30 Before 30: 10 Months and Counting

A few years ago, when I still had a little more time before 30 hit, I started planning a 30 before 30 list. Somewhere along the way I forgot to finish it, put it away, and never came back to it again.

A picture of my sister and I for Halloween many years ago... more than 20 years before 30 hits. 

Couldn't find a good birthday shot of me right now, so this will have to do.

Well, 30 is around the corner, my friends, right towards the end of October, and I figure that, if I want to actually accomplish anything on my 30 before 30 list, I'd better actually finish and post it now for some accountability.

Granted, a few of the things on this list are complete already or in progress since I originally began compiling my wish list a while ago. I also fully expect to not fully complete this list, which I suppose I can live with. Turning it into something I "have to do" and not something "fun" just seems plain old stupid.

Well, let's see what's on the list: 30 Things I'd Like to Do Before I Turn 30 in 10 Months.

Items in Black have yet to be completed.
Items in Red are in-progress. 
Items in Blue are completed, with the completion date in parenthesis.

1. Do the Incline and run down Barr Trail more than once.

2. Read "Les Miserables," unabridged, from cover to cover.

3. Bake a Mexican Chocolate or a German Chocolate cake from scratch.

4. Have a baby.

5. Climb Pikes Peak (up, not down, will be fine.)

6. Organize my photos into actual albums, physical and digital.

7. Learn how to bake my own bread at high altitude.

8. Make a budget for our family and create a system where we track our spending and actually use both.

9. Read the entire New Testament. (I'm only in Matthew, but it counts.)

10. Buy a sewing machine and make a baby blanket.

11. Go tent-camping in the mountains for at least one night.

12. Grow some sort of vegetable successfully in my own mini-garden. (Summer 2010 - I grew small tomatoes.  I'd like to try again, though.)

13. Go on a girl's trip with my mom and sister, even if just for a night.

14. Learn how to play the guitar, at least very simply.

15. Play a videogame with my husband. (Don't remember when, but I played Sonic the Hedgehog with him.)

16. Cook a full traditional Italian meal for my family, especially my grandpa.

17. Do something in a part of Colorado I've never been to, like Durango or Grand Junction or Telluride.

18. Spend a few days at the beach with no agenda at all.  (Summer 2008 - We honeymooned in Mexico and spent a few days doing absolutely nothing.)

19. Buy a house. (I'm going to mark this as finished - we looked into this summer and then decided we should re-finance our townhouse for now and look again in a few years.)

20. Run a 10 K race.

21. Start and work on a baby book for my son as he grows.

22. Lose the baby weight and the had-already-gained-before-baby weight.

23. Go to a professional athletic game of some type.  (Spring/Summer 2010 - Colorado Rockie's Games.)

24. Get my Master's degree. (Finished in December of 2009)

25. Read at least 10 non-fiction books cover to cover.  (Currently reading "How to Win Friends and Influence People," and "The Speed of Trust" for StuCo... have read a few others, have a few more on the list.)

26. Take a road trip to Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon.

27. Visit a Spanish-speaking country other than Spain.  (Summer 2008 - We'll have to count Mexico for our honemoon for now.)

28. Go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or the New Year's Day Rose Parade with my husband.  (Not really going to be able to do this, since my birthday is before either of these occur again.)

29.  Take a digital photography class or learn more about how to improve my photos.

30. Sing special music at church with my husband.