Today’s the day: I’m 29! Last year on my birthday, I listed
28 things I wanted to do while I was 28. Some were one-time things, others were
ongoing; some were to-do’s that I had been meaning to cross off, while others
were larger, long-term goals.
As I read over this list, it reminded me how many things can
change in a year. When I made the list, Alex and I had been married just over a
year. He had just started a new job in medical sales and I was relatively new
at my job in Greenville. Life was looking like it would be pretty stable and
predictable (in a good way). We were optimistic about new opportunities –
opportunities that have since been replaced with new opportunities, in a new
house in a new city. But I wouldn’t change a thing.
How did I do over my 365 days of being 28? How many goals did
I accomplish, and what didn’t get crossed off my list?
1.
Go apple picking for the first time ever - DONE!
2.
Start baking for fun on a regular basis again - and share
with my neighbors and work peeps - some success toward
the beginning, but I wouldn’t say this was a total check.
3.
Discover a new TV show that Alex and I both love - Done! We started watching Revolution and
Nashville in their first seasons. Can't wait for them to return in a few weeks!
4.
Send at least one "just because" snail mail note per
month - my new stationery did not help. I would call
this a fail.
5.
Make my goal weight in time for my reunion (Oct. 27!!) ...and
maintain it - Well this was "done" in time for
my 10 year reunion - but I gained some back. But I'm back at it again and hope
to be at my goal weight again soon!
6.
Have a great time at my 10 Year High School Reunion :) - DONE!
7.
Start planning and saving for a big vacation with Alex (we're
thinking Italy in 2013!) – our 8 days in Italy were possibly the
best 8 consecutive days Alex and I ever had together! We had a blast! All the
years spent thinking about it and planning for it were worth it.
8.
Go on a weekend getaway to a place we've never been - we went to DC last
September - even though we'd both been, we'd never been together. We were so
busy going here and there (to places we had already been to) that we didn’t get
a full weekend of exploring anywhere brand new to both of us.
9.
Start and finish our engagement and wedding showers/parties/bach
party/etc scrapbook - still haven't started it. Maybe before
I’m 30??
10.
Send out more Christmas cards than last year - Done!
11.
Create a Household Budget and stick to it - since Alex changed jobs more than once (technically 3 times)
since last September, this has been next to impossible. And I recently started
a new job because of the move. But we have a new budget drafted and I think we
can stick to it. Feeling good about this one!
12.
Plan a surprise party for someone – DONE! I got Alex
pretty good for his 30th in January.
13.
Update my Passport with my married name - and then USE
IT! – DONE and DONE!
14.
Paint the Study and attach the bookcases to the wall (safety
first) – this was meant for our home in Greenville
(of course, before I knew we would be moving). But I am happy to report that
this has been DONE in the new house! Pics to come soon!
15.
Have a Pinterest Party – nope – maybe this
year!
16.
Plant bulbs in the winter and watch them bloom in spring - DONE! I planted lilies :)
17.
Host more than one dinner party throughout the year - DONE! Hosted several formal and informal
get-togethers (December, Easter, Memorial Day)
18.
Get rid of one piece of clothing for every one new piece
purchased – I started out strong, then wavered, and then
got rid of a ton of clothes before the move. So I would count this as done!
19.
Use our wedding china - DONE! Used at our dinner party in December and at Easter.
20.
Organize the Golf/Work-out room and make it more usable - DONE! Currently working on Round 2 of this
in the new house!
21.
Run a 5K (scary - I hate running) - I started the Couch to 5k training program in March, but then we
went to Italy…and packed up our house…and moved…and the treadmill was in
storage…
22.
Get serious about our savings - in the last year, we paid down a lot
of debt and have contributed to our savings. Our tax refund helped, too!
23.
Host a big, old-fashioned summer cook-out - DONE! Memorial Day with our neighbors
24.
Learn how to play golf - Alex has promised to
teach me...but still no progress (or time!) But we have a lifetime for this.
25.
Attend a dressy/fancy event with the hubs and get all
gussied up - DONE! We went to the
JLG's Big Night Out in February
26.
Have a true girls' weekend – one is planned for
later this month with my Greenville girls! So I'm counting this as done :)
27.
Build regularly scheduled massages into the budget (it's for my
health, I swear. I SWEAR.) – Sadly, this did not happen.
28.
Be more spontaneous and try not to sweat the small stuff. Life
is too short! – This will be an ongoing struggle for me,
since I’m such a planner. But I do think I have done a teeny bit better about
it over the last year!
I
thought about making a new list for things to do before I’m 30, but I’m not
sure I’m going to do that. The fact that I will turn 30 in a year is enough to
deal with! Ha! Sure, there are things I want to do over the next 365 days, but
who knows what life has in store for us this next year. The only thing I really
want to check off a list is to enjoy my last year in my 20s and embrace 30 when
it arrives September 3, 2014!
