AlanandVal

30 Things by Thirty - the final roundup

As you saw in my last post, I survived turning 30, actually really enjoyed it.  I have to admit it's weird though.  It's really just a number but writing it or typing it feels so weird, like I've become part of a new club or something.  If that's the case, it must be the coolest club around, because it feels pretty good!

So I guess since I hit the big 3-0 it's time to tally up how I did with my 30 Things by Thirty list. 

So here we go...

1. Blog more! At least once a week. More than accomplished this one! 


2. Spend a day at the park, relaxing. Unfortunately I didn't get this one in.  Our weekends were so packed with traveling or training it just wasn't possible.  It will definitely be accomplised in the Spring though!

3. Complete 1 Olympic Triathlon. (done!)

4. Learn how to bake Gluten Free. (done)

5. Visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden. I came so close on this one.  Had a friend I was going with, a date on the calendar and then Mother Nature let it rain.  You can visit the BG in the rain, we just didn't particularly want to, or think it would be much fun!  So, now we've got this on the calendar for Spring!

6. Take my vitamin everyday. Thanks to digital reminders I've gotten really good at this!

7. Sew one item (from a pattern) on my sewing machine. (done)

8. Get all of my recipes recorded on the cards I designed and get a box to store them in. Completed this one a while back and wrote a post about it, just forgot to publish it!

9. Clean out my closet - get rid of everything from high school or earlier (at least move it to storage and out of circulation) Completed this in the fall.  Most of it went to Goodwill, some got packed up as keepsakes.

10. Design and order our wedding album (yes it's been 6.5 years since we got married and we still don't have an album. Don't judge!) I actually got this one done, only to be completely disappointed in the final product.  So, now we have an album, that I think is horrible and will need to be replaced.  However I guess we are now one step closer to having an album to hold on to.

11. Buy a hat that isn't a baseball cap. This one was completed a little differently than I expected.  I had been looking at cute hats, trying to narrow down which type I liked and would actually wear and then I was given one as a gift!  A friend of ours made me a hat (she loves to knit) and I love it.  You can see it in my picture from horseback riding on my birthday.  I added to my hat collection with something other than a baseball cap and even better than something I picked out, it's something someone made for me.  I love it!

12. Recreate and perfect the Turkish breakfast smoothie. (done)

13. Make headway in my French lessons. I didn't even come close on this one!  I'm not going to lie, I don't think I even completed 1 lesson in the whole 5 months!  However, I am renewing my commitment to this one and am going to start putting it on the calendar to hold my self accountable!

14. Finally celebrate a 1 year anniversary at a job I love. (done)

15. Find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. (done)

16. Learn how to change a tube on a bike tire. (done)

17. Take more "everyday" pictures. Hopefully you'll agree that I completed this one.  I am trying to take more "unposed" photos, more photos of things that just happen in life rather than things we pose to remember. I'm also trying to learn how to use our camera more effectively, so that I can do a better job of taking photographs.

18. Work on becoming more patient This one has been the true test.  And while I am no where near being a patient person, I have gotten to the point where I can take a breathe and step back (most of the time).  Personally that's a huge improvement for me and honestly it's farther than I thought I would come in 5 months!  It's a journey I will probably always be on!

19. Cook a new recipe twice a month. (#1, #2, #3, #4&5, #6, #7, #8, #9 , #10)

20. Stop texting and emailing on my Blackberry when driving. When talking, only use handsfree. I've gotten pretty good about this.  It takes determination to not attend to that blinking red light on the Blackberry but I'm gonna stick with it.

21. Make a gift for someone - unexpectedly. (done)

22.Watch 1 of the "classic" movies Alan is appalled that I haven't seen. (done)

23. Write a letter to myself to open on my 40th birthday. This was easier than I expected.  It's sealed up and put away, I just hope I hang on to it and remember it in 10 years!

24. Finish the scrapbooks for our "big" trips (I only have one finished) This one was a doozy!  I actually have one book left to complete.  Yes, I finished 3 scrapbooks in less than 5 months.  These books are typically around 60 pages, so that's no small accomplishment!  Also, I already have the pictures printed and organized for the last book as well as the book purchased and all the extra pages I will need.  So, while I didn't absolutely 100% complete this one, I am so close I say it counts!

25. Go to a festival (art, music, homes, etc) Alan and I attended the first ever Midtown Arts Festival during the fall.  I don't know why I never blogged about it!

26. Plan a trip somewhere "local" that Alan and I have never been. (done)

27. Start and use a Journey Journal. This was actually the first thing I completed on this list.  It's something I hope I will continue.

28. Read a book that someone else picks for me. (done)

29. Once a month, eat at at a restaurant I've never eaten at before. (August) (September) (October) (November) (December)

30. Fall in love with turning 30! And yes, I even completed this one.  I realized that I'm wiser at 30 than I was at 20, I love my life and I have so much to be thankful for, who cares what # you are when you've got all that?  Actually I'm starting to discover that 30 is kind of fun.  I love getting carded and seeing people's shock when they see my age.  It's like I told my boss the other day "As long as I'm getting carded I don't care how old I am.  Once I stop getting carded, then I'll start to worry!" And that pretty much sums it up!

And there you have it.  27 out of  the 30 things got crossed off my list, I'm pretty pleased. And the 3 that didn't?  Well they are going to roll on over to my 31 Things by Thirty One list.  Yep, that's right, I'm gonna do it again!  I really enjoyed working on my list and loved that it "made" me try new things.  It's easy to get in the habit of doing what's easy or comfortable or familiar, so a little kick to break out of that can be a welcomed thing.  Plus, I like the idea of starting my own tradition the year I turned 30. 

I'm going to give myself a few weeks to come up with my new list.  I've already got a head start with the "leftovers" from the 30 list and there were a few things like new restaurants and recipes that I want to continue.  So, I got quite a few things to come up with but I'm sure it won't take long.  Get ready!