30 Things To Do Before I'm 30

So today marks the beginning of the end. I’m 29 years old today. I find myself both sad and honestly, a little scared of what it means to be turning 30 in a year. I freaked out on my 15th birthday because I was half way to 30 and at the time 30 meant you were old. Well, I’m certainly not getting any younger but I still don’t feel like a grown up either. I still feel like that 15 year old but with an additional 14 years of experience under my belt. In effort to get myself on track for the next decade, I came up with a list of things to do before I’m 30 which turned out to be harder than I thought it would as I wanted the list to be more than tangible just lofty ideals. Drum roll….

In no particular order:

* Lose 30lbs and stick to it

* Print off photos & create albums from the last several years

* Stay in better touch with friends and family

* Go home for a visit other than Christmas

* Work towards getting my career on track

* Moisturize daily – I never do this and my skin hates me for it

* Drink at least 3 glasses of water a day – I don’t like water, its weird, I know

* Wear the skirts and dresses I own instead staring at them in the closet

* Go for walks after dinner

* Learn how to drive a standard/stick-shift car

* Use the cookbooks and food magazines we already have

* Research our new posting like crazy, wherever that may be

* Call my Nanny more often

* Buy a used sewing machine and learn how to use it

* Get back to jewelry making and my little Etsy shop

* Read more books – both the light fluffy stuff and more topical politico stuff

* Go for a walk/hike in one of Washington’s rainforests

* Visit the Oregon Vortex because I like weird stuff like this

* Go to a ballet

* Frame at least 1 of the 2 giant antique posters we bought in Brussels

* Hopefully find and commit to upholstery for our wingback – I’m cursed with my mother’s fabric/upholstery indecisiveness!

* Learn how to reupholster a wingback chair!

* Bake Jamie Oliver’s Chocolate-Beer Bread Pudding and Joy the Baker’s Peanut Butter and Bacon Cookies (this will defeat the 30 lbs lose, but perhaps they can be a reward? Hmmmm…)

* Start to acquire my ‘fancy’ tableware

* Go to the gym or do a workout dvd weekly

* Treat myself to a manicure, pedicure and massage

* Throw away clothes I haven’t worn in 4 years

* Give sushi one more chance – we’re already at 3-strikes-you’re-out, but a fourth attempt won’t kill me

* Get through my permanent residency application process without having a nervous breakdown from a) the cost, b) the amount of repetitive paperwork, c) the inevitable losing of paperwork in the system, d) all of the above – I’m not worried about the interview, we’re married for real, point finale.

* Find several missing items that have gone awol since my move from Vancouver

So here’s to 29! 365 days and counting till the next major milestone.


PS ~ A very Happy Birthday to my birthday twins Erin and Mark!