Thirty Things to Do Before I Turn 30

I graduated from college when I was 21 and made this list that spring. I was actually on a flight to Spain when I put this list together and I’ve been carrying it around since then. I decided to revisit it to see how I’m doing. Looks like I’m going to be pretty busy in the next 14 months as that’s when I turn *gasp* 30.

1. Learn Spanish (I’m a disgrace to my people)
   
2. Buy new car (Done in 2000 and probably again this fall)
   
3. Pay off credit card debt (sooooo close, will be done by end of the year)
   
4. Visit NYC at Christmas (headed to the Big Apple this December!)
   
5. Take Dad to Cooperstown (Aiming for next summer)
   
6. Send Mom to Tall Grass for day o’ relaxation (Didn’t know she was gonna up and move to MI but will do that for her birthday next year)
   
7. Get real, grown-up career (Done! Love the job, love the company, love the travel!)
   
8. See Red Sox game at Fenway (Done – May 19, 2003 I heart Fenway!)
   
9. Visit Ireland (Will have to happen next summer or move to my 40’s list)
   
10. Volunteer for an organization I believe in (Done. Urban Peak)
    
11. Run a 10K (Last K I ran was Lucky 7 on St. Patrick’s Day…Perhaps this fall I’ll do a 10K)
    
12. Climb a fourteener (Liz and I are doing this over the summer)
    
13. Vegas, baby! (Done, May 2004 for Molly’s bachelorette party.)
    
14. Eat sushi (Done. Can you believe I was 22 before I had sushi? I love me some sushi now.)
    
15. Get a dog (Done. Got Barley in August of 2002)
    
16. Start big girl savings account. (Done. Started making regular deposits in my mutual fund and savings account.)
    
17. Get a tattoo. (Funny what you think you need to have when you’re 21. Could never decide what I wanted on my body the rest of my life so never got one. Also, terrified of needles so this will never happen.)
    
18. Go sailing. (No clue when I’m going to do this. Being landlocked does not give me a lot of sailing opportunities…anyone got a sailboat?)
    
19. Go skydiving. (Let’s see…terrified of flying, terrified of heights. Am thinking I will do this on my 30th birthday because evidently, turning 30 isn’t bad enough.)
    
20. Take road trip with sisters. (Headed to see our grandparents this July)
    
21. Get married (I was CERTAIN I would be married long before 30. Now I’m not so certain it will happen before 40…)
    
22. Learn to forgive (Putting “done” next to this one might be a stretch but I’m getting there)
    
23. Visit Hawaii (Done. February 2002 I went to Maui with the fam – so fun!)
    
24. Get book published with the girls (I think we all got lazy.)
    
25. Find Aliza ( Done April 2001. I met Aliza in 1st grade and we were inseparable for the next 10 years. We lost touch in high school but she found me on reunions.com.)
    
26. Find a way to do something cool for the two people I lost in college. (Done. And that one is just between us.)
    
27. Visit Seattle (Who knew travel would be so expensive? Haven’t gotten there yet but I really want to go soon.)
    
28. See a Broadway show (Done – Take Me Out, May 2003)
    
29. Learn to salsa dance (Done. I’m no master but did a pretty good job while at a club in Texas last fall.)
    
30. Go shopping on Michigan Ave in Chicago (Done. Which is why my credit cards aren’t totally paid off just yet. Set a new record for myself in April when I bought 4 pairs of shoes in 20 minutes at three different stores on Michigan Ave.)