Milestone Birthday Checklist, Part II

Too many people undervalue what they are and over value what they are not.

I love that quote!! It’s so true for a lot of people, myself included! That’s why I am not sure about bucket lists. They are fun and setting goals is a good thing, but in doing so, it’s important not to forget what we have already achieved. That’s why I started with a before 30 bucket list of the things I’ve already accomplished. Today’s list is of the items I haven’t completed yet. Even though it’s not my list, (it’s the most common list items from friends, magazines and other blogs to do before 30) I don’t feel as bad not having done all these things because I already made a nice long list of the things I have accomplished. This is part II of the most common items people what to achieve before 30.

1. Get a Tattoo. I haven’t done this one yet and I think I’ve decided not to. I’ve always thought tattoos were kinda cool, but when it comes down to deciding what I’d want and where I’d want it, I change my mind too much. I don’t think I could commit and stay happy with it.
2. Pay tribute to the Gods of Rock and Roll. I found this suggestion on TLC. They recommend taking a pilgrimage to places where a rock and roller’s presence can be felt, like Kurt Cobain’s house in Seattle, Washington. I don’t think that is necessary, seeing my favourites in concert will sufice.
3. Try the Finer Things in Life. This one is from TLC too. They say to try the world’s most expensive cocktail, the Magie Noir, it’s about $620.00! I have no desire to drink or eat anything this expensive. Once it’s gone, it’s gone! I wouldn’t mind wearing something this expensive though 🙂
4. Take a Road Trip. I should do this. The longest one I have done was from Toronto to Quebec City. Does that count? Maybe, maybe not. We didn’t stay over night anywhere or check out any tourists stops. I want to do a road trip like that.
5. Decide if You Want to Have Children. I am currently still undecided and I doubt the answer will magically come to me in the next year.
6. Have Dinner Alone. I’ve eaten fast food by myself, but I think this means to go to a sit-down restaurant and have a meal on your own. I have yet to do that.
7. Travel Alone. I have traveled to a destination alone and I have wondered around a city by myself, but I haven’t gone on a whole vacation just me myself and I.
8. Say No without Giving a Reason. I haven’t done this, I have a hard time saying no. I think it is important to learn how to not feel the need to justify it all the time.
9. Make a Dramatic Change to your Appearance. Costumes don’t count! I’ve changed my hair cut, got fringe, but even that wasn’t dramatic.
10. Have a Resume that’s not Padded. I still have local talks and posters in my academic CV. As a student I can get away with that sort of thing 🙂
11. Master the Wedding Toast. This will come eventually. Not a whole lot of my good friends have gotten married yet.
12. Backpack. This is probably an important experience I am missing out on, but I lack the desire. If I go on vacation, I want it to be nice and relaxing. Call me a snob but, I don’t want to share my room with strangers or have to do laundry.
13. Destroy Something without Hurting Anyone. I would love to do a “The Office” where they take the printer out to a field and just smash the living daylights out of it.
14. Go to Paris. This is on my lifetime bucket list.
15. Work at Your Dream Job. I’m not sure I even know what my definition of a dream job is yet.
16. Make Friends with an Enemy. This is nice in theory, but if someone is an enemy to me, they have proven themselves to be toxic to my well-being and shouldn’t be part of my life. I guess I try to look at people as potential friends until they prove otherwise.
17. Make Something and Try Selling It. I’m actually not sure if I’ve done this or not. I made a sculpture that went to a charity art show. I asked for the sculpture back at the end, but they didn’t have it and couldn’t tell me if it had been sold or not…..
18. Buy Yourself Something Expensive. Most people suggested designer purses and shoes here. I have yet to buy myself something extravagant.
19. Visit Relative You’ve Never Met. I could actually do this since my aunt has dine the genealogy, but I think I’d need to develop some sort of a pen pal type relationship with them first.
20. Buy Your First Home. This was the plan for this spring, but then we heard hubby wasn’t going to have a teaching position and it all kind of unraveled from there. I don’t think this one is going to happen before 30.
21. Make a Family Tradition. I’ve got one year to start something, suggestions?
22. Visit the Grand Canyon. I guess a lot of the lists I looked up were from Americans. I would like to see the Grand Canyon at some point. I’d also like the see the Great Barrier Reef, Mt. Kilimanjaro and a live volcano.
23. Pay off Debt. I’m happy to say I don’t have any…..although I guess now hubby’s school loan is partly mine now too. That wont get paid off in a year.
24. Build Something from Scratch. Does making jewelry count? I didn’t think so. I was hopeless at Design and Technology or Shop Class or whatever you call it.
25. Earn a Black Belt. I am a brown belt in karate. If I started back right now, I could maybe try for my black belt next spring. I think that’s too big a commitment for me at the moment. Karate isn’t just an activity, it’s a lifestyle.
26. Learn Another Language. I should learn French, I need to learn French. I got top marks in French class in school (in Toronto), then I moved to Montreal where you actually need to speak French and found out I wasn’t very good at all!
27. See a Broadway Show. I think this was meant literally. I’ve seen plenty of shows that have been on Broadway, but not while they were actually there.
28. Drive you Dream Car. Mine would be a Ferrari. I think I’d be too worried about scratching it to actually enjoy it.
29. Celebrity watch. I just don’t care enough, sorry.
30. Buy your Favourite Arcade Game. Who has the time and/or money for this? Oh wait…my brother in-law! He built his own favourite arcade game, the stand, with the buttons, coin slot and all!
31. Become a Wine Buff. I can see how this could make you feel sophisticated, but I don’t drink. So cross that off the list.
32. Get Certified to Teach Something. This one sounds like fun. What would I teach? Zentangles maybe?
33. Got to NYC for NYE. Nah. I prefer NYE to be low key and cozy. My best NYE was having my best friends over and playing games all night.
34. Take a “How To” Class. This I would like to do…
35. Write a Book. It was suggested that you write a book, send it in for publication and frame the rejection letter, lol. I could totally do this!
36. Learn to Fish/Hunt. No thank you. Hunting requires hurting cute furry animals, not for me. Fishing involves worms. Enough said.
37. Read the Bible. That’s a lot of very tiny print!
38. Learn to Back Flip. I think my prime back flipping days are already over!
39. Ride a motorcycle. Yes they are cool and I’d love to give it a try, but I’ve known too many people who died in motorcycle accidents. It’s just not for me.

So that’s the list! I think a lot of them aren’t really that important to me. I’m still unsure about making my own list. I feel like I’d be setting myself up for failure. I don’t know. What do you think?

Just Be