30 Before 30 Check-In #3

Oh.  This thing.  30 Before 30.  Remember that?  I can't blame you if you don't, seeing as my last check-in was almost a year ago.

I have been slowly making my way through the list, but I have to be honest, my priorities have shifted significantly since I first compiled it in 2010.  Back then I had no idea how much money and effort it would take for us just to get knocked up.  No clue that I would be dealing with an exciting, but stressful, move to Germany.  Zero intention of going back to work of any sort.  Some of the things that seemed really important or fascinating to 27-year-old Angela, just don't seem as compelling to 29-year-old Angela.  And some things I've just had to accept aren't going to happen in the craziness of the next eight months.

That said, here's the latest update!

2)  Climb to the top of the Eiffel tower, eat macarons at the Laduree on Rue Royale, stroll through the Louvre, see the water lilies at Giverny. In short—go to France. (Complete)
One of my most favorite things to check off of my list, our trip to France was everything I dreamed it would be.  The Eiffel Tower was magical, the macarons melted in my mouth, the Louvre was exhausting and majestic, and the water lilies were a dream.

3)  Travel to at least five new countries. (Complete)
I was actually a bit of an overachiever and added six countries to my passport (well, no, not really since no one ever actually stamps my passport in the proper countries).  December 2010 Mediterranean cruise brought me to Greece, Malta and Spain.  And an August 2011 sojourn back to Europe led us through France, Germany and Austria.

8) Read Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. (Complete)

13) Geaux to an LSU football game. (Complete)
LSU vs. Tennessee in Knoxville.  We were so excited to get the chance to see our Tigers play in a season when we made it all the way to the BCS Championship.  Let's just not talk about anything that happened beyond that... 

15) Organize all of our digital photos in scrapbooks or albums. (In Progress)
Still in progress, but I've gotten through a couple of more.  Unfortunately, time keeps passing and I feel like every time I get one done I have two more added to my list!

16) Learn how to sew and make a piece of clothing that I’m proud to wear in public. (In Progress)
I did learn how to sew.  That was the easy part.  Now I just have to make time to attempt sewing a garment.  I really need to just get a Simplicity pattern and go to work on it, but so far I've been a master proscrastinator about it.

18) Read the entire Bible, cover to cover, without skipping the boring bits. (In Progress)
I'm reading a chronological study bible, and it's actually very interesting.  I'm approaching it from the standpoint of learning ancient history more than any sort of praise or worship, and it's amazing how much I've already learned just from Genesis! 

19) Go to the Guggenheim. (Complete)
Very, very sadly, a huge chunk of the Guggenheim was closed when I went in February, but I did get to see lots of gorgeous art and gaze up at the spiraling ramps that make the building so iconic. 

21) Get a second piercing on my ears. (Complete)
I did this in NYC with my mom and sister for emotional support, and I'm so in love with my new bits of sparkle.  It's not terribly rebellious, but it's just enough to make me feel sassy without doing anything remotely risky. 

22) Finish 75% of the books in the top 100 of the Greatest Books List that I haven’t already read. (In Progress)
I kind of hate this item.  I found myself slipping back into my college mindset of "maybe I'll just read a magazine" more and more often.  There are a few left on the list that I actually want to read (Frankenstein, On the Road, and The Sun Also Rises) but I'm not sure I'll finish 75%.

23) Go to a Starbucks drive through and pay for the order for the car behind me. (Complete)
I did this last month, and it felt great!  I spent the whole time I was in line scoping out the car behind me and creating a backstory for the driver.  She looked like a young woman, maybe just a few years older than me and she was driving a big SUV.  So I decided she was a frazzled soccer mom who had just dropped her kids off at school and was running late for an appointment, but in desperate need of a hot cup of coffee, when suddenly she realized she had left her wallet at home.  Probably not entirely true, but I handed an extra five bucks over to the barista at the window and told him the drink for the person next in line was on me, and any extra was a tip.  I hope it made her day a little shinier! 

26) Do a cleanse, maybe this one? (Complete)
I survived a cleanse last summer and documented it here and here.

And here are the items I've accepted simply won't happen before December 20, 2012 and have crossed off the list:

11) Place a bet in Sin City.
Honestly?  I just have no desire to go to Las Vegas.  It seemed like a fun idea at the time, but there are so many other places I'd rather visit instead.

20) Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
The last few times I've gone to visit my sister in NYC, this has been on the list, and EVERY time we have been foiled.  The first time, we did a walking tour of Brooklyn and planned to walk back across to Manhattan, but we ran out of time in the day.  Another time, we were going to walk across it to get to dinner, but decided on a super swanky night out and didn't relish the idea of doing it in heels.  Then, when I went last month, I really, really wanted to brave the elements, but it was just too cold and blustery, even when we were protected by skyscrapers.  I'm super sad about this one, but some day!

25) Attempt surfing. Not the net—the waves!
This I really do still want to do some day, but I don't see how I'll get it in before I leave Charleston, and Germany doesn't seem to be a big surf town.  Though there was that surfing wave at the English Garden in Munich...

 

Comments

[Janine]

I've been thinking about building my own list - with 2.5 years to go before 30 it feels like now's the time to get started. Sounds like you're making great progress. I had to laugh at your college reading comment because I'm there now, with a pile of books and no motivation to pick one up and get going.

[erin]

I just checked out your cleanse posts, and I definitely plan on referring back to them. I've wanted to do a cleanse for a while now and I checked out blueprint juices, but I can't fathom spending that kind of money. So glad you documented yours.
I am trying to organize digital and printed photos, but it is a horror! So hard to do.
And I get pretty frusterated when you go on a cruise and they don't stamp your passport! Why not?!?!

[margaret]

I am the only person I know who went to Sin City and avoided gambling. I went to a casino on an Indian reservation (maybe in CT?). it was a smoke filled room filled with people who were having far less fun than the ones they show us on the commercials. Good choice to let go of this one.

Good luck with the others--and more importantly all the other things you have going on!

[Solange]

I am so with you...my list has to change a bit maybe.

[katelin]

i love your list but i agree, my life list has changed in a bit in the past few years, haha. love that you paid for someone's Starbuck's, such a nice and simple gesture. also i'm quite jealous of the amount of countries you checked off, i guess i can't be too upset think i checked off a ton of states, haha. i just really need to go abroad again. wee!

[Kate P]

Congrats on the accomplishments! My mom finally went to Vegas a few years back when my dad had a company meeting at a former job, so--put it on your 60 before 60 list???

I totally cracked up at the "Germany doesn't seem to be a big surf town" comment. Who knows--maybe there's indoor surfing somewhere.

[Kendra]

Whatever you accomplish, I am extremely proud of you! And very happy to live vicariously through your adventures. Much love cuz. :)

[Annie]

I want to do number 18! My university offered that as a class and I wasn't able to take it. Sad!

[Elle Sees]

i still have to learn to drive a stick shift from my list. the family/marriage is pretty much not gonna happen! but, i've got a cute puppy instead :)

[Melissa]

I love your list. So many interesting & fun things on it! I'm 34... so i guess i could do 40 before 40. Haha. Too bad i didn't start a list a long time ago though!

I'm reading the Bible chronologically too but i will admit... I skipped Leviticus. I just can't do it! Haha!

I have always wanted to pay for the person's order in a drive-thru or another table at a restaurant! Still haven't done it... it's a must!

[Deidre]

I drove through vegas and didn't even gamble then!

Someday is right - just because it doesn't happen before 30 doesn't mean it won't happen ever!