My 40 Before 40 List
It’s almost my 37th birthday and my friend Amy of Doobleh-vay asked for my Life List. That coupled by my admiration of Chris Jordan’s 40 Before 40 List, led to me finally think through what it is that I want to accomplish in the near future.
But in really thinking about it, I think I have accomplished many of the things that I’ve really want to do. (Except there is one major thing on my list below). Yes, I put my list together but it is very different from the mental list I kept during my twenties.
During my twenties, I was rah-rah-rah let me do this by the time I’m 25, this by the time I’m 30.
Now, I’m less accomplishment-oriented and more focused on making memories.
1) See the Grand Canyon.
2) Rent a convertible and drive through Big Sur.
3) Visit Jackson Hole.
4) Go camping with my family. Yep, I have never been.
5) Take trapeze lessons with my son.
6) Take a biking trip with my family along the Natchez Trace.
7) Learn to snowboard.
8) Read the Wizard of Oz with my son.
9) Read the first Harry Potter with my son.
10) Finish reading the Harry Potter series. I think I gave up at Book 5.
11) Throw my first Halloween Party.
12) Learn the recipe to my mom’s Tomato Rice with Shrimp.
13) Make exercise a regular part of my life again.
14) Watch Gone with the Wind for the first time.
15) Return to Portugal to visit family. It’s been way too long.
16) Take my son on a walk through the campus of my Alma Mater.
17) Take a hot air balloon ride.
18) Take my son to see the balloons being filled on the eve of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
19) Go sledding in Central Park.
20) Visit the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens on Cherry Blossom Day.
21) Have my wedding album published. Shameful, I know.
22) Have my wedding video finished. Gosh, I hope the video company is still in business.
23) Catch-up on Family Albums for each year. Where did I leave off?
24) See fireworks for the first time through my son’s eyes.
25) See Madame Butterfly performed by the Metropolitan Opera.
26) Take my son to see the Nutcracker.
27) Visit New Orleans.
28) See my favorite ballet again, I’m Old Fashioned by Jerome Robbins. I sure hope NYCB performs it soon.
29) Visit Martha’s Vineyard.
30) Take my son to Ground Zero and (if he is emotionally ready for it) explain what happened on 9/11.
31) Spend the night at the Hayden Planetarium with my boys.
32) Throw my first Holiday Open House.
33) Set up a DIY outdoor theater and invite other families over for movies and popcorn.
34) Redo my home office.
35) Raise money for a cause that is important to me by walking. (Raised money for the March of Dimes by Walking for Maddie on April 26, 2009)
36) Re-read my favorite book, Song of Solomon.
37) Find a new favorite book.
38) Make a batch of fried green tomatoes.
39) Become a US Citizen. I was born in Portugal and never naturalized, though I am eligible. Please follow me on my journey to become a citizen.
40) Vote for the first time.
Since there are 36 months until my 40th birthday, I’m going to try to accomplish these at a rate of one per month. Are you with me?
