Tuesday, February 23, 2010

30 Things to do Before I Turn 30


Today I had something of an epiphany. I was sitting in a daze while waiting for my Bikram Yoga class to begin, and I started thinking about all these things I'd always wanted to do but for some reason hadn't gotten to just yet. Take skydiving, for instance, which I've been dying to do since my friend Tisha jumped off a plane in Long Island back in 2006. Or swimming with whale sharks, which was on my to-do list even when I was still living in the Philippines. Somehow, all these plans got lost in the shuffle while I concentrated on ... well, life.

It hit me. What exactly am I waiting for? Let's face it, I'm not getting any younger. In fact, 29 is just around the corner ... which makes 30 just a little over a year away! *dum dum dum duuuuum* I am thisclose to becoming a bonafide adult, and the allowance for effing around is getting slimmer by the day. If now's not the time to do everything I've always wanted to do, then when's the right time exactly?

So I decided that I'm gonna make up a bucket list of sorts that I intend to finish before May 21, 2011—"30 Things to Do Before I Turn 30." I will chronicle this project on this blog because shame is great motivator to not fail or flake out midway. That said, I realize that I have to be realistic with my goals because there are constraints to my little project (i.e. I am not made of money and I have a day job that I'd very much love to keep). But it has to be meaty enough to actually keep me (and ye readers) intersted. I envision a list comprised of trips I've been putting off, challenges I've been procrastinating on, skills I've been waiting to acquire, roadblocks I need to overcome, and plain old amazing things that I've never even thought about doing before.

I've hit one wall, so far. I've only gotten my list up to 13:
  1. Swim with the whale sharks in Donsol, Philippines.
  2. Party at carnaval in Brazil.
  3. Dance my ass off in Ibiza.
  4. Run a marathon.
  5. Skydive.
  6. Master preparing a gourmet, fancy-schmancy 5-course meal 
  7. Learn how to surf.
  8. Bungee jump.
  9. Do the 30-Day Bikram Yoga challenge.
  10. Go on a cross-country road trip.
  11. Eat the worm in the mezcal. In Mexico.
  12. Record a song. I don't care if the one line I sing gets synthesized to the point of sounding like a pre-op. I just want to one day be able to say, "Hey, that's MY song!"   
  13. Learn how to pole dance. Before any family members hyperventilate, let me clarify that I intend to learn in a class and do it recreationally—no "on the job" training here.
I fully intend on begging/conning/stalking friends into helping me tick items off my list. Marathon runners, surfers, adventurers, chefs, DJs, people with spare couches in distant locales, and those infected with severe wanderlust, I am talking to YOU.

I am also hoping to hear some very interesting suggestions on what else to add to the list. See, I've only gotten up to 13 and as badly as I suck at Math, I do know that's a long way from 30. I need help.

Finally, I would love it if you'd join me in my madness and come up with your own lists—25 before 25, 35 after 35, 11 before 2011, whatever floats your boat. I would love to hear from you. I hope that with this little project, we'll inspire each other to stop putting things off and seize the day.

And so it begins!

18 comments:

  1. you plan to do 3 trips in one year? brazil, ibiza and mexico?:) i'd join you in mexico if only i have a job.:P

    ReplyDelete
  2. p.s how about adding something charitable and altruistic like raise funds for haiti? (and i don't mean shopping at toms) or send 1 kid to school (UP para cheap, $200 a semester)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I might incorporate the Mexico part in the cross-country drive to save a little cash. I know this project is gonna hurt the pocket (more likely the credit score)! No more foodie posts in NY, I have to subsist on ramen!

    Really good idea about sending a kid to school. Do you have info on how I can do that? I'll totally add that to my list!

    ReplyDelete
  4. in our office back home, they usually can't afford to send their kids so my mom offers to pay for it. i suggest you ask your maids back home if they have problems with tuition. as they say, charity starts at home.
    -bern

    ReplyDelete
  5. Celine, this is such a great idea!! I do something similar to this on my other blog, where I've been keeping track of my monthly for the last five or six years. :) That blog is mostly funny stories and experiences of mine, and I don't update it much other than resolutions anymore, but if you ever want to check out my resolutions updates, it's http://vtjerseygirl03.livejournal.com and the tag is "resolutions." Good luck with this! I can't wait to follow along!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. P.S. I've heard the OBX Marathon in the Outer Banks is a very fun one to run! And I've got a surfboard if you're ever in Virginia Beach and need a lesson. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well here are few things I'm doing this year, my year of travel as next year will be a year of planning (*wink *wink - you'll be out here next summer for a special occasion):

    - Visiting the Hoover Dam and slot canyons in the Valley of Fire State Park (March)
    - Driving down to visit the Redwoods (April)
    - Visiting Puerto Rico and 1) Zipline through the jungle 2) Swimming with phosphorescence (May)
    - Hiking the Enchantments, killer 2 day 6,00 feet gain in elevation backpack in the North Cascades (September)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bern - true ... in terms of altruistic goals, I'm veering now between your suggestion and finally signing up to work at a UN mission. Will keep you posted!

    TCC - oooh I like "Play poker in Las Vegas." I don't have a poker face at all though, you can see everything I'm feeling with one glance ... but since I've NEVER gambled (really not my thing), I wonder if I should put "Play blackjack in Las Vegas"? Oh, I particularly like the "Frame my degree." Something I've never gotten to after 6 years!

    Kristina - SOOOOO EXCITING!!!!! I will make sure to allocate summer 2011 to a trip there :-) Wow you have some amazing things on your list. I am extremely tempted to plagiarize "Swimming with phosphorescence" from you! But maybe whale sharks are enough ;p

    ReplyDelete
  9. prettywicked - Thanks! I see you have Sagada on your blog. I've just added spelunking in Sagada to my list. Any tips???

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your blog inspired me beyond compare, and so I am making my list, too. Made it actually, but will be publishing tomorrow :)

    I wish you the best in completing the list, Celine! And I hope to meet you in NYC.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Here's my take:

    http://winewillfixit.blogspot.com/2011/01/30-things-i-did-before-i-turned-30.html

    ReplyDelete
  12. Congrats on your project! It's pretty damn cool. I would suggest to add some more Europe trips to the Balkan countries and the Portuguese coast ;)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Absolutely great bucket list, time to start! Life is short.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've done this for the past 3 years. I always try to add other items besides adventure items. For example, this year on my 27 before 27, I have "remember to send birthday cards to friends," "read War and Peace," "complete 60 days of Insanity." Along with items such as hanggliding, etc...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oooh hang gliding! Maybe it's time to start my 35 before 35!

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...