30 By 30

I am going to be turning twenty-seven in two weeks! I've made a lot of memories within my twenties so far and have hit a lot of milestones. For example, I got married, bought a house, got a cat, added a kid to the family, graduated with my bachelor's degree, and started my master's program. While thirty seems to be creeping up quickly, I decided to come up with thirty things I want to do before I turn thirty. That means I have three years to mark them off my list! I have done some of these things before and some will be new experiences for me. While I know that it is unlikely that I will get all of them done, I am definitely going to try. Below are thirty things I want to do before I turn thirty.

Take a class to learn a new skill

For this one, I plan to go to a few yoga classes. I have already been doing yoga for a while, but usually I just follow the instructions of someone on a YouTube video. I think it will be fun to do yoga in an actual yoga studio. Plus, the place I want to go has the heat really high which is supposed to have many benefits and is something I've never done. I'm excited to see what it will be like!

Take a road trip

I have been on many road trips, two just this year, but they never get old as long as you space them out far enough. For this one, I am planning on taking an eleven day road trip through northern California. I have been to northern California before and it is very beautiful. My son, A, has never been to northern California or even seen the ocean so I am excited to take him on a new adventure.

Get started in my career as a clinical mental health counselor

In about two and a half years I should graduate with my Master's degree in clinical mental health counseling. It has been really fun working through classes and developing my counseling skills. I can't wait to become official and get started on the career that I plan to have for the rest of my life.

See at least one wonder of the world

I know there are many different lists of wonders of the world now. Stonehenge is one I have already been able to mark off the list and it really was cool to see it and learn about some of the different theories behind it. I would like to see at least one more before I turn thirty. The Grand Canyon is one I will likely see in about a year and a half. If possible, I would also like to see the Colosseum in Rome as there is so much fascinating history behind it.

Travel somewhere I don't know the language

For this one, I am thinking about probably going to Italy and Iceland. I don't know that I will be able to make it to both or even one of them, but I hope to visit both if I can find the time and finances. Exploring new places, especially ones where there are cultural differences, can be really interesting to experience.

Read 30 books

I love reading books and I am hoping to finish reading the rest of my books that are sitting on my shelf, and many more. Reading is great because I learn new things or it gives me an opportunity to use my imagination. I really enjoy reading books that relate to psychology, therapy, or the brain in some way. Other times I enjoy reading novels to give myself a break from all the intake of information.

Open investment accounts

While I do have a retirement account set up through my employer, I am hoping to learn more about different types of investment accounts so I can set some up to prepare for my future. I haven't done this sooner because it feels overwhelming to me, but I plan to take it slow and figure out what will work best for me and my family.

Visit Disneyland

I went to Disneyland once when I was younger and it was really fun! There is so much to see and do and the rides don't make me very sick. I want to take my son to experience the magic of childhood and maybe we can get some of his cousins and other family members to go with us. It's a trip that would not only be fun for me, but would be fun to see through the eyes of my son.

Do the biggest purge of my stuff that I've ever done

I don't know how but sometimes I look around my house and wonder how we got so much stuff. Often, when I question whether we actually need something, I convince myself that it may become useful in the future. Then, after about the fifth time that my husband, C, asks me if we really need it, I realize that it has been taking up space in our house for five years and still hasn't been used. At this point I finally give in and let him get rid of it. But, like, come on. If that one very unique situation came up, it would have been perfect! And we would have saved however much money by not having to buy a new one if this very specific and unlikely situation happened to occur. So, while I have been more willing to get rid of things over the last couple of years, there is still much more to go through and determine if it really is necessary to take up room in my house.

Visit Iceland

C has been begging me to go here for a while and he has finally convinced me. Apparently there is some kind of road trip loop to take and is really fun in some kind of camper van that you can rent, so it's now made it into my list of places to go. Again, I love exploring new places, especially if I get to experience some cultural differences. From the pictures I have seen, Iceland is a very beautiful place and I am looking forward to going.

Volunteer

When it comes to volunteering, I am thinking about somewhere like a retirement home where I can take A with me to spend time with the elderly. I really enjoy spending time with older folks and hearing their stories. They have a special place in my heart and I would love to take A to learn to do kind things for others. A is a very social person and I am sure he would have a lot of fun, and if the residents like children, then I am sure they will also be happy to see him.

Build something from scratch

I am definitely not very skilled at building things, but I am thinking about building a bench. It probably won't be the prettiest bench or the most elaborate one, but I think it would be satisfying to know I can build something and A would love to help me do it. It would be nice to have a little place to sit in the yard and a (very) simple bench would be perfect.

Try to know more about my family history

It is really interesting to learn about the people who came before me and what their lives were like. It helps me understand a little bit more about myself and other members of my family. I hope that one day I can also pass on the stories of our family history so A, and whatever other descendants are to come, will have a better understanding of where they came from.

Host a massive dinner party and cook everything myself

I am not at all a social person but I have always thought it would be fun to have a dinner party. I will probably invite over some family members and will set everything up on the back deck. My hope is to learn how to make some really good dishes and a nice dessert to serve everyone.

Do one good deed for someone daily

I always feel better when I do something kind for someone else. I am wanting to get into the habit of doing something nice for someone everyday and setting the example for A so that he will grow up to be a kind person.

Learn to speak my mother tongue

My great grandparents immigrated from Germany before my grandmother was born. When they arrived in the United States, my great grandparents told my grandmother's older siblings that they were American now and that only English would be spoken. Because of this, my grandmother never spoke German and neither did any of her descendants. I in no way expect to become fluent in speaking German, but I would like to learn some words and phrases just to feel more of a connection to my German side. It would also be pretty cool to learn a little bit of German with A so that he can have some familiarity with the language.

Get a massage

I have gotten two massages in my life and I feel like I am due for another one. It is nice to be able to do something that is relaxing and leaves you feeling good afterwards. It will be nice to take a break from school, work, and parenting to do something with C.

Create a budget

I have created budgets before and sometimes they work great and sometimes they are difficult to follow. Before I am thirty, I want to figure out a budget that works well for my family and can keep us in a comfortable place financially.

Eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant

I have already eaten at at least one Michelin-starred restaurant and it was amazing! It wasn't necessarily the kind of place that I would go if I was hungry or craving something good. Rather, it is the kind of place to go if you want to experience art with your taste buds. The presentation is beautiful and all the flavors are thought out and work together to create something unique. It is less about going somewhere to eat and is more about gaining an experience. I would love to try out another Michelin-starred restaurant to see how it compares.

Maintain my body in top condition by exercising everyday

If I am being honest, pregnancy altered my body and I have not been able to get it back to where it was before because I am always so busy with school, work, and parenting. I am going to be more consistent about exercising everyday so that I can get my body closer to feeling like "me" again. It will be great to set an example for A that exercise is important and keeps us healthy.

Make a dramatic change to my appearance

When I say dramatic change, I mean something like having my sister color my hair in a way is going to stand out and is different than I have had it before. Really, my plan is to tell her to color it whatever way she wants and we will see what I end up with. My sister is a licensed cosmetologist and is very talented at what she does. I used to have her color my hair all the time. I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with.

Save for the trip of my life

C has this vision of us buying a truck and a pod trailer, going to Canada, taking a ferry, staying where they film Island of the Sea Wolves, and watching the wolves with a pair of binoculars. Go to an island filled with wolves? Uh, scary! But, it sounds like fun and I am up for an adventure. As long as we are staying in a trailer and don't wander off into the wilderness, I am in. To achieve this trip, however, we will need to save up for a truck, a trailer, and the regular expenses of campground fees, gas, food, and whatever else.

Go to a concert

I have been to mini concerts but not full concerts. For example, the closest thing to an actual concert that I have attended was when I went to a Major League Soccer game and One Republic performed on the field afterwards. It was fun and it was a great experience, but I am ready for a real, all-out concert.

Skip rocks

I actually checked this one off today! I started writing my blog post for today when C suggested we go on a walk. We went over to the river by our house because A loves to throw rocks in the river. I have never skipped rocks before because I never knew how. C knew this was on my list so he showed me how to skip rocks and it turned out to be much easier than I had thought it would be. I now know how to skip rocks! And I am able to mark off the first thing on my 30 by 30 list.

Visit Australia

Who doesn't want to go to Australia? They have cool animals and it seems like a whole adventure there. Again, I don't know that I will be able to travel to all these places within the timeframe, but I am going to try. It would be fun to visit a new continent and the southern hemisphere.

Run a marathon

I actually used to be a runner and ran about six and a half miles a day. 5k's used to be something I participated in and it felt so good to compete against other people and get a lot of physical exercise done. I was in the best shape when I used to run regularly. A and I actually participated in a 5k last fall (without a stroller!) and it was a great experience. I am hoping to get myself trained well enough to run my first marathon and maybe even get my brother to go with me (he's a runner).

Play indoor hide and seek

Obviously I've played hide and seek before. I was a child once. I know it's a smaller item on the list but I think it would be fun to spend some time with A and play some hide and seek in the house.

Do brainteasers

It's always good to do something that challenges your brain. When I was younger, I enjoyed doing brainteasers. I want to keep my brain active by giving it some exercise.

Master cooking at least three dishes

I want to be able to have at least three dishes that I can turn to when people are coming over that I can prepare and know how to make by heart. It may change, but I am thinking a black bean and rice skillet, pineapple fried rice, and stuffed peppers. Nutritious and delicious!

Go camping

I have been camping many of times and, in fact, just got back from a camping trip. For sure, I plan to take the tent and go on some more camping trips. And A loves camping! It really is nice to leave behind school, work, and technology to live in nature for a while. It's kind of like a detox.