30 Before 30

I cried on my 25th birthday.  I had been excited to celebrate all of my birthdays up until 25, but this one was different.  25 felt old.  I was no longer in my early twenties; I was fast approaching the dreaded 30, when (in my mind) life stops being fun and adulthood truly begins. The "twenty-something" years are for making plans but allowing spontaneity, for trying several options before finding your career path, and for deciding who you really are and what you actually believe.  By 30, I thought, I should have all of that figured out.

I turned 26 a couple of weeks ago, and I didn't cry.  In fact, it was one of the best birthdays I've ever had.  In the words of that over-hyped kids' movie, Frozen, I just "let it go."  The truth is, I'll always have things to figure out.  Growing older does mean obtaining more responsibilities and dealing with some harsher realities, but it also means getting to experience more adventure. Life doesn't have to stop being fun after marriage, having kids, getting a job, or turning a certain age.  Sometimes I do miss the days of childhood when my greatest worry was whether or not my brother would share his toys with me, but I wouldn't choose to go back there. Along with some of the hardest decisions and trials I've faced as I've gotten older, I've also started to grasp the meaning of "coming alive."

This year, I made a list of 30 things to do before my 30th birthday. I like lists.  They make me feel purposeful, and crossing something off the list is exhilarating.  (Confession: Sometimes I add things that I've already done to my to-do list, just so I can cross them off. I could go into that another day.) I'm not really sure why I decided to make this list now.  Maybe I want to prove to other people that married, twenty-somethings with kids and full-time jobs still get to live.  Maybe I want to prove it to myself.  Either way, here is the list (in no particular order):

1.  Get a Masters degree.
2.  Qualify for the Boston Marathon.
3.  Have another kid.
4.  See Blake Shelton or Luke Bryan in concert.
5.  Go back to Peru.
6.  Visit at least 3 new states (in Alaska right now!).
7.  Learn 400 new Spanish words.
8.  Get a tattoo.  Don't freak out, Mom.
9.  Own a gun, and obviously, be able to shoot it accurately.
10.  Go fly fishing.
11.  Own a pair of real cowboy boots.  Check.
12.  Grow an herb garden that doesn't die in less than a month.
13.  Go camping, for real.  Cabins don't count.
14.  Take a cake decorating class.
15.  Learn to drive a stick shift.
16.  Write a book.  Realistically, I'd like to just have a draft done.
17.  Bake an apple pie from scratch.
18.  Donate hair to Locks of Love.
19.  Read ten new books.  (Two down.)
20.  Start a college fund for Piper.
21.  Get Nationally Board Certified.  Teachers will know what this means.
22.  Hire a housekeeper. (Check.)
23.  Drink more water. (Working on that.)
24.  Skydive.
25.  Go to the Chili Bowl.  It's a car race; look it up.

So, I only have 25 things on my list of 30 Before 30.  And it's okay. I also might not do every single one of these items.  That's would be okay, too.  It seemed like there was no point in adding things to my list just to have them on there, and that stressing over accomplishing everything would defeat the purpose of these goals anyway.

You can steal my list if you want.  You can make your own.  Or, maybe you hate lists and you think mine is a dumb idea.  My point is that wherever you are and whatever you're doing, it is never too late (or too early) to come alive.  May you find what it means to make a life and not just make a living.