30 before 30: The List

So I turned 25 two months ago which is crazy for me to think about. 5, 10 years ago, I thought that I would be in such a different place right now or at least feel a little more like a grown up. But I guess that's the secret, right? We never really grow up.

When reflecting on where I was and what I was doing, I realized there's been a lot of "I'll do it later", "I'll go next year", "Maybe another time..". Not that you can always do everything now, but I want to make sure I'm living the life I want to live and not just waiting around for it to happen. Make sense? I decided to make a "30 before 30" list of 30 things I would like to do before I turn 30. While I have a separate list for myself with career goals, I don't want to force a specific time restraint on them. Besides, I wanted this list to be things I want to do outside my career. A list that reminds me to live my life and make each day count.

It took me a long time to come up with this list, and I'm sure over the next few years things will shift and change and some things might need to be replaced, but I need to post this and get started so this is a good place to start. It's a combination of travel, activities to do, some personal goals, and I even have an Honorable Mention list because well.. I wanted to make a 30 before 30 list and there are other things too that would put the count over 30 so.. they got demoted to the list I intend to do but aren't officially on the list.


30 before 30:

1. Live in Sweden
2. Go Orca whale watching
3. Go on a long road trip
4. Bake/Cook through an entire cookbook

5. Write 30 letters/cards for no reason

6. Visit Sea Glass Beach 

7. Go wine tasting at a vineyard

8. Hike a mountain

9. Go camping

10. Take a dance class

11. Host and cook an entire dinner party

12. Sing on a Broadway Stage
13. Take a solo overnight trip
14. Keep a "Year of Awesome" memory jar
15. Do a yoga challenge
16. Spend a night in a castle
17. Volunteer more
18. Visit Monet's Garden
19. Drive down the Pacific Coast Highway
20. Start keeping a journal (again)
21. Learn how to use my SLR in Manual Mode
22. Go horse-back riding on a sandy beach
23. Learn to drive stick shift
24. Scan and Print photos and create my own tangible albums
25. Start a retirement account
26. Get a new hairstyle
27. Read the 100 Best Books
28. See the horses at Chincoteague
29. Visit Grand Canyon (and other national parks)

30. See the Northern Lights

Honorable Mentions (and would like to do these as well):
- Train and run in a 5K (have already done in college but would like to do at least 1 or 2 more)
- Buy a website domain, make a site, and learn to code myself.
- Remember to send birthday cards
- Pay off Student Loans
- Stay out late and watch a meteor shower (have already done in college, but would love to do again)

- Explore other parts of Sweden (Malmö, Göteborg, Lund, Gotland, Östersund, Umeå, Kiruna, etc.)