Thirty Things Before 30

I’m 27.  Ever since I turned 26, I have been somewhat dreading the big “three-oh”.  I know that these days 30 is the new 21, but there is just something about that age.  It seems so “grown up”.  Ohh, I know I’m only as old as I feel, but I think society says once you turn 30, you’re expected to be a full-fledged adult.  In fact, just today I saw an article that my friend posted about fashion trends you need to give up once you hit 30.  While most of these items were things that I haven’t worn since high school… or EVER… it definitely struck me.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a different article that a colleague of mine posted about things to do before you turn 30.  You know that I am a sucker for goals and to-do lists.  But I have never sat down and thought about a true “bucket list”.  You know, everything you really want to do someday before you die.  And so I did a little more searching and found a girl’s blog that was about just that – a bucket list of things to do before she turned 30.

So here I am to start my own… a list of “Thirty Things Before 30”.  I’m not sure if I will be able to accomplish all of these things before the big birthday, but if I accomplish most of them by then… and the rest sometime in my life… I will be happy.

Well here goes nothing… The “Keeping It Real” Dietitian’s Thirty Things Before 30

1. Run a 1/2 marathon. You knew this one was going to be on here.  I have been talking about running a 1/2 marathon for two years now.  It is time to… you know what… or get off the pot!  It’s going to happen before I turn 30.
2. Compete in a triathlon. See above.
3. Do a “Color Run”. I have always stayed away from these races because they are usually more expensive than the races I normally do.  I have heard, however, that they are so much fun!
4. Be able to do a push-up. I have been challenged by my nephews for many years to do a push-up, and still to this day cannot do one.  This has to happen before the big 3-0!
5. Go rock-climbing – indoor or outdoor. I am hoping that this is something that I can do with my friend Kyle.  A lot of these “30 Before 30” lists have things like sky-diving and bungee jumping.  Those are a little too extreme for me… I think this one is just B.A. enough.
6. Donate blood. I have always wanted to do this, but have been too chicken because I used to have to hold someone’s hand just to get my blood drawn.  I’m getting a lot better about it, though, and now that I know my blood type (A positive!) I really have no excuses.
7. Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. I did this when I was younger with my friends in a youth group and really enjoyed it.  I really want to do this again as an adult so I can fully appreciate the impact.
8. Join the choir at church. I’m not a bad singer, and I can read music pretty well, so I’d like to do this.  An alternative to this would be to serve as a reader at church.
9. Have our marriage convalidated in the church. So we are married, but we weren’t married in a Catholic church.  This is a way of having our marriage blessed.  We are thinking about doing this October 31, 2015, which would be our 9 year anniversary of dating. :)
10. Start our family. Everybody’s like… “Whoa, what?”  Let me explain.  I kinda have had this idea in my head that if we haven’t started a family by the time I am 30, then I really want to consider whether or not we should even try.  Not because of my age, but my husband’s… yeah, I know guys can father kids well into their senior years, but I want my husband to be able to enjoy having kids, if we are ever blessed with them.
11. Become a certified personal trainer. I have been back and forth on pursuing a Master’s degree or getting other certifications. My passion for fitness has continued to grow, as well as the love for my job as a bariatric dietitian, and I know that becoming a certified personal trainer will only enhance both my personal life and my career.
12. See the Chicago river turned green for St. Patrick’s Day. My friend just posted a picture of the river turned green today… and I realized that HEY, I want to see that in real life, too!!  So I thought it would be a perfect addition to this list.
13. Visit New York City. It has been on my list of places to visit for a very long time.  I really want this to happen before I’m 30.
14. Visit Philadelphia. Now not only do two of my very close friends from high school live there, but my niece is moving there too!  NO EXCUSES.
15. Visit Pittsburgh. Honestly, this is just because my best friend is moving there.  I mean, I’m sure it is a nice place to visit, but it probably wouldn’t have made my bucket list if it weren’t for the fact that she’s leaving the mitten and moving to Pittsburgh in like… three weeks.
16. Visit my brother & sister-in-law in Arkansas. This has been on our list of things to do for a long time, too.  Of course if they happen to move before we get a chance to visit them in Arkansas, then this would be… visit wherever my brother & sister-in-law live. :)
17. Go kayaking with my brother. This goes along with the rock climbing.  Something extreme and fun.  Plus anything I get to do with my brother is awesome.
18. Go on a cruise. Considering all of the other travel goals I have on this list, this is a bit of a long shot.  But hey… it is definitely on the list!
19. Go camping at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. I have been there before, but it was with someone that I’d rather forget.  My husband has never been there and I want to make new memories.
20. Go to Cedar Point with my best friends. A couple of weeks ago, my friends Kendra, Kristine and I realized that all of us… AND all of our husbands… actually LIKE roller coasters.  Plus, Cedar Point is kind of a middle place to meet for us now that we have all spread out around the midwest, so I really want to make this happen.
21. Go on the “Great Cedar Fair Adventure”. Again, considering all of the other travel plans… the “Great Cedar Fair Adventure” is a trip that I had started planning so that we could visit some of our friends PLUS visit some of the Cedar Fair parks and ride new roller coasters.
22. Visit the “Cross in the Woods” in Indian River, MI. My friend just posted pictures of this place from a recent trip there on Facebook and I just knew I had to go there. It is actually a parish, and I really would like to go there for Mass sometime.
23. Go on a road trip with a friend. This is almost cheating, because I know that I am going on a road trip with my friend in October… but it TOTALLY COUNTS.
24. Complete a 30 day photo challenge. I have come SO CLOSE so many times… I will finish one of them before I am 30, darn it!
25. Attend a music festival like Lollapalooza. Lollapalooza would be ideal.  I love Chicago.  Unless there was a festival in one of the many places I have suggested traveling to… then we could kill 2 birds with 1 stone.
26. Go to a Detroit Lions game. I have gone to a Pistons game, a Red Wings game and a Tigers game… need to see a Lions game to complete my Detroit sports fan-ness!
27. Perform karaoke with my friends. I have done karaoke at band camp, but never at a bar.  My friends go to karaoke at least once per year usually, so this really needs to happen sometime in the next 2.5 years.
28. Go to a “Painting with a Twist” class with friends. Another thing that I have been talking about forever and just haven’t done.  It is time!
29. Start to plan a big party for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary (2018) I will turn 30 in 2017, but in November 2018 my parents will celebrate 50 years of marriage.  We want to plan something special for them.
30. Throw a HUGE 30th birthday party! What I’d REALLY love is for my husband to plan a “surprise” 30th birthday party, but it won’t be much of a surprise if I am totally expecting it…