I’ve been wanting to start a blog for a very long time. But as things typically go, life got in the way. I know, I know…excuses, excuses. School, job-hunting, family, friends. I could go on and on. There were a million things that seemed to hold me back.
And if I’m being completely honest, I was also a little scared. Scared of failure. Scared of having too much on my plate. Scared of running out of things to write about.
So why now? Well, why not? I’m done with school. I have a good job. And for the most part, I think my relationships are pretty stable. The fear, while it’s probably still there, is nothing I can’t handle. If I fail, oh well. If I get busy, I’ll learn to manage my time better. If I run out of things to write about, I’ll find a new hobby.
The way I see it, there’s nothing to lose. At best, I’ll put my thoughts to paper and send it out into the blogosphere. Maybe someone, somewhere will read it (I know at least two people who will– hi, mom and dad!) Hopefully, a few more, too.
Not only am I starting this blog, but I’m also jotting down some things that I’ve always wanted to do. I’m almost 29. I’m having a blast in my twenties, but there’s so much that I’ve put off, simply because I made excuses (see above). But somewhere in the past few weeks, I little fire started burning inside me. There’s a quote by Eckhart Tolle, “If not now, when?” And I couldn’t have said it better myself.
So here it is. A list of 30 things I want to do before I turn 30. It might seem ambitious (or maybe to some, kind of boring), but it’s honest and it’s mine. I realize that I might not get to it all. I might fail. I might decide there are better things to do. But I’ll be here, talking about my journey, and sharing it with whoever wants to read it.
My 30 before 30 (not necessarily in any particular order):
- Start a blog (I think I get a check mark for this one, right?!)
- Write a novel (super ambitious, but totally doable)
- Write an e-book (so, it might sound similar, but I think there’s a difference. I’ll need to explore this more to further explain).
- Adopt a dog (cue the “awes”)
- Learn a second language (still deciding which language)
- Run a half marathon (I’ve talked about this for years, so I’m finally going to force myself to do it)
- Read the entire Harry Potter series (*gasp* Yes, I’m a millennial who has not read all the Harry Potter books)
- Read more in general (I love to read, so after I get through Harry Potter I have a bunch of other books on my reading list)
- Visit at least half the U.S. states (I have to count how many I’m up to, but it’s certainly not a lot.)
- Visit at least two countries (Although #9 seems a little sad, I do have a few stamps in my passport. I’ve been to Italy and Mexico.)
- Visit at least three National Parks. (These are truly beautiful national treasures and I’m not taking advantage… yet.)
- Successfully grow plants (cue the jokes from my boyfriend)
- Upcycle a piece of furniture (Much of my condo is furnished with old furniture–either hand-me-downs from family/friends or bargains from yard sales and estate sales. I have a few pieces I would like to fix up!)
- Upgrade my kitchen (This is super ambitious because this costs $$$)
- Upgrade my guest bathroom (Also, super ambitious because more $$$)
- Redecorate my condo (I’ve been in my place for two years and it’s still very bland. I need to spruce things up a bit!)
- Take ballroom dance lessons (I used to dance growing up, but I never took formal partner dance lessons. This sounds like a good relationship builder.)
- Start a Yoga routine (I’m a fitness instructor, but I haven’t done Yoga in a very long time. I think it would be good to relieve stress.)
- Go to a hot air balloon festival (This one sounds easy, but I think it would be a beautiful sight to see.)
- Write an article for a magazine or website (I love to write, enough said)
- Volunteer (This is important to me, and yet I’ve done very little volunteering. I need to find an organization or cause and give it my all)
- Start a scrapbook (Or finish the one I started in high school… uh, over ten years ago?! My mom is an awesome scrapbooker, so team project on this one!)
- Get crafty (Mostly DIY decorating, such as homemade wreaths… I pin a lot of projects on pinterest.)
- Become an Instagram Influencer (A large part of my full-time job deals with social media, but I’m still learning Instagram– I know, behind the times!)
- Take a continuing education course (I’m always learning, but I miss school and would love to be back in the classroom)
- Cook a traditional Italian Seven Fishes Dinner (my family is Italian-American, but we never did the traditional Christmas Eve dinner. I’d love to give it a try)
- Cook more in general (I love to cook, but I tend to go for simple meals during the week)
- Go to an NFL game (Football is much more fun in person and I’ve never seen a professional game live)
- Learn about home brewing (Who doesn’t like a good beer?)
- Be spontaneous (Keeping it vague on purpose. For someone who has to make a list of 30 things to do in the next year and a half, I could use some room for spontaneity)
So there it is. I have some lofty goals before I turn 30, but I can’t wait for this journey. I hope you’ll come back to see how I’m doing and learn more about me along the way. I’m sure I’ll have lots of stories to share, advice to give (and probably receive) and probably a few more things to add to the list, as well.
If you have a list of things you’re planning on doing in the next year or two, I’d love to hear about it. Let’s share in this journey together. Share in the comments below and let me know what you think!
-E