30 Things To Do Before I’m 30

I got inspired to write this after visiting Meg’s blog over at Just Another Manic Mommy and reading her list of 30 things she wants to do before she’s 30. We’re roughly the same age and her list pretty much mirrors a lot in my life, but I wouldn’t be me if I can’t find something to write about. :)

So here it goes. My list. So help me God everything will be crossed off by November 2015.

1. Learn how to swim. Don’t judge me. I hate water. I get panicky whenever I even smell that horrible chlorine smell that is associated with pools. Oh, I don’t like it. But I will learn to swim because I guess that’s a skill I should have, right?

2. Take a real, honest-to-God cooking class. I love to cook almost as much as I love to eat and my hips and thighs can attest to that. I want to take a cooking class with my white coat and chef’s hat and wonderful chef’s knives and…oh, goodness, I’m drooling just thinking about it.

3. Spend New Year’s Eve on the beach. Just once I would like to spend New Year’s somewhere other than my basement watching Dick Clark sipping non-alcoholic grape juice. But ever since I’ve been legal, I’ve had babies and I’ve been breastfeeding or pregnant. Boo!

4.  Take my kids on a nice, quality trip to Disney. Just the four of us, enjoying a nice, leisurely week-long trip to the happiest place on Earth.  Eh, we went to Disneyland for four days this past spring and although it was part of a blogger conference, I think it counts. (Disney is mad expensive, son.)

5. Have a savings account that is comfortably five figures. Like, let’s say, $40,000. Or maybe not a savings account but something with high liquidity.  I’m always freaked out about the “what if.”

6. Create a tradition of giving back with my little ones, by volunteering our time regularly to help those less fortunate.

7. Go to Hawaii – just me and the hubby. It just seems so beautiful.

8. Get a book (or two or three) published. I want to be a big author, y’all. It keeps me up at night. It’s something that MUST happen.

9. Get my Master’s degree. In what, I’m not sure, but I’m looking into going back for it in the fall of 2010. Wish me luck!

10. Start a small nonprofit. I believe strongly in giving back (see #6) and I want to figure out a way to create change on a strong level in my community. Gotta make it happen!

11. Run in a marathon. Like Meg, I don’t run. Like ever. I hate it. Running to me is so unnecessary – that’s why they invented bikes and skates and cars. But I will train for a marathon and run in it and I will finish. *sigh*  Eh, I ran a 5K. Close enough. LOL

12. Enjoy weekly date nights with my husband.

13. Support my family with my writing income. I have always wanted to do this and by the time I’m 30, I will be there! I claim it already!

14. Get a passport (I know, I know) and go somewhere. I really want to go to Egypt but I’m looking over my list (grad school, Disney, a nonprofit, New Year’s on the beach) and it’s getting hella expensive. Hmmm, maybe just Mexico? LOL. I have a passport card. LOL. $30 and I’m able to travel to like ten places internationally. I’ll get the full passport soon.

15. Get really nice cookware and utensils and dishes and measuring cups and spoons. Everything we have now is so mismatched and all over the place.

16. Spend a nice spa weekend with my favorite ladies.

17.  Get the kids a pet. Nothing that’s too much work though. No dogs, no cats. How about a nice fish or…a nice fish? I don’t even know why this is on here though. No pets. Mama is putting her foot down.

18. Schedule a monthly shopping trip where I will buy something for myself. Doesn’t have to be crazy expensive, but just something to say, “You’ve done good.”

19. Eat primarily organic food and primarily vegetarian. I like meat, but I honestly think I could do without it most of the time. I think having meatless meals forces you to be more creative. :)

20. GET RID OF THIS BELLY POOCH!

21. Get a really nice laptop. Maybe a Mac. But something that is durable, has a great battery life and can do a little bit of everything. I plan on being very busy.

22. Have monthly date days with my kids. Each of them will get a day to hang with Mommy and do what they want to do, whether its going to the movies or just going to lunch.

23. Start my vegetable garden. Our current house had a HUGE garden in the back when we moved in. The previous owners were older, had grown children, so they had more time to tend to it. They grew so much food they FED THE NEIGHBORS, for goodness sakes. I know our neighbors were pissed when we dug it up and put a swingset where they used to pick tomatoes for their salad. But it was just too much – little kids, new house, new jobs, etc. A full-size garden was not working for us. But by the time the kids get a little older, I think I’ll be ready for it.

24. Go fishing. I always thought it would be peaceful.

25. Spend more time with my grandparents. I’m lucky – longevity runs in my family. I need to spend time with them while I’m able!

26. Learn how to sew.

27. Get over my fear of car maintenance. I don’t know why I get so nervous when I pull up in the mechanic’s shop but I’m pretty sure they can see it on my face which is why it has to stop.

28. Get a REALLY nice camera to document all these precious moments.

29. Get two (or three) books published. Did I say that already?

30. Consistently get good sleep. Consistently.

How about you? What’s on your list before you turn 30 (or 40? or 50?)

Comments

  1. YOU DID WHAT TO THE GARDEN??? Lol. Just kidding. That’s a great list. I can totally see myself in many of those statements. I feel for swimming the way you feel for running, but I too need to learn or at least make sure my daughter learns. Should we every move down south and a flood happens, there is NO reason we both should drown, lol.

    Your passion for writing is inspiring my dying passion for it. I remember my days on wanting to be published. Who knows. Perhaps one day. I think you’d enjoy fishing too. I used to go all the time with my grandparents. Baiting the hooks was always fun because I got to pick out all the worms to go on the hooks, lol.

    • @Ms. Bar B – The neighbors came over while we were digging the garden up. You should have seen their faces. “Um…what’s going on here?…Y’all are digging the garden up?…Did Leslie (the previous owner) tell you they used to grow these luscious, beautiful, juicy tomatoes and we would come back here and take some and make salads and just enjoy the delicious tomatoes?…You don’t care?…Oh…Well, carry on.” LOL!

      And yes, I think swimming is the devil but I hate that it’s the one area in which I can’t really protect my kids. That must change.

      You will be published. I believe that. You are a great writer. :) Don’t let the passion die!

  2. I’ll make mine before 35 (since I’m 30 now):

    1) Lose all my baby weight (and I do mean all)
    2) Wear a thong on the beach on a Carribean vacay with DH (no, really, I’m serious)
    3) Take an African dance class
    4) Do something very different to my hair – Color? Layers? I dunno.
    5) Develop a good skin care regimen and start taking better care of my skin, to try and preserve the elasticity before I’m too much older.
    6) Find a (satisfying) job, in my field, that allows me to finish up before 4 so I can be home with my family
    7) Hone my cooking skills – learn to make good chicken and dumplings and a bomb gumbo.

  3. I love your list! And you got the inspiration from a prett cool chicka if I do say so myself!! :)

    I think you should go to Hawaii on New years on year – there’s 2 crossed off the list.
    Get your laptop while taking Master’s Classes – there’s 2 more!
    Train for your marathon – inevitably working off the belly pooch – Hey…there’s 2 more! See how easy that is?!

    If only if was that easy! It will be hard work, but you know what, in the end it will be worth it! Because on your 30th birthday you can look back and say “Hey – I actually finished my list – I rawk!” and then you will feel like you did more in your twenties than just raise babies!

    I just started another blog (icommit2befit.blogspot.com) for my P90x Journey…starting in just 2 days! But this is going to help me work off my baby fat! (From 5 years ago…hmm) Have a good one girl!

    • @Meg – Yeah, I’m hoping these are very doable, so I can sit there in 2015 with a big fat marker and cross all these off and feel really, really good about everything I’ve been able to do! :) Thanks for the inspiration. I’ll have to check out your weight loss blog. I’ve been doing the whole “let’s workout and not eat junk” weight loss plan and so far it’s working. I heard the P90X system is CRAZY…in a good way.

  4. I’m 30, so I’ve been working on my list for age 40.

    I just want to say that I did a list in my early 20s for what I wanted to hit at 30, and I accomplished everything on my list. In retrospect, I think I aimed to low, so for my 40 year-old list, I am really stretching it.

  5. That looks like a wonderful list! I hope you achieve all of it:)

  6. Hi! I just found your blog and I’m really enjoying it so far. I’m a 20something mom myself, two now and one on the way from Ethiopia, and I’ve had the same issue with feeling skipped over because of my age although I’m closer to thirty than you. I think I’m going to steal this idea and make my own list. I have a few ideas jotted down already so I’ll have to find that list and expand. :)

  7. MrsDeveter says:

    This is a great list! I know you will achieve them all! You can do it girl!!!!

  8. Why you gotta steal items from my things to do before I’m 35 list, huh?! LOL! GREAT LIST!! #s 8 (Laaawdie-Laaawdie, #8), 13, 19, 20, 26 are all up and through my list. May they ALL get accomplished many times over!

    • @Execumama – Girl, please. As far as #8 is concerned, you already have one dope book under your belt. It was FABULOUS! You inspired me to write mine! So yes, I see it happening many, many times over for you! :)

  9. 17 is cracking me up, 22 really rocks!

  10. Great list…hope you get to do it all!

  11. Love this list! Most of these will be dupes on my list! What a great idea.

  12. This list is great- sorry it took me so long to comment! I am turning 30 in less than a week, so you have inspired me to write my 30 things to do in my 30’s list- and you already gave me 5 ideas :)

  13. Auntieof2 says:

    So I qualify for #16 and #17 – get the kids a turtle!! Lol

  14. I had to chuckle at number 3. I’m in the same boat, preggo or nursing constantly since I turned 21!!! just 5 more months of nursing for me though! yay!!!

    awesome list. I need to make one of these, but Ihaven’t yet. will let you know when/if I do.

    item #1 make 30 before 30 list! 😉