Yesterday I turned 27 years old which was you know, cool. Though it kind of felt like 26, to be honest. That is, except for the fact that I’ve officially entered my “late twenties.”

YIKES.

What is life?!

Note: I took a break from writing this blog post to figure that out, then I came back and SPOILER: I still have no idea.

But anyways, yes, I’m officially 27 years old now, and as one of my friends pointed out to me yesterday: 30 is right around the corner. And while I could (and might, occasionally) spend the next three years freaking out about that, I also thought I’d put the milestone to use and make it a deadline for some long terms goals I have bouncing around in my mind.

Thus, I bring you 30 Things I’d Like to Do Before I’m 30:

1. Pay off my student loans
   • Two down, three to go!
2. Get a book published
   • If you ever see my name on a book cover, please buy a copy (or 10)!
3. Pay off current credit card
4. Open a new credit card & start earning airline miles
5. Donate blood
6. Hike the Narrows
   • I found out about this a few years back and have never been able to put aside the time to do it, hopefully this will be a good motivating factor!
   • In case you’re curious, read about it here.
7. Hike Half Dome
   • This is another hike high on my list that I feel like I just need to make happen
   • Read about it here.
8. Hike Mt. Langley
   • About three years ago, I was given the option to climb either Mt. Langley or Mt. Whitney and I went the route of Mt. Whitney. The experience ended up changing my life (you can read all about it here) and so I figure it’s only necessary to finally make the time to climb the other.
9. Learn to play the ukulele
   • When I was in high school I was given a ukulele for my birthday by a close friend and after all this time, I’ve only ever taught myself “Happy Birthday,” and I’ve even forgotten that by now. So, neighbors, forgive me as I struggle my way to success on this one.
10. Go to Harry Potter World in Orlando
    • I don’t really feel like this needs further explanation…I mean…it’s Harry Potter World! *packs wand*
11. Take a cooking class
12. Take a Yes Man trip
    • In case you haven’t seen the Jim Carrey film this is referring to, there is a scene when the two main characters walk up to the counter at an airport and book the first flight out without question. Me, being a fervent planner, will need to mentally prepare to be this spontaneous, but I think it will be a great adventure.
13. Make my family tree
    • I’ve never gone into it that much, but my family is BIG, and I think it’s about time I pieced it all together and see where I fit into this crazy, beautiful, chaotic picture.
14. See a Broadway play
    • Fingers crossed Lin Manuel Miranda’s next smash hit is running in New York by the time I save up enough money to get there.
15. Go out for a really expensive dinner
    • “Yes, I would like another glass of wine AND a dessert menu, thank you.”
16. Go camping
    • The only time I’ve ever gone camping was while we were climbing Mt. Whitney, which I feel was a very extreme, sink or swim, type of situation, so I’m hoping for something a little more relaxed than that.
17. Stay at a 5-star hotel
    • “Yes, front desk? Do you have any extra robes?”
18. Buy a bunch of plants and keep them alive
    • The second part of this goal being KEY.
19. Go to a bottomless mimosa brunch
    • See, I’ve gone to brunch, but I’ve never gone to an almost too long brunch that involves your closest friends, story after story after story, and too many mimosa refills to count, culminating in a much needed taxi ride home and a good long nap to commemorate a Sunday well spent. Is this a weird thing to aspire too? Yes. Am I ashamed of it? Not even a little bit.
20. Go on an LA staycation
    • I’m arguably the worst LA resident there is. Since I’m so jaded by the constant traffic, I almost never go downtown and do the touristy things someone who has lived here all their life should have done countless times and should have knowledge of when out of town visitors come seeking knowledge. So, I consider this both a goal for me and a service to everyone who has ever asked me for directions or vacation tips and was met with little more than a shrug and a smile.
21. Know at least 20 recipes by heart
22. Read every book on Time’s 100 greatest books of all time
    • Found here.
23. Fall in Love
    • I mean this in a lot of ways. I think we have the opportunity to fall in love over and over again in our lives, be it with experiences, things, or people, however, we are only able to do so if we open ourselves up to the possibility. So, I want to encourage myself to do just that.
24. Make a time capsule to open when I’m 40
    • *pictures Crossroads*
25. Learn to drive a stick shift
    • I once watched an episode of The Amazing Race where a team got eliminated because neither member knew how to drive a stick shift. While I don’t foresee myself in a situation like this, I’m not taking any chanced.
26. Go curling
    • This one is for me, but also for my mom, who is one of the biggest curling fans I know. I can barely stand to watch it on television, but I’m up for trying it out in person.
27. Stomp grapes and make wine
    • Just so I can offer someone a glass and, while pouring it, say, “You know my feet have touched every ounce of this.”
28. Blow glass
    • To be honest this just looks AWESOME, and I could always use an extra trinket to add to my desk.
29. Go to a championship game (World Series, Stanley Cup, etc.)
    • Of course, I’d prefer them to involve one of my teams (a.k.a the LA Dodgers, LA Kings, NY Giants, etc.) but I’d be happy with a ticket regardless, and I’d probably end up crying from the excitement in the atmosphere regardless.
30. Run a marathon (maybe)
    • I say maybe because I’ve been running ALL. DAMN. YEAR. to try and complete the 1000 mile goal I set for myself, and committing to something of this magnitude sounds exhausting. However, I’ve always thought it would be an amazing accomplishment and have never truly ruled it out.

Here’s to the last three years of my twenties! May they be just as crazy and confusing and stressful and wonderful as the first seven. And for those of you also approaching the milestone of 30, those who are still a ways from it, and those who are a ways past it, may you always know that you have the power to do anything you set your mind do. Age really is just a number, and you can kickass no matter what that number may be.