One Year Mark: The List, Revisited
September 23, 2010Today, I am 26. I started this project as I was turning 25 – let’s check in and see where I’m at with my items.
1- Fall in love
Stipulation – it needs to be reciprocal. This adds to the challenge somewhat. But dammit, I’ve been patient long enough. I need to get myself out there. Update: eh… I might remove/modify this somewhat. I haven’t decided yet.
2 – Earn my black belt in TKD
Update: so close!
3- Visit Las Vegas
A road trip with my girls would obviously be ideal but given time constraints of vacation time and what have you, I am ok with flying. This also accomplishes “visit a casino” which isn’t a separate line item but could be. This might take a while given my lack of finances… perhaps I’ll save it to the end and that is how I will celebrate my 30th birthday? oooh, I like that. Hear that, girls? My 30th birthday – we are headed to Vegas! Update: I’ve decided to end my twenties in Vegas, so this might be the last thing to get crossed off. September 2014, mark your calendars!
4- Kiss someone at midnight on New Year’s Eve
This is something I’ve never actually done… I’ve always been flying solo to ring in the new year. Update: We’ll see how things look around December, haha.
5- Sell a piece of artwork – COMPLETED AUGUST 2009
Ok, it was to my friend Steph… but it was AT an art show! So it totally counts. This also simultaneously knocks “be in an art show” off my list. Maybe I should be more ambitious… Sell a piece of artwork to a stranger? Complete
6 – Photograph a new city
Cites that I’ve already done (more or less): St. Louis, San Francisco, New York, Des Moines. Anywhere else is fair game. I’d really like to hit Minneapolis, maybe. I don’t think I’ve taken enough shots to really count it. Maybe I should go somewhere new? Chicago? I’ve never been there… Update: no updates; haven’t really gone anywhere.
7 – Learn a foreign language (or enough to be mildly conversational)
Either French or Spanish. French cause it’s pretty, Spanish cause it’s useful. Update: uhhhh… so far, I haven’t even attempted this.
8 – Get a tattoo
Update: still tossing ideas around
9 – Visit a winery – COMPLETED AUGUST 2009
Already knocked this one out, but I’d love to go visit more! Maybe I could expand this to “tour a winery” – not just taste all their wine! : ) Complete
10 – Pay off my credit cards
Update: I’m on track to have these paid off in 2011. I think.
11 – Find the perfect little black dress – COMPLETED OCTOBER 2009
Found one, then found a better one. I’m calling it Complete.
12- Lose 30 pounds
(25 would be acceptable. Hell, I’d even take 20 at this point.)
Update: Laughable.
13 – Sing karaoke
Doing it as a group totally counts, as long as it’s in front of people. And we’re liquored up. Update: not yet… but soon!
14 – See a Broadway show
… on Broadway. Damn, I guess that means I’ll have to go to New York. ; )
Update: I’m broke and odds of getting to NYC anytime soon are looking slim. I might have to rethink this one and bump it into the next decade of my life.
15 – Learn to drive a stick shift
My dad tried to teach me once. It ended in epic failure. There’s still time! Update: haven’t gotten to this yet… need to find someone willing to teach me!
16 – Go out to the middle of nowhere and watch a meteor shower
Update: I think there is supposed to be one every August?
17 – Visit a haunted house – COMPLETED OCTOBER 2010
This will freak the shit out of me. I should probably do it anyway. Complete
18 – Travel outside state lines and buy fireworks
Yo, Missouri – what’s up? ; )
Update: not yet… maybe next summer?
19 – Learn the Thriller dance – COMPLETED FEBRUARY 2010
This is very important. Because it would be AWESOME. Complete!!!!
20 – Get a manicure/pedicure and/or a massage
I’m almost tempted to not cross this one off until I do both. I have been missing out!! Update: I just need to go and do this already. It’s an easy one.
21 – Go to the Iowa State Fair – COMPLETED AUGUST 2009
I came, I saw, I ate something on a stick. And deep fried Oreos. And totally almost lost my car in the parking lot. It was fun. Complete
22 – Go campaniling
This only makes sense if you are an Iowa State student/grad. One of the traditions is to kiss under our campanile (clock tower) at the stroke of midnight. They say you’re not a true Iowa Stater until you do it. I never did it! : ( For as into ISU as I was, this makes me feel kind of like a failure… Update: sigh.
23 – Take a ballroom dance class.
I think I watched a little too much Dancing With the Stars. I’m probably going to nix this one. Update: no update. Probably will remove/find something else.
24 – Participate in a cancer fundraising walk – COMPLETED OCTOBER 2009
I will never be able to run a 5K, but dammit, I still want to participate. I am signed up to do one in October – it’s just 1-mile walk, but it’s something. Complete. And will probably do it again.
25 – Go Tailgating – COMPLETED SEPTEMBER 2009
Can you believe I never went tailgating in college? Ok, I went once, but I was 19, and the thought of getting a MIP charge wasn’t cool. There was no beer involved. And it wasn’t fun. So I finally went, as someone of legal age, and it was everything I hoped it would be. Except I didn’t get fed. Maybe next time I can tailgate with people who will grill some burgers. Complete.
26 – Write a short story. Send it in to be published. Frame the rejection letter.
By 40, I hope to take a stab at a novel. Or my memoirs – y’all know I’ve got some good stories to start it. For now… something smaller. Update: need to write something to be able to submit it. ugh.
27 – Walk a dog – COMPLETED OCTOBER 2009
I’ve never done this. We’ve always had cats… Complete
28 – Go to a casino
Never done this either. I suppose it correlates with #3, but I could always do it around here too. Update: Haven’t given it much thought. Should be easy to cross off.
29 – Learn to parallel park – COMPLETED
Cause, seriously? Right now I will park blocks away just so I don’t have to. Complete! Though I will only do it if I have lots of space… it still makes me slightly nervous. One time I wedged into a really tight spot. I was really proud of myself.
30 – Learn to tie a cherry stem with my tongue
I have a friend that can do this and she tried to direct me on how to do it one time, but I failed miserably. Just something fun and silly to round out the list! Update: need to buy some cherries and practice ; )
So, there you have it. One year in and I’ve accomplished 10 items – I’m a full third of the way done! Plus a couple random bonus items that I never planned on doing. If I can keep up this pace, I’m totally going to breeze through these! I seem to have slowed down considerably, though. I’ve still got four years, though. Lots of time. Right?
30 Things to Do Before I Turn 30 
Bring your camera when we go to Iowa City. Lots of really cool old architecture. Also, Matthew lives in a haunted location.
So, do i need to make a list now that i’m 25? Thirty doesn’t seem that far away, or that monumental. I definitely don’t need to make a “bucket” list yet. 😉
I’m totally doing a mani/pedi before the wedding; you should join me!
Because of this, I created my own list on my blog. Except I have 150 things on my list haha. Good luck!
Learning to tie a cherry stem with the tongue – it’s one of those things we all hope we can master. I had a few boyfriends that could do it. Totally seductive for unexplainable reasons.
Anywho …. here’s my list of what I’ve done before 30.
http://winewillfixit.blogspot.com/2011/01/30-things-i-did-before-i-turned-30.html
Um, hi. This is going to be awkward because I don’t know who you are and you don’t know who I am. I’m not sure how I came to be on your site, but I started reading it and thought it was so cool what you were doing. I wasn’t going to comment, but after reading #26 I felt like I had to.
I’m a writer. I’m working on my fifth manuscript right now (as in, I should be rewriting chapter three but instead, I googled a phrase and ended up here.)
It’s never too early to start writing. The published authors and other writers who haven’t received a book deal whose blogs and twitters I follow always say those who say “I want to write…” never do. And it’s true; people can say “Oh, I want to do that…” but unless they actually do it, they will always be saying “I want to do that.”
I know you want to write a short story and submit it (that’s AWESOME, btw!) And a way to get started on this is have an idea. Like duh, right? On my short story blog, my critique partners and I had a writing contest: find a picture on tumblr and write a 1000 word short story about it. I suggest you find a picture or a quote and write a story about it. That’s a great way to write your short story.
And for your novel–why not write it now? Well, actually, not now now, but in November. http://nanowrimo.org/ is a site dedicated to wannabe novelists. Write 50,000 words in 30 days. If you have a novel idea, I suggest signing up for NaNoWriMo and on November 1, start writing. This is how I wrote and finished my first, second, and third novel.
I plan on writing my sixth novel this November. I hope. I don’t know if I’ll be able to because of my fifth manuscript might be all I can focus on.
But you? You can do it. November is a busy month, but that’s the point. If you can write 1667 words a day, finishing November with 50,000 words you can write a novel during any other month.
Good luck with the writing and the rest of your goals! If you decide to do NaNoWriMo, my NaNo username is sunshine014 and I’m from Wyoming. I’d love to be one of your friends over there. 🙂
Noticed you have visited Des Moines…that’s where I live!
Love this idea. I am turning 25 next month and am thinking of doing a list similar to yours! Thanks for the inspiration and good luck with the rest of your conquests! =]
Awesome! Send me a link when you make your list – I love to see what other people come up with!
[…] this poor neglected blog. The last time I revisited the list was on my 26th birthday. I didn’t even bother with it when I turned 27 because I hadn’t done anything. Well, no, […]