The List

It dawned on me a few days ago that I'm nearly 30. I know that in the grand scheme of things 30 isn't old at all. In fact, it's actually pretty young. But that's not the point. The point is, in just over 2 years I'll be 30 and I don't feel like I've accomplished/done anything super significant. Not significant as in discovered a cure for cancer or won the New York Marathon; significant as in in 30 years I'll look back on my 20s and think "Man, I did a lot of neat stuff." I know some of you will say, "But Candice, you HAVE done a lot of neat stuff." To that I would say you're right. I have done some neat stuff. I graduated from college, went to grad school and got my master's, lived in Cuba, traveled a bit... But all of this was a while ago.
What initially led me to this whole realization was an article about 30 things this woman wished she had done before she was 30. I didn't really want to be the type of woman who sits alone in her apartment on her 30th birthday, sad and depressed, listening to some kind of tortured soul music going over all the things I wish I had done. This is kind of what I imagine the woman who wrote that article was like... I could be wrong, of course.
All this being said I've decided to make a list of 30 things I want to do BEFORE I turn 30 and have decided to write a blog about it to hold myself accountable. Now, this may only last a week, but fingers crossed it'll last longer. As I work on the various things on my list I'll write about what I've done, how it went... all those little details that I know you're interested in.
So now for the list. These items aren't in any particular order nor will they be completed/accomplished in any particular order.
1) Learn to manage my life/work/relationships/happiness/etc. without the need of a list.
2) Go to Harry Potter World - I'm pretty certain a 30 year old walking around HP World excited like a kid is a little sad... but maybe not!
3) Fall head-over-hills in love with something - this could also be finding a hobby, learning a new skill, trying something new
4) Visit NYC and take my picture in front of Tiffany's wearing sunglassese and eating a Danish (or a cranberry muffin from Au Bon Pain)
5) See Wicked or Rent... or both!
6) Write a book and work on getting it published - Yeah, Stephenie Meyer, watch out.
7) Spend a shameful amount of money on something shamelessly - I actually have this item picked out!
8) Travel to Greece (optional: Meet a handsome Greek man and have a vacation fling)
9) Go to a Karaokee bar and sing something like "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" or "I Will Always Love You"
10) Read Gone with the Wind
11) Do something charitable
12) Join some type of club - Junior League, Alumni Association, University Club... needing these social contacts!
13) Own the following complete series - Scrubs, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls
14) Learn to speak/read Greek
15) Meet a celebrity - And not like James Spann celebrity... like a real celebrity.
16) Find a great recipe for a dish that I can make and bring to parties/holiday gatherings/family events/etc. so I can bring something other than deviled eggs (which I can only bring if someone else boils the eggs for me)
17) Learn how to boil eggs
18) Be able to run a mile - will be starting back with Cindy (my Wii trainer) in January!
19) Buy bedroom furniture
20) Move/live somewhere outside of Alabama
21) Create a signature drink and name it something using my name... like a Canditini
22) Spend a day at the spa
23) Face a fear
24) Get a boob job
25) Donate to my college's (HES) alumni fund and my sorority
26) Take a chance on someone and see where it leads
27) Improve my credit score
28) Take a really good picture of myself
29) Learn how to change a tire
30) Overcome my fear of commitment
Wow, this list was harder than I thought! And it looks like I'm going to be busy for the next two years... so, check this space...