30 Before 30

1. Have a child.

LBW (Wade) is the absolute best thing I have ever done with my life. Every day with him is more entertaining than the last. Watching him grow into a real-life human with personality and opinions is challenging but so much fun.

2. Record at least 20 recipes.

I’ve actually purchased a recipe box with cards…I just need to sit down and write out some recipes! There are a few that I found on Pinterest that I make fairly regularly and it would be nice to have them accessible without needing to pull out my phone and get online. (Like I’m not on my phone 24/7, anyway.)

3. Start to work out regularly.

I did really well with going to the rec center on the mornings I didn’t have Wade for a solid couple of months. Then there was a tattoo, the time change, and work travel…I’ve totally fallen off the wagon. But I did, in fact, start to work out regularly!

4. Travel outside the US.

I went to Canada, you guys!

5. Get a full sleeve tattoo.

I love the tattoo I got from Yann Black at the end of September 2018. LOVE IT. I don’t think I’ll ever attempt to get such a large tattoo in one sitting, though. Look at how pretty it is.

6. Go on a road trip.

I rented a car and drove to Canada to get a tattoo!

7. Be debt free.

I’m about $8k in debt. I seriously doubt I’ll get it all paid off by the end of the year. c’est la vie

8. Buy a new car.

And this is one of the reasons why I’m in debt. >.>

9. Make homemade home decorations.

This one was always vague and weird and I want to just check it off so I can have another thing done, darnit. Most of the things I’ve done around the house are DIY. It counts. It’s fine.

10. Watch all of The Office on Netflix.

I forget when I watched this, but I did. It was hilarious. I should do it again.

11. Build a website for Still Waters Mtn Retreat.

I didn’t build it from scratch, but I at least got something in place for them. Check out their site!

12. Learn to Crochet/Knit.

This was “Learn to Sew” but darnit, that might never happen. I do, however, have a bunch of yarn and a book titled Knitting without Needles and a coworker who wants to learn to crochet together. So once I finish my next cross stitch project I’m going to start learning one or both of these things!

13. Read 400 books.

  • 2013: 85
  • 2014: 95
  • 2015: 52
  • 2016: 12 (I blame Wade for this.)
  • 2017: 92
  • 2018: ??

400 – 336 = 64! I only needed to read 64 books in 2018 to meet my goal!

I didn’t really do that…if you only count adult books. But by jove I’ve read a MILLION toddler books. So I’m going to say this is done.

14. Bike (almost) 30 miles.

My goal was to bike 30 miles with Wade. As of October 30, I have made it 22.4 miles. Good enough.

15. Find a new job.

I’ve been a web developer at MTSU since June 2017!

16. Have sex every day for a month.

Don’t tell Wade, but…

17. Get roommates.

Ironically, this used to be “Ditch the roommates.” but here I am, with two roommates. They pay rent! And I genuinely like them. We should have a sitcom. My house currently contains: 3 adults, 1 toddler, 3 dogs, and 2 cats.

18. Make and use fabric napkins.

Surely to goodness I can accomplish this. Surely.

19. Make a family photo album every year.

  • 2015-2016
  • 2016-2017
  • 2017-2018

20. Grow my hair out to shoulder-length.

I’m so happy to have long hair again. I love pixie cuts, and I love long hair. The in-between nonsense is total garbage, though.

21. Go on an adventure every year.

  • 2013: Bonnaroo
  • 2014: Bonnaroo
  • 2015: Bonnaroo
  • 2016: Pilgrimage Music & Art Festival
  • 2017: I’ve gone on the biggest effing adventure ever – divorce.
  • 2018: Camp Throwback

22. Make updates to the living room:

  • Remove shelves
  • paint over floors
  • mount TV

23. Make updates to Wade’s room:

24. Make updates to the upstairs:

  • paint trim
  • paint walls
  • do…something…to stairwell and landing flooring

25. Make updates to my bedroom:

  • hang art/mirrors
  • hang curtains

26. Build a bed frame.

The first major purchase I made post-divorce was a king-sized mattress. I’ll never look back. But then I slept on the floor for over a year because I wanted to build my bedframe but also building things is hard. BUT I FINALLY DID IT.

27. Have a date night at a nice restaurant.

I did this with my ex when Wade was just a few months old. We ate at High Point and stayed in a cabin while my parents kept Wade overnight.

28. Get back out there.

I have started to date again. It’s weird. But also liberating.

29. Write a 40 Before 40 list.

The first draft is complete!

30. Have a BANGIN’ 30th birthday party.

I seriously had such an awesome 30th birthday, y’all.