My 30 Before 30 Bucket List

Happy Friday everyone!

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you've probably heard me say I'm not a huge fan of bucket lists or any other sort of list that puts a lot of pressure on people to stick to them. Life is just so beautifully unpredictable - things are always changing and evolving. So why should we hold on so tightly to lists that don't?

That being said, I can't say I don't like the idea of making bucket lists. Imagining the things I want to accomplish before I reach a certain age helps me dream - and I'm always a fan of that. So I decided to make my own version of a 30 Before 30 List, keeping in mind that even if I don't get to all these things and instead reach other milestones I never even considered... well, I'll be perfectly okay with that.

• Travel alone

• Witness a real snowfall (I live in Houston - the closest we ever got to this was snow-slush)

• Live in another city for a year just because

• Run a marathon

• Throw a themed party

• Visit London

• Publish a book

• Publish an article in an online lifestyle magazine

• Read through the entire Bible

• Join a new club for writers, introverts, or a group of people I don't normally hang out with

• Learn guitar

• Do something crazy in the middle of a rainstorm

• Visit the largest 25 U.S. Cities (I only have 17 left! :)

• Ride a canoe in a large lake

• Go camping

• Visit Paris

• Go snorkeling

• Memorize at least one full chapter of the Bible

• Sponsor a child

• Go back to New York and D.C.

• Watch a professional ballet performance

• Learn to (actually) cook

• Go hiking

• Own a cat or dog

• Visit Colorado

• Get a Master's degree (I've narrowed it down to English, Bible or communications so we'll see how that goes...)

• Create an art piece good enough to hang in my own room

• Go to an observatory at night to watch the stars

• Take a safari

And finally, what is honestly the most frightening thing on this list:

• Give a speech or talk in front of over 500 people

I'm nervous just thinking about it...

I had so much fun making this list! The funny thing about it is that I'm already thinking of ways I can knock some of these out before the year ends. And I think that's the value in these types of lists. Not pressure to do things just for the sake of them, but inspiration to get out of your comfort zone and be adventurous. And I am all for that. :)

What are some of the things on your bucket list?

#2016 #life