realistic.
It is quite a personal list, so I would really appreciate you sharing what you think. I would also love to hear what some of yours are- just give me your top 5 for the next 5 years! If you are feeling ambitious, I challenge you to go ahead and write your own list for the next few years. Be realistic yet ambitious, lighthearted yet real. Put those ideas onto paper as well.
I would be honored to hear your list, however long, if you feel so inclined to share. Enjoy reading and have a great Thursday!
30 THINGS TO DO BEFORE 30
RANDOM ASPIRATIONS
- Start a Blog. Check!
- Guest post on another blog and get on Liketoknowit.
- Teach a “Yoga in the Street” class in Greenville. I am terrified of public speaking and teaching yoga was a major contributing factor in my personal growth last year. To teach a class so huge would be a major challenge and personal achievement for me! (Taught a class of 72 on 6/30)
- Flip a house.
- Own a rental home. Maybe the one we currently reside in?
- Build a house.
- Invest money and save money. I just finished paying off my student loans at the end of February, but I want to remain smart with my money.
PERSONAL
- Find a home church.
- Get allergy tested to see exactly to what all I am allergic. (Currently: Allergy shots. I was allergic to EVERYTHING.)
- Get contacts for the first time in my life- or lasik. (8/25/2017 – Contacts are glorious and wonderful!)
- Teeth straightened- finally, and veneers, maybe.
- Find a mentor and find someone to mentor.
- Start a brunch, supper, or dinner club. Let me know if you are interested to join- stranger, acquaintance, or friend!
- Find an organization I am passionate about, volunteer, and get involved.
FITNESS
- Run the Cooper River Bridge Run.
- Run a half marathon. I have asthma, so you can see how ambitious this one is.
- Learn how to handstand. Seriously, I have been working on this forever. (8/27 – Floated in class for 4 full breaths!)
ART
- Reopen my Etsy shop.
- Paint a full series of paintings and sell paintings at spring festivals.
VARIOUS
- Start a designer bag and shoe collection. Okay, we all like pretty things, right? (4/9/2017 – Got my first Louis Vuitton Neverful Purse, 7/21 – Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee boots)
TRAVEL
- Go to the airport, spontaneously fly somewhere for the weekend, and truly go with the flow. See #28?
- See the Machu Pichu ruins in Peru.
- Attend a Music Festival. Coachella, Bonaroo, BurningMan, etc. Who wants to join?
- Go skydiving. A childhood life goal. The time has come to mark this one off my list. (We did go Scuba Diving for the first time in May 2017 in the Second largest Barrier Reef in the World and I imagine the adrenaline rush is pretty close to skydiving!)
- Hike a European Mountain Range.
- Ride camels in a dessert.
- Take Brad horseback riding.
- Go camping as much as possible. The beach in Kitty Hawk, NC, where you can drive your car on the sand, is first on the list!
- Travel North America with Brad: Cuba (before it gets very Americanized), Vancouver, Austin, Banff, Portland, L.A., San Francisco, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Key West (again), Nashville (with Brad), Boston, Alaska, Hawaii, Orlando (Harry Potter and Star Wars worlds!), Yellowstone, National Arches Park, and the Grand Canyon- just to name a few!
- Swim with dolphins. This is so cheesy, but I had a dream that I did this when I was a child and I made a promise to myself that I would make it happen! I truly felt (as a child) that this was a premonition of something I would do when I was ‘grown up.’
I suppose I better get started, huh?
With Joy,
Audrey
