Life has been busy. I went to a conference in D.C. a couple of weeks ago and someday soon, I’ll write about it. I’ve gotten out to some good programs with work in the past week. It always feels best when I get to experience things and feel less locked into the little room (my office and my head).
But, not the topic of this post. The topic is: I am turning 30 in a little over a month! So many people I know make ultimatums about turning 30. They make lists of things to do before they turn 30. It’s kind of like they think that life ends or something once you hit the next decade. I decided to do the opposite. I’m going to make a list of all the things that I know that my 20-year old self would have put on a list for turning 30 and see how many I’ve accomplished.In no particular order.
My Turning 30 Bucket List from my 20-year old perspective
- Study writing at The Salt Institute: CHECK
- Try to be a writer: CHECK
- Be a barista at a coffee shop: CHECK
- Go traveling in Europe: CHECK
- Work at a Jewish Social Justice organization: CHECK
- Be in a protest: CHECK
- publish writing: CHECK
- live in Maine: CHECK
- go to graduate school: CHECK
- live in Chicago near my relatives: CHECK
- get a dog: Nope, need time and $$
- own a house: Nope, see above
- teach religious school: CHECK (odd I know, but lay leadership has always been important to me)
- study in Israel: CHECK
- hike up a mountain: CHECK (small one, New Hampshire)
- Keep camping in tents: CHECK (except this summer, sniff)
- be an editor at a magazine: well, not one of my aspirations anymore
- adopt children: see time and money comment (and I really like sleeping)
- work as a nanny (don’t ask): CHECK
My 30-year-old accomplishments and realizations that I wouldn’t have expected at 20
- Getting sick, getting better
- I worked a drive-through window and was known for being fun and speedy
- I can cook anything, and bake anything.
- My gluten-free baking can be gobbled up just like my old glutinous baking used to be
- I know my way around Chicago so well that I never get lost. (the suburbs are another matter)
- I teach middle school students on Sundays.
- I can talk about TV shows (popular ones)
- I can go to an event and not feel socially awkward when I don’t know anyone.
- I drink coffee
- I have a great relationship with my aunt (we had a rocky adolescence)
- I’m still heavily involved in Jewish things
- I went to Divinity School, studied Jewish stuff, Christian stuff, and a little bit of Muslim politics
- I didn’t really like graduate school
- I went to University of Chicago (surprise!)
- I couldn’t learn Hebrew (well enough)
- I seriously considered Rabbinical School
- I don’t eat dairy or gluten. I still eat chocolate.
I think I’ve done pretty well. I’ve never wanted to become a runner and do a race (lots of people put those things in their bucket list). I would love to travel more, but I have low expectations. I’m an explorer in other ways–books, neighborhoods, the woods. Someone at work today told me that I was “one cool girl.” If I’m cool to at least 1 person in their 40s, I’m pretty sure I’ve made it to nearly 30 in better shape than I expected. I like my job and my co-workers, I like my apartment (minus the crazy stomping toddler feet that incessantly pound above my head in the evenings), I like my volunteer work. I still like teaching 8th grade Sunday School. I appreciate my connections to my family here in the Chicago area. I love my trips home. My smithies and other friends that live far away are still just as important as they were when I was 20. Life is busy. It keeps me interested, and that is good. I still don’t know why 30 is so significant though…
Phrankly Phred 