29 goals for my 29th year

This weekend, I celebrated my 29th birthday (which was also my golden birthday, since I turned 29 on the 29th).

 

The celebrations were delightful, but they also reminded me that I’m getting old…because I definitely opted for relaxing in lieu of half the plans that I’d made for the weekend, and I have no regrets about it.

I know, Danny Glover. I know.

Anyhow, while I may need to tone it down a little bit on the turning up, I absolutely refuse to take a backseat at life – and so I decided to make a list of 29 things I legitimately want to do this year, before I turn 30. Not because life ends at 30, but because I want to have even bigger horizons to reach for at that point.

1. Visit two new countries I’ve never been to before.
   • This better happen, I’ve already bought the ticket.
2. Take a cooking class.
   • I’ve always wanted to go, but I’ve never managed to rationalize the expense.
3. Work out again. For at least a solid 3-6 months routine if not longer.
   • Nope, not a fun goal. But one that I need to make work.
4. Attend a gala.
   • Because I’m fancy, bitch.
5. Plant a tree.
   • I took down four this year, it’s time I replace at least one of them.
6. Do something that absolutely terrifies me.
   • Shouldn’t be hard. I’m scared of a lot of stuff.
7. Write a new book.
   • I miss miss miss writing, but now that grad school is over, I have time to make it happen again.
8. Learn how to do one fancy hairstyle really, really well. 
   • Not a ponytail, not just a straight blow-dry, but something special for when I need it. 
9. Make a pilgrimage to my heart-home.
   • Columbia, Missouri – I’m coming for you, fam.
10. Re-read Jasper Fforde’s books I love and read the new ones for the first time.
    • Thursday Next is my homegirl, y’all. And I haven’t read his new stuff for YA, but I’m excited to see what else Fforde has dreamed up.
11. While I’m at it, let’s do the same for Harry Potter.
    • If Thursday’s my girl, then Harry’s my boy.
12. Buy a stranger’s dinner.
    • It seems like a nice thing to do.
13. Finally learn to use my sewing machine.
    • …two years later.
14. Complete a 30-day photo challenge.
    • You’d think I’d already done this, but you’d be wrong.
15. Go clubbing.
    • It’s been a while for a reason, but I do enjoy dancing in spaces that are too crowded for people to realize how bad of a dancer I am.
16. Catch up with all the people with whom I never intended to lose touch.
    • Not the people I phased/cut out, but the people who drifted. It’s time for a check-in.
17. Find a new volunteering opportunity.
    • Back at it with the more time thing. Plus, the need for something other than just my job that gives my life a little direction.
18. Get a makeover, just for fun.
    • Not because I need one, but because I think it would be entertaining.
19. Have a legit 12-hour movie marathon – topic to be determined.
    • Star Wars? Star Trek? Indiana Jones? 90s teen romcoms? Over-done indie movies of the early 2000s? So many options.
20. Finish my “Girl Power” wall of inspiration (for now, I’m never really done with any of my creative projects).
    • It’s well on its way and I love love love it, but I’ll need to complete some of the other items on my list before I can call it mostly complete.
21. Write fan letters to the five people whose work I admire most.
    • Authors, artists, anyone who inspires me.
22. Spend a day completely by myself.
    • This means no friends, family, or social media for 24 hours. Just me. Not sure how I’ll make this happen, but I will.
23. Get another tattoo.
    • There are several vying to be next, but we’ll have to see which occasion presents itself first.
24. Color something every. single. week.
    • People know me well. I received many coloring books for presents during my 28th year, and I love them all. Plus, coloring is like a form of therapy for me, so I am super-into it.
25. Throw a four-course dinner party that I cook myself.
    • The cooking class should help with that.
26. Mark one more off my list of the “World’s Most Beautiful Libraries.”
    • I predict this will be the George Peabody Library in Baltimore – I’ve been to the New York Public Library, the Morgan Library in NYC, the Boston Public Library, and the Seattle Central Library.
27. Learn to meditate.
    • This comes highly recommended from one of the three people I respect most in the world, so I should probably get on that.
28. See at least one more live performance of *something.*
    • Musical? Play? Concert? TV taping? All of the above?
29. Write a “29” blog post every month.
    • Last one is to get my ass back into blogging. Master’s degree ruined a lot of the fave parts of my life, but I’m reclaiming every part it tried to take – this blog included. So, each month I’m going to post about my “29 favorite/most important whatevers.” This list counts as the first one.

See? I’m already on my way.

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