Only The Curious

::update:: August 16, 2011

I’m approximately a month out from the big 3-0, and I’m not going to accomplish everything on this list. BUT I have done a lot of cool things this year, so I’m going to update the list to reflect what I have done and can do. Because life is about taking things as they come…

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I turned 29 on September 17th. This post should’ve gone up then. But I had to move unexpectedly on the 16th, and that distracted me from writing. And it’s been busy since then. And I’m a grand procrastinator.

But this is a Happy Birthday post. So no more talk of such things.

One of the hardest parts about being an adult is that there’s no structure or direction. I remember being a kid, and then a teenager, and knowing how my life was relatively mapped out until the end of college. Post graduation all I could see was this big, empty abyss of “who knows?” I mean, I figured after college there’d be a few years of living with friends in cool urban apartments (that mostly happened) and finding a job that I liked (that has finally happened) but beyond that… I couldn’t really picture anything past 30. 30 seemed old. It was when you stopped being a cool, fun young person and got kind of dorky and irrelevant and shouldn’t you be married by then?

So here I am, a little less than 1 year from the dreaded 30. I really don’t dread it anymore; half of my friends are over 30 these days and it turns out that, on the whole, they’re still relevant, interesting, cool, fun young people. But I do want to make the last year of my 20’s count.

Inspired by Nicole Antoinette’s life list (and those of coutnelss others) and Heather Hubbard’s 30 at 30 list, I’m going to have a list of 30 things to do before I turn 30. While creating this list, I maintained a few guidelines:

- Each accomplishment had to be feasible with my current income. Sadly this meant crossing off things like traveling to a new country, but I didn’t want to be inhibited (or stressed out by) a lack of funds.

- I tried to think of things that either a) won’t get easier as I get older or b) most people would think you’d have done by 30. Not every one falls into one of these categories, but it was a deciding factor for some.

- I couldn’t just fill in random wacky things to do. There needed to be a real desire or reason behind each thing.

And without further adieu, my 30 before 30, broken down into organized little categories:

Health:

1. Get in the best shape of my life. I realize this is hard to quantify, but I know better than to set a goal weight and pretend that defines health. And it’s never going to get easier, so let’s do it now. 8/16/11 update: I’m on my way. Between pilates and two nights a week of ultimate, I’m feeling darn good. I may not be in the best shape of my life a month from now, but I will, at least, be well on my way.

2. Do 100 push-ups. Maybe not straight through. But in one workout. And maybe straight through. 8/16/11 update: I can do 30… I’ll try for 100 in a month.

3. Bike to the top of Lookout Mountain. After I get my brakes fixed. The first time I saw people doing this, I thought they were insane. But now I kind of get it. 8/16/11 update: due to a severe lack of biking this summer, this is probably not going to happen. Though Karl and I may try yet…

4. Do another cleanse. Maybe not 6 weeks this time. But at least 3. 8/16/11 update: DONE! I did a cleanse in May. It was great, and I’m planning another brief one in September.

5. Do at least 3 50+ mile rides on my bike. I’ve done 55 miles in a day once. In Texas. I wasn’t ready for it. I want 50 miles to be a doable Saturday morning ride. 8/16/11 update: This I have not done. In its place I will put the 75-foot rock wall I scaled on my first-ever attempt at rock climbing.

Professional-related goals:

6. Write and publish my book. Not entirely a pipe dream, I have a topic and a publisher. Now I just need to do the work. 8/16/11 update: I haven’t written my book, but I am going to be published in a collection of essays. Going to revamp this goal for STARTING my book by my birthday.

7. Get a big, steady readership on my blog. I should probably have some numbers, but honestly I don’t know what would be too little and what would be too much. I’ll define that one as I go along, I guess. 8/16/11 update: uh, oops. Okay I’m just going to make a goal of posting twice a week from now until my birthday, which is the start of building a readership.

8. Make $30,000. Funny story, a few years ago my younger brother announced that he’d like to be making $100,000 a year by the time he was 30. I said I’d like to be making $30,000 a year by the time I was 30. At the time I thought I was joking, but I’ve never quite broken that figure. 8/16/11 update: this isn’t gonna happen by next month. But I have gotten some promotions this year, and I think it can happen for the fiscal year.

9. Get my wedding planning business going. Maybe not in full “I’m accepting clients” mode, but at the very least, get a business plan written and some experience leveraged. 8/16/11 update: I’ve decided I don’t want to be a wedding planner. But I had a great experience interning for A Touch of Bliss, and have concluded that being a wedding journalist is what’s right for me.

10. Get published in a Denver publication. 5280 and Denver Magazine, I’m looking at you. 8/16/11 update: 5280 magazine bought out Denver magazine. No real progress on this one, but per #9, I’m re-engaging with my wedding column on Examiner.

Music:

11. Record a CD. Zac, I’m assuming your offer to help with this still stands. 8/16/11 update: how about by Christmas?

12. Play a set of songs onstage for an audience. No, karaoke and open mic don’t really count. (Thanks for the idea on this one, Zac!) 8/16/11 update: I did all of the music for 3 church services, including playing guitar. I’m going to shift this to “do an open mic night” before my bday.

13. Get onstage at least once a month. Yes, karaoke and open mic do count for this. Solos at church do. Singing with the choir doesn’t. 8/16/11 update: okay, well I haven’t done this every month. Armida’s, here I come!

14.Write at least 5 original songs. I’ve written a grand total of 3 in my life. And I’m going to need some originals for that CD. 8/16/11 update: 5 in four weeks might be ambitious at this point. How about two?

15. Learn at least 2 new songs every month. I’m going to need a repertoire for #12, right? 8/16/11 update: Haven’t learned that many. But I have learned some new ones. I think I could do another 5-10 by September 17. 

Fun and wacky stuff: (I said things wouldn’t go here just for the hell of it. Doesn’t mean there aren’t some fun and wacky things on my list.)

16. Get some glamour shots taken. But not at Glamour Shots. Have someone like my friend Laura do a set of vintage-y ones. This one will, of course, happen after goal #1 is accomplished. I think I’ll want some fab photos of me at 30 when I’m 90. 8/16/11 update: Just need to pick a photographer and find the money to pay for it.

17. Go backacking. I’ve been hiking. And I’ve been camping. But I’ve never hiked in to a campsite. 8/16/11 update: this was supposed to happen last weekend. Honestly, the crazy weather this summer hasn’t helped much. But keeping it on the list… may not happen by my bday but I want it to asap.

18. Take a picture every day. I’ll probably post these in a Facebook album. (Yes, Heather, I’m stealing this one from you. ) 8/16/11 update:TOTALLY haven’t done this. Losing multiple cameras hasn’t helped. Will start an album TODAY.

19. See a concert at Red Rocks. Film on the Rocks doesn’t count. 8/16/11 update: yeah, timing and budget has made this one less than successful. Still might happen though… who’s playing the weekend of September 10?

20. Learn to ski moguls. Do a black run, through bumps, and actually enjoy it. Also not do it on my butt. Or get injured. 8/16/11 update: DONE! I’m not awesome at it, but I made it down a dozen bump runs last season.

Personal Development/cultural things:

19. Complete the 30-day Stratejoy program that I purchased last summer and never started. 8/16/11 update: better get on this one today.

20. Read at least one book per month. And at least 4 of them need to be personal or professional development related. Also two of them have to be classics that you would be appalled to find out I’ve never read. As soon as I find out what those are. 8/16/11 update: I don’t know that I’ve read a book a month, but I have read a LOT more in the past year than in prior years. Books read this year include: Sex at Dawn, One Day, The Commitment, Thee Cups of Tea, Content Rules

21. Start learning Spanish. 8/16/11 update: looking for a class

22. Figure out my heritage. I seriously don’t know my family’s history. At all. People ask if my last name is French. I have no idea. 8/16/11 update: We had some talks with mom about this earlier this summer. Hoping more will come out during the ladies’ trip in October with my grandmothers.

Things I feel like I should have done by now:

23. Learn how to pickle things/make jam and how to grill steak and other fine meats. The latter part is for Karl. And I realize lots of women never learn to pickle/can things, but I’d like to learn so I can give food as gifts. Also these were originally two things, but I feel like they’re both cooking so they can be combined. Because the next one is super important, and I didn’t have room for it unless I put them together. 8/16/11 update: I’ll do this yet!

24. Figure out how to not be late for everything, all of the time. I’m terrible about timeliness. This one isn’t particularly quantifiable, I know, but it’s entirely valid, and important, and for god’s sake I’m almost 30 I should be able to get places on time. 8/16/11 update: I’ve been better about this. Early sometimes, even. But I still should work on making timeliness more the norm for me.

25. Learn how to draw. Like, better than stick figures and hearts and stars. 8/16/11 update: Bennett, help!

26. Have at least $1000 in my savings account. For more than a day. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit that I have $5 in my savings account at the moment. But with the moving and the job changes and all it’s been a rough year. So my goal is to get $1000 in my savings account and keep it there.  As, you know, savings. 8/16/11 update: EEK! DONE! It’s been there for over a month. And I’m leaving it there.

Service/Things that effect other people positively:

26. Do 30 random acts of kindness. 8/16/11 update: I’ve got 30 days. Better think of some nice things to do.

27. Help plan or execute at least one event/fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. 8/16/11 update: Met with the volunteer coordinator last week. Look for better social media from the Denver CFF office soon!

28. Volunteer at least 30 hours for good causes. 8/16/11 update: uhh… shoot. I may not have 30 hours to give away in the next month. Unless my work at MHYP counts…

29.Write letters to each one of my close friends and family members, letting them know how important they are to me and what I value about them. I better get to writing. And these can be emails, because honestly I can’t fathom tracking down EVERYONE’S addresses. 8/16/11 update: need to do.

30. Interview my grandmothers and write it down. I recorded them talking about their lives a few years ago. I’ve never downloaded the Mp3 of those conversations. And if there’s any wisdom I want to get from them, now’s the time. 8/16/11 update: OCTOBER!

You’ll notice the phrase “at least” popping up several times in that list. I wanted to make goals that were attainable, especially since there are 30 of them. But I’d like to go above and beyond, too, so I wanted to set an intention for that possibility.

This list also has its own page on the site, as a quick reference guide and checklist. I’ll be posting as I accomplish things on the list, hopefully with pictures and videos and whatnot. . It’s going to be a fun and productive year!

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