As I approached year 23, I decided to list everything I wanted to complete before turning 30. What better way to be held accountable than posting it on the internet for everyone to see? I feel a little dizzy, given I only have 26 months left of my third decade to complete this list.
I’ve tried to maintain the list when I thought of it, but obviously, the best accountability partner is to reshare for the world to see.
30 Before 30 List
- Visit all 50 states
- 8 left. Comment any recommendations in Hawaii, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Maine, and New Hampshire.
- Take a cooking class ✅
- I took a cooking class in Argentina in 2024. We learned how to make local staples like empanadas and chimichurri.
- Buy a French bulldog ✅
- Sew a quilt ✅
- Attend a musical on Broadway ✅
- I saw Chicago with my mom in May – it was such a fun experience!
- Take my grandma kayaking ✅
- Pay off my car ✅
- Kentucky Derby… and if I’m lucky, wear the most obnoxious hat
- Backpack across Europe
- Coming soon? 😉
- Halloween in Salem
- As someone who isn’t even a big fan of Halloween, I’m not entirely sure where this one came from. But, I gotta honor 23-year-old me’s wishes.
- Run a 10k
- This one was a little ambitious. I walk this much at least once a week, but running? Whose idea was that?
- Write 150 blog posts
- This is the 74th blog I’ve posted – maybe if I can get my R.E.P.O.R.T.S back in order, I could get to at least 101. Send good vibes.
- Buy a house
- In this economy? L O L
- Side hustle at $1K/month ✅
- Spend more time with family
- Get involved with a cause ✅
- Take a spontaneous road trip ✅
- Take a dance class ✅
- At none other than the world’s largest honky tonk, Billy Bob’s! I’d like to learn something funky, like a tango, perhaps.
- Intern in a different city ✅
- Try being a vegetarian for 1 month — ok maybe a week ✅
- Become a mentor to someone in my field ✅
- Cut out single use plastics ✅
- Do an overnight (or really long) hike ✅
- I did a 13-mile hike in Patagonia that unironically changed my life. A goal of mine is to hike across the French + Swiss Alps from country to country. I may not get to that before 30, but a girl can dream.
- St. Paddy’s Day in Ireland
- Learn woodworking
- Oktoberfest in Germany
- Go sailing
- Learn another language
- I downloaded Duolingo, so I’m halfway there.
- Plant my own garden
- I’ve done my best with the limited outdoor space in my apartments. I’m not ready to cross this off until I can make a full meal – okay, side-dish – from my own ~harvest~.
- See the Northern Lights
- It’s been brought to my attention that these are very easy to see in northern Montana and that I likely have seen them on more than one occasion in my life. However, I can’t quite remember it, so I’ll leave this one unmarked for the time being.
27 Year-Old Update
It’s so interesting reviewing this list after 5 years. I’m not entirely sure how things like the Kentucky Derby or Halloween in Salem made the list, but it’s cool to see how many things I’ve crossed off. I know many people who have the 50 by 50 goal – to see all 50 states by age 50 – and I feel so grateful that I’ve been able to cover so much ground this early in my life.
If I were to remake this list today, it would have slight variations with activities that are more closely aligned with my interests now.
Reading this back feels a little like opening a letter from my younger self – equal parts ambitious, chaotic, and endearingly optimistic. I may not make it through all 30 before 30, but if the last few years have taught me anything, it’s that the fun isn’t in crossing things off… it’s in adding new ones along the way. 💅
Shut Up Madi 