Halfway Through My 30th Year

Today is my half birthday. Don’t worry about gifts. Or cards. Or candles. Or singing. Or even texting. I’ll just understand your silence on the matter to be your speechless excitement. Only kidding.

Seriously though. Since I have a list of things I’m trying to do this year, I felt like the halfway mark would be a good chance to check in. So here goes…

1. Go to a trampoline park. It’s how I imagine living on clouds would be. (If clouds weren’t vapor and actually felt the way they look.) We did it! I convinced our discipleship group it would be a great idea. It was! Until the next day when we remembered that we aren’t twelve anymore. #ouch

2. Cook a lobster. Still in the works. Stay tuned.

3. Roast a turkey. Maybe for a major holiday. Maybe for a random Wednesday. We shall see. I don’t actually like turkey. But it seems like something you should know how to do before you’re 30. I did it! Christmas in July was a success. Read about it here.

4. Visit Cody, Wyoming. (I’m named after it, didja know that? But I’ve never been there. Incidentally, neither have my parents. Also, today, I got an email inviting me to the Bayou City Fellowship Men’s events. Haha! I declined the invite. But thank you, Mom and Dad, for the gender-neutral name. It has provided ample opportunity for awkward.) This one isn’t looking likely. But who knows.

5. Take a train from Chicago to San Francisco. It’s reminiscent of the Oregon Trail. But there’s no need to hunt rabbits/buffalo or to ford the rivers. I’m accepting applications for travel companions. Check! Morgan came along, and we made it across the country. Turns out lots of people still use trains as a major mode of transportation. And they found it completely bizarre that we had flown from Houston to Chicago to catch a train to San Fran. I’m not sure I ever need to do this again. But I’m glad we did it. More to come on this adventure in the near future. #crosscountryTRAINing

6. Stop waiting for a “reason” to write what I want to write and start actually writing it. Hmmm…We need a way to measure this. Suggestions welcome.

7. Ride in a hot air balloon. (I think.) Done! In California. This week. It was amazing!

8. Read at least one classic novel. I haven’t really ever read any. What do we think? I’m leaning toward Emma. Or Gone With the Wind. (Is that a classic?) I’m on page 1026 of Gone With the Wind. I have spent the summer carrying a brick around in my purse. An added bonus: strength training.

9. Go to the top of the Empire State Building. (This is mostly a ploy to get back to NYC!) Did that too! Want to see a picture? Thank you, Lindsee, for turning 30 first, choosing to celebrate in NYC and basically helping me to achieve all my life goals!

10. Run/Swim/Bike a triathlon. A short one. Preferably in a pretty place. Where the water is clear. I reserve the right to bail on this. Training has commenced and we are registered for one this fall. Thank you, Morgs, for making my dreams your own.

11. Use my brother’s name more frequently in conversation. It has recently been brought to my attention that even some of my closest friends don’t know his name. I talk about him all the time. I always say, “my brother…” and never his name. It’s Hunter, by-the-way. Now you know. I think I’ve succeeded in this department. Also, he got engaged. Yay, Hunter!!!

12. iFly. Do you know about this? You can fly. It’s a new life goal. Speaking of Hunter. He and Darcee just agreed to do this with me. Stay tuned.

13. Read the whole Bible. So far, I’ve made it to 2 Kings… and now I’m to Esther. Yep, that’s basically no progress. I blame Scarlett O’Hara.

14. Visit the place where the four states touch. Even though my cousin Mark informed me that there is nothing there. Well, I will be there. Someday. This year. I’m not thinking this will happen. I’m not even sure I still want it to.

15. I’ve never done this. Dear friends who went last year without me, you’ll have to go again. We did it. And I [mostly] enjoyed it. But here are some thoughts about something that made me really mad.

16. Use eye cream regularly. I just got some and started using it on Wednesday [this was in February]. We’re off to a great start. Still going strong. But I may need stronger cream. Aging is a real thing, folks.

17. Learn to make ice cream. This is more of an immediate goal. Thank you, Kimi and Katie, for the ice cream maker! I’m basically a master of strawberry and cinnamon. Side note: I miss Blue Bell. And I’ve heard a rumor that it’s returning August 31. And I can hardly sleep with all the anticipation.

18. Wipeout Run. March 28. Save the date. …and DONE! Read about it here.

19. Finish crocheting a blanket that I started for a baby who is now in the 2nd grade. (I’m really about 80 years old on the inside. And I have been since I was 16.) This is…well…not looking good. In other news, said child began the third grade last week.

20. Drink more water. Check. I have found the trick to be cute water bottles. Of a colorful variety.

21. Houston art sign pictures. In real life, some Fridays are boring. So you start googling. And you end up driving around taking pictures with graffiti, acting like tourists in a town that has basically zero tourist attractions. And then you add it to the #30in30 list because it makes you feel like you accomplished something.

22. Paddle boarding in Galveston. I didn’t know this was a thing. But I added it to the list once we did it!

23. Wreck This Journal. An exercise in “letting it go” for rule-followers everywhere. We picked this up in NYC. And spent an evening laughing until we cried. Maybe we’re easily amused. Or maybe this is the best entertainment ever! Probably both. It’s pretty hard to explain. Perhaps this one deserves its own post.

24. 1000 gifts — make a list of 1000 things I’m thankful for. Starting today!

25. Do more handstands. Everywhere. At the most bizarre of times. It’s amazing what this can do for your attitude. Thank you, Kimi, for all the moments we’ve spent upside down this year. #lifeupsidedown

26. Get a new job! Yay! (Nope, not on the original list. But a very welcomed addition.)

27. Plant tulips. Hope they grow in this coastal climate. 

28.

29.

30.

The past six months have been wonderful. Mostly. It’s still real life people. But I think I’m learning something about living in the moment. I’m trying to. It helps to have a list. It helps to mark the moments. It makes me open my eyes just a little bit wider. I didn’t know this list would do that, but it has. I would recommend it.

But what I’m really realizing as I live these marked-out-moments is that I really like normal, everyday life. The moments in between these marked ones. I really like running errands on Saturdays. I really like eating dinner with my family. I really like jogging with the dog at dusk. I really like walking into an office every morning. I really like my living room filled with my closest friends. This list is fun. But those things–those moments you don’t list–they’re the things I love the most.

This twenty-nine(-and-a-half)-year-old is closing my eyes grateful tonight.

I love you people.