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Monday, October 11, 2010

Let's Start at the Very Beginning...

After celebrating my 29th birthday and coming to the realization that I'm in my last year of my 20s, I decided I needed to do something big. A trip was out of the question, as was an extravagant purchase like a house, so I decided to come up with a list of 30 things to do before my 30th birthday. Some of them are silly, some of them are physical, some of them will be huge challenges, and some of them will be ridiculously fun.

My goal is to keep myself busy and do things outside my comfort zone or my normal routine, and to do these things on a shoestring budget. I've got a couple of pricier things on the list, but the majority are either free or close to it.

I haven't finished my list, but below is what I've got so far. I'll update as I go. My 30th birthday is October 10, 2011. 364 days to go.

1. Ride in a hot air balloon
2. Learn to play a song on the guitar
3. Have a meal/coffee/visit with a friend or family member twice a month
4. Run 1 mile without stopping
5. Document my year by taking a picture (with me in it!) every week
6. Volunteer somewhere I wouldn't normally volunteer
7. Submit a postcard to PostSecret
8. Send 10 handwritten letters (1 complete)
9. Crochet a hat - possibly this one
10. Participate in NaNoWriMo and hopefully finish
11. Turn up the music and clean for an hour every Sunday
12. Visit one kitschy/specific/small museum or attraction every month
13. Go swing dancing in Fountain Square
14. Be vegetarian for a month (I'll need your help on this one, Paige)
15. Watch the classic movies everyone has seen but me
16. Take the stairs to the top of the Soldiers and Sailors monument
17. Repurpose a thrift store dress/outfit ala New Dress A Day
18. Get a Brazilian bikini wax (sorry you had to read that Mom and Dad)
19. Change the oil in my car myself
20. Learn to cook something fancy from a real live chef
21. Host a cocktail/dinner party for my friends
22. Take some sort of artsy class like spinning yarn or painting
23. UPDATE - Learn French (although I'm not sure when I'll be able to say this is complete)
24. UPDATE - Publish a knitting pattern
25. UPDATE - Go on a kayaking trip
26. UPDATE - Go skydiving
27. UPDATE - Take a train trip
28. UPDATE - Spend a weekend away all by myself

I'll be enlisting help from lots of my family and friends for these challenges, and if you have any words of encouragement I'd love to hear them. Wish me luck!

4 comments:

  1. I'm there for you! What a great and positive idea! I might have to make one of these for myself...

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  2. I should make one too!!! but we all know how my "10 new knitting skills in 2010" is going.... its not! And I turned 29 in July, so i am super behind! Nevertheless I am inspired. And I want to help. I can help with the classic movie thing. I spent my teen and college years watching AMC and Turner Classic Movies when all the cool kids were watching the Real World.

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  3. I have another maybe-idea for you....there's a mini-marathon in May that I'm doing...do it with me?

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  4. Only a little late, but Dustin and I will totally go kayaking with you; I even know a great place over by Crawfordsville that's not too expensive and has great scenery.

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