growing up is hard to do

I recently stumbled upon a great blog post by the sweetheart Kelly Del Valle. her blog is fun and her photos are amazing, so you should check this girl out! but one thing that stood out for me personally was her 30 before 30 post; a list of 30 things she wanted to do or accomplish by her 30th birthday. 

I recently turned 27 and was mildly freaked out that I was closer to being a 30-year-old legit adult than a 20-year-old college kid, when I feel much more like the latter. that got me thinking about all the awesome things I've done, and all I've yet to accomplish. time goes by so quickly and sometimes I feel like the window is closing on some of my personal goals, be it career-wise or just the general pursuit of happiness. 

I know a lot of people do these mini bucket lists for different ages- 25 by 25, 50 before 50 - but I loved the idea of posting it in a blog to make yourself accountable, and maybe even motivate yourself & others in the process. 

basically, I was inspired by Kelly's idea to make my own 30 before 30.
(hers has a countdown timer! so cute.)

it's bits and pieces of discarded bucket lists, life-long goals, and unfinished resolutions. some things are silly and fun, some are more serious pursuits, some are a little far-reaching. but these are 30 things I will try my darndest to do before I turn 30. 

30 Before 30

1. swim in the Pacific Ocean. with all the globetrotting I've done over the years, the only ocean I've seen is the Atlantic. this is crazy to me. Pacific, I'm about to get all up in yo biznass. 

2. go skydiving. I've always wanted to try this! now that I've found people who are willing to accompany me, hopefully it will happen sooner rather than later.

3. move to Park Slope. (or somewhere nearby.) Brandon and I have really fallen in love with this part of Brooklyn. I like where we are right now, but eventually I'd love to live on an idyllic tree-lined street near Prospect Park. 

4. finish decorating whatever home I live in. whether it's a tiny Park Slope apartment or the Bed-Stuy digs we currently occupy, I want to build a home I'm proud of. and that includes art on the walls and having all the appropriate furniture (I really need a comfy couch).

5. get two more tattoos. why not just one? you might ask. well, I've had lots of tattoo plans for a while now, and I'd at least like to be mostly complete, body-art-wise, by the time I'm 30. next up are a pitcher plant and a John Keats quote. 

6. stand in a cranberry bog. this has been on my bucket list since high school. I don't know why. I saw it on an Ocean Spray commercial and the thought just delights me. apparently it's possible in New Jersey?

7. take a photography class. working on this one; a crash-course "Urban Landscapes" class is currently on sale! anyone wanna take it with me?

8. road trip the US. last summer I totally got bit by the road trip bug (it's a sub-species of the travel bug. serious stuff.) long before that I had the dream of fixing up a camper/VW van and exploring this giant, awesome country, coast to coast. I've had the itinerary mapped for a while now.

9. read one book a month. I’m so behind on this goal. so far since January I’ve read; February by Lisa Moore, Maddaddam by Margaret Atwood, and the Great Gatsby. all amazing works, obviously, but three books in six months is not much of a start. c'mon, Sarah, get it together!

10. expand my vocabulary. this may seem somewhat vague, but it’s related to #9. I’m going to make a note of words I hear/read that I like, want to use more often, or don’t know the meaning of. then I’m going to start working them into my writing, if not everyday conversation. I used to have a fairly eloquent vocabulary (English majors learn quickly how to make simple points sound profound) and now I find I’m too easily impressed when I read the writing of others. 

11. stay out all night in NYC. this seems doable! I'm not much of a "nightclub" person- I prefer house parties or live music shows- but I want to spend one crazy evening really experiencing the nightlife New York has to offer. it's the "City That Never Sleeps," after all. why should I?

12. be able to do a pull-up. does this one seem random? maybe it is. I think it would feel so good to train my body to be strong and accomplish a physical goal. a pull up seems like the simplest way to qualify that. 

13. have something major published. not like, a novel... while that would be amazing I'm self-aware enough to admit that I don't have the commitment or work-ethic to finish something like that. but maybe a short story, or a children's book, or even just an article that isn't a review of something. 

14. see the Grand Canyon. this gets it's own, separate point from the US road trip, because that's how important it is. 

15. throw an awesome house party. I've done it before, I can do it again! (just humour me, here). there's nothing better than a good old fashioned par-tay; plastic cups, drinking games, impromptu kitchen dance parties, the whole shebang. eventually I'd like to have the means/know enough people in New York to show off that Newfies throw the best parties.

16. play guitar + sing at the same time. I'm constantly bringing up how I wish I was better at guitar. well, once I finally get ol' Bob (that's my guitar's name) shipped down to New York, I'm hoping to spend a lot of time making that wish a reality. my goal is simple; be coordinated enough to play and sing one song well.

17. master a new hairstyle. this might seem trivial, but it greatly affects my day-to-day life! lately my go-tos have been the ballerina bun, the messy bun, and the occasional milkmaid braids. it would be great to find an easy new 'do and spice up the routine a little when leaving hair down is not an option (ie, messy grossness and/or crazy summer humidity).

18. go to a music festival. something I've been wanting to do for a while now. every summer I say it's going to happen, but then other things take priority. I've got three years to get 'er done.

19. get my driver's license. I know a lot of people in NYC don't drive, but it would be really helpful when it comes to #8. 

20. build a practical shoe collection. this one might also seem trivial, but it's actually very responsible of me (it had to happen sometime). I've got to give up on once-a-year killer heels and cheap, dirty flats. I need to invest in quality, comfortable shoes that I can wear every day, no matter the occasion. if that means spending more on ballerinas than I'd like and not giving in to those sky-high Jeffrey Campbells, so be it.

21. cook delicious boeuf bourguignon. it's one of my all-time favourite things that I've ever eaten, and even though it's a comfort food, it seems so fancy and gourmet! I really want to get a recipe down pat and impress potential dinner party guests. speaking of which...

22. throw a dinner party. a real, classy one, with three courses and pretty table settings and wine. I'll wear a vintage dress and probably royally screw up, but it will be a dinner party nonetheless.

23. take a self-defence class. not out of fear, but so I can be completely certain that I could kick some ass if I wanted to.

24. swim with sea turtles. this would be so amazing! I guess it's really another travel point, since I doubt they'll let me splash around in the New York Aquarium, but it's more about the activity than the destination.  

25. get an underwater camera. or at least borrow one for a photo shoot. this would really come in handy on the aforementioned sea turtle adventure, but would also be fun just to play with in a pool. facebook profile pic, anyone?

26. re-learn French. this has been on every resolution and bucket list since I started this blog. yeesh. I'm going to really buckle down and get on the path to being semi-bilingual (or at least conversational). I'll take classes and watch the entire series of Friends in French. that's a start!

27. go to Disney Land/World. don't care which one, I just need to get me in a giant tea cup, pronto. it's the happiest place on earth, you guys! how can I not go?

28. do something really, really nice for my parents. I don't know what yet, but I want to do something awesome for my parents as a thank you for all the times they helped us make ends meet, encouraged me, bought me plane tickets, and were just generally wonderful. I honestly have zero ideas though. maybe just grandbabies... (KIDDING PARENTS, calm down.)

29. be happy with my body. on a more serious note... naw, this isn't a depressing spiel about weight loss or hypothyroidism or not feeling pretty. I just want to figure things out and get to a point where I can say "this is me. this is my adult form, and I am cool with it." I'd like to get to that point when I'm  in my thirties and before I start to worry about wrinkles and saggy things and osteoporosis and whatnot. (which I am aware does not start when you are 30, I'm just trying to make a point. 30 is not old.)

30. buy an around-the-world plane ticket. this is the biggie. not only would this help me out with so many other items on this list, it would fulfil a pretty much lifelong dream of mine. I could do a lot of damage with 14 flights around the world. if you get one of these babies it works out to about $200 a flight- it's like you're making money. 

my hope is to buy this for myself for my 30th birthday.

ok, I just read that again and this is going to be hard. 

what have I gotten myself into?

♥