This week, I turn 29. I feel like 29 is a weird age, ya know, just like 19 was, and 9 (and who isn’t weird when they’re 9?!?), and as I assume 39, 49, and so on will be too.
When people I know turn 19, I like to write on their cards the words to the iconic Britney Spears song ‘I’m not a girl! Not yet a woman!“ because anything ending with a 9 just kind of feels like this weird limbo while we wait for the next birthday.
I don’t think my kids know what 29 really is. Lemonade keeps asking me if I’m really turning 29 this year as if she knows that I’m getting to the age where I might start fibbing about my age. I won’t, child, I’ll own it. I’ll own every minute of it.
Even if I don’t know how to do that well.
I tend to be a looker-backer when it comes to birthdays and anniversaries. For me it’s so reflective, and it’s fun to look back.
But as I stand on the doormat of 30 I thought I would try something new, something different. Because when I was in my teens I thought for sure that life would look a certain way at 30 that is almost so laughable to how my beautiful, messy, and incredible life actually looks.
So this year, I want to look forward to my next year and have like, a bucket list for this year. It’s kind of like a birthday gift to me – planning and plotting the next year. 🙂
30 Things I Want to Do Before I Turn 30
- get to 2000 in my thankfulness journal
- take my kids to ride the camel at the zoo (this was the bribe to get Dozer to work on potty training)
- attend a blogging conference
- write an honest to goodness letter to someone (probably my great aunt JoJo)
- go on an overnight trip with just my husband
- take my kids to the beach (I’m not really a beach person but hey…)
- eat a brand new food (any good ideas to try?)
- visit a new state (see my map below)
- have a 30 days of cleaning month (I don’t like cleaning so this is big for me)
- finish reading through the Bible again
- find a podcast to listen to
- record a podcast
- write 3 chapters of a book
- get a heart ring piercing
- start a minimalist wardrobe (I mean that should be easy since I haven’t been the same size in the last 5 years, right?)
- exercise, walk, or stretch 2x a week
- tell my kids something I am thankful for about them each day
- tell my husband something I am thankful for about him each day
- dive in to a study on the women of the Bible (thinking I’ll do ‘For Such a Time as This’ because you know, kids’ Bible)
- work on and finish the kids baby books (I’m getting behind already…)
- memorize 30 Bible verses
- hold myself to one cup of coffee before switching to tea
- hang one load of laundry on the line each week (the drier is just way too easy)
- not get on my phone till after breakfast time with my kids
- do a family road trip to visit the grandparents
- sleep outside in the tent with the kidlets (I don’t think I’ll have the pregnancy card to play again this summer)
- sew something with my new sewing machine
- make a good loaf of sourdough bread
- drink kombucha every week
- give my husband a 10 second kiss every day (because mmmm)
Create Your Own Visited States Map
What kind of things would you include on your birthday bucket list? I’d love to see some of your ideas!
katebittner says
You, me and Aly should travel to Maine 🙂 Just saying…
Leah says
We’d hit a lot of states that way for sure!! Any particular reason for Maine?
Jessie Cox says
I love your bucket list! I have never read through the entire bible so that is also on my list for next year. 🙂
Leah says
I actually started over a year ago…I’m projecting I’ll be finished by my next birthday. I’ve done it once before but it took closer to 2 years. I’m only doing 2 chapters at a time this time.