I turned the big 3-0 recently and with another birthday, comes another life list! You know I love making these. In fact, making these lists and experiencing them to create my life story was the entire motivation for starting this blog in the first place.

You can check out all my previous years’ lists here:
24 Before 24
25 Before 25
26 Before 26
27 Before 27
28 Before 28
30 Before 30

But first, a reflection on 29. 29 was a rollercoaster of extremes.

29 was hard. We lost too many loved ones and it takes its toll on me mentally. We battle health issues. There was that knee injury and car accident and incident at work and those surgeries. I think while these things are painful, we are strong enough to get through them. What other choice do we have!

29 was also outrageous and full to the brim of good. My best friend got married; another engaged. There were trips, so so many wonderful trips with even more wonderful people. Ohio, Michigan (x2!), New York, Colorado, Seattle, Israel, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Portugal, France, Switzerland, Canada. We visited family, hosted countless friends, and ran 105 miles around the Swiss Alps for goodness sake!

So now here I am, at the fresh new 30, and I have a lot to look forward to. Without further ado,

31 Before 31

1. Absorb a life lesson from someone older than myself

2. Go to a Portland Trail Blazers Basketball Game

3. Run to a Portland Timbers Soccer Match

4. Lay out on blankets in centerfield at a Hillsboro Hops Baseball Game

5. Trail run in Banff National Park

6. Bring treats in for my coworkers

7. Convince my parents to move to the Pacific NW –> they might not be physically moving here, but they will be staying in Portland for an extended visit after our baby girl is born!

8. Celebrate LJ and Dan’s wedding

9. Splurge on box seats at this year’s Nutcracker

10. Go hot air ballooning

11. Get my palm or cards read

12. Ride a segway around Portland

13. Celebrate my bff’s engagement in NYC

14. Create specific value to my workplace –> I’ll never stop striving towards this

15. Have my portrait taken

16. Let go of what I cannot control –> this was probably my biggest lesson learned at age 30

17. Get dressed up and go to a fancy restaurant

18. Climb a new mountain in Oregon

19. Go on another 3 day backpacking trip

20. Learn how to make 5 classic cocktails and keep their ingredients stocked

21. Tutor HS chemistry students

22. Volunteer. Then volunteer again.

23. Do something that scares me

24. Try something that will probably hurt

25. Spend time with children

26. Start a vinyl collection

27. Take a cooking class with Weez

28. Visit a new American city

29. Celebrate 3 years at Intel

30. Create one short film about anything once a month
31. Participate in a new photography challenge every month

Hello, 30 :) It’s nice to meet you.