Saying Goodbye to My Youth

I'm 29 years old today! Which means I only have one year left before I'm shoved into the 30 and older box and no am longer considered "young" "hip" or "in the know". Why not take this once in a lifetime chance and live it up?

There are a few things I'd like to do before I turn 30. Writing related things are high on the list, but life is on there as well. I think we all need to take time every once in a while and share our dreams with those around us. Therefore, here is a short list of things I want to do before I'm 30.


1. Hike to the top of Lone Peak. I've only hiked to the top of one other mountain - Timpanogos. It's been twelve years since that happened. I think it's time to do some more conquering.

2. Ride a zip line. I'm terrified of heights. I've totally chickened out each time I've been given the chance to ride one. I will conquer it this year!

Even this picture freaks me out a little.


3. Practice the piano at least three times a week. I'm terrible at playing the piano. It's been years since I've practiced faithfully. This is the year to change that.

4. Take my kids camping. I'm doing this, this weekend. I'm even taking the baby. I want to get over my hesitations of always needing to be comfortable. I'm almost 30! It's time I gained some courage.

There you have it. This is the year to conquer my fears and hesitations. What's on your bucket list?


Comments

ilima said…
You make me feel so old. :) Happy birthday! Have a great time reaching your goals this year.
March 27, 2013 at 8:21 AM
Rena said…
Yeah, I'm a bit older than 29, but I can say there are plenty of things that I could use a little courage for. I'm a self proclaimed coward (hey, at least I know myself), but climbing mountains doesn't bother me. And I totally need to practice the piano more...
March 27, 2013 at 9:08 AM
Unknown said…
I understand your milestone and re-evaluating what you want to be doing in the decade to come. I turn 49 this year and have been giving a lot of these kinds of things similar thought. Good for you for setting goals and being mindful of living life fully!
March 27, 2013 at 9:36 AM
Elise Fallson said…
Love hiking and riding a zip wire is soooo fun! I'm a little older than you, so um, my list is entitled, "Things to do before turning 40." :P Hope you have a fantastic year! (:
March 27, 2013 at 10:25 AM
Annalisa Crawford said…
It's my birthday in couple of weeks time, and I'll be exactly 10 years older than you. This means I haven't been 'young, hip and in the know' for a very long time... Hmmm... but at least I'm well on my way to 'growing old disgracefully' :-)

Happy birthday!
March 27, 2013 at 10:52 AM
Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said…
I think you're young. Maybe that's cause I grew up in a different culture. The LDS people I work with seem to be very cognizant of aging and that's just not something I'm used to. I know people that are in their thirties that say they no longer celebrate birthdays.

Anyway, I'm 41. I celebrate my birthday every year because it means I'm on the Earth a little longer. I hope you are always proud to reach a birthday and celebrate it with much fanfare.
March 27, 2013 at 10:53 AM
Blue Skies said…
You've inspired me! I will make a 'before 30' list too since I turn 29 in August.
March 27, 2013 at 11:12 AM
Donna K. Weaver said…
I love the idea of setting goals for things to do, but I have to tell you that 29 is not going out of your youth. Haven't you heard? Thirty is the new twenty!

My favorite quote about age:

Forty is the old age of youth, but fifty is the youth of old age.

It's all in your state of mind--coming from the old that who's twice your age. Ugh
March 27, 2013 at 11:15 AM
Carrie-Anne said…
My bucket list includes a lot more traveling. I'm a Sagittarius, the traveler of the Zodiac, but I've only been to one foreign country, on three separate trips. (The middle of the night emergency landing in Austria doesn't count much, since we never got off the plane.) I'm a third of a century old, and now realize that's not as old as I once thought it was. I'd also like to have at least one child by the time I'm 40. I once assumed I'd have like 5 kids by this age, but I obviously had a different fate.
March 27, 2013 at 11:19 AM
Alex J. Cavanaugh said…
Happy birthday! Thirty is nothing. Stare down fifty - that's when you know your youth is gone.
Go do that zip line. I'm not much for heights either, but I'd be willing to try it.
March 27, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Unknown said…
Happy Birthday! I hope you're having a great party and keep seting goals after 30. :)
March 27, 2013 at 4:26 PM
J E Fritz said…
You're only two years older than me, and I still think I'm young, so you must be young, too. Happy birthday! I hope you do well with your Pre-30 list.
March 27, 2013 at 7:22 PM
Shannon Lawrence said…
Good luck on all of it! There is a zip line at the Royal Gorge, though I don't know for sure it goes across there. I'd like to try out a zip line, probably when the kids are big enough to do it, too, but NOT over the gorge!!

I'd like to go rafting. This, again, I'm waiting on being able to take my kids with.

I used to want to go sky diving, but just realized I maybe don't have that as a goal anymore. Weird.

Shannon at The Warrior Muse
March 28, 2013 at 2:56 AM
Tasha Seegmiller said…
Okay, feeling a little old right now. Baby step to those things you want to do but don't let them not happening fill your life with regret - just do your best to make the best of the time you have :)
March 28, 2013 at 9:56 AM
Mark said…
Goodbye to youth? I've only got 8 months left before 30, but I really feel that I've done most things I wanted to do before 30. So I'm looking forward to my thirties where I'll still have the vigor of youth, but a bit more experience and wisdom...supposedly:)
March 28, 2013 at 10:56 AM
nutschell said…
A Zip line! *Shudders* I'm acrophobic, too but I think that would be an awesome thing to try out.
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
March 28, 2013 at 12:33 PM
Elizabeth Varadan, Author said…
It felt like déjà vu to see your reaction to turning 30. For some reason that seemed a milestone year as well, when I turned 30. I don't know why. When I turned 40, I actually felt younger than I did at 29! And the best is yet to come. It's smart of you, though, to start thinking of things you want to accomplish and then start doing them now. Enjoy!
March 28, 2013 at 1:08 PM
Sarah Allen said…
Ooh, I should make a list like this. Good plan. And I miss my Utah moutains (said a fellow Mormon).

Sarah Allen
(From Sarah, With Joy)
March 28, 2013 at 8:42 PM
Michelle Wallace said…
Happy Birthday Jennie!
I need to get working on a bucket list.
But mine will be something like... things to do before I turn 50. Does that mean I'm uncool? Probably. Well, to the younger generation anyway...
It doesn't really faze me. Age is a state of mind...
March 29, 2013 at 4:20 AM
September C. Fawkes said…
I'm afraid of heights too, but I've been on a zipline and it was way fun, so try not to be too scared!
March 30, 2013 at 8:44 AM
Tammy Theriault said…
Well...try to gracefully be shoved into your 30's next year! Ill give you piano lessons! :D
March 30, 2013 at 5:55 PM
Searching for the Story said…
As someone who's closing in on 25, I've had goals and dreams on my mind a lot lately, too.

The zip line is a really fun one. Make time for that!
April 1, 2013 at 1:58 PM
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