30 Before 30 Update

Hi, friends! Almost exactly a year ago, I published 30 Before 30, talking about 30 things I wanted to do before I turn 30. I turned 28 a few months ago and still have a couple of years to tackle this list, but I thought it’d be fun to share a progress update and to see if there’s anything about the list I would change.

1. Bake a cake – is it bad if I made a cake today just to cross this off the list? At least, it’s a cute one! I used I am a food blog’s recipe to make this Totoro cheesecake!

2. Travel Solo – Didn’t do a whole lot of traveling in the last year so not update for this one. I don’t have any travel plans this year at the moment so this might not happen until 2022…

3. Do a Food Tour- with COVID-19, I feel like food tours are one of those activities that are on hold indefinitely. I still want to do it either locally in the Triangle area or while traveling when it is safe to do so.

4. Go Skiing – I crossed this off my list right before the world shutdown for COVID-19 actually. I went to Sugar Mountain with a small group in early March of 2020. To be honest, I did not love skiing?! I was sweating with fear and stayed on the bunny slope the entire time. I don’t think I’ll ever be a ski person but I am willing to return to the bunny slopes in the future.

5. Master a recipe for potluck parties – a work in progress; I am wanting to cook more and cook new recipes so hopefully I find something I enjoy making! For the time being, I’m still making cheese boards lol

6. Cross-stitch/needlepoint – SO at the beginning of a pandemic, I got a cute cross-stitch kit from Crafts & Drafts (it says “please leave by nine” lol). I thought it would be a great pandemic hobby, and I was really into it for a few days. Since then, it has been sitting on my dresser, half-finished (maybe a third?), mocking me endlessly. I’ll add finishing this to my 2021 goals.

7. Camping – I am trying to spend more outdoors, and I hope I go camping this year! I got a sleeping bag as a Christmas gift so I am basically ready (not really).

8. Take a cooking class – I took a virtual cheeseboard making class through Yelp last year, which sort of counts?! This might also have to wait until things are back to “normal.”

9. Brunch with bottomless mimosas – It’s A Southern Thing in downtown Durham was Alex and I’s first date three-is years ago, and they have bottomless mimosas every Sunday! I am hoping we make it there soon, fingers crossed!

10. Read 1984/Animal Farm – I crossed this off early in quarantine! With the libraries being closed at the time and my preference being physical books over ebooks/audibooks, I sat down and read these two since I was gifted a copy from a friend back in college. I will say I did enjoy Animal Farm, but 1984 is overrated in my opinion.

11. Learn photography – still a work in progress! I finally understand the importance of good, natural lighting but I haven’t done much in terms of upgrading my setup. I got a tripod with a ring light that I need to make better use of (once I figured out how to best use it) so better photos to come!

12. Visit a friend in a different state – lol at all of the travel items. The only time I went out of state all last year was for a two day trip to Charlottesville, VA. I miss my college friends because so many of them now live out of state. My college roommate had her first baby, and I would love to make it to Charleston this year to visit them!

13. Learn how to play an instrument – no update on this one.

14. Find a wine I enjoy drinking – I tried a few new wines, but I think I need to still drink more! Hopefully, I can make it to some NC wineries this year.

15. Learn how to drive a manual car – no update. TBH, I don’t think I care anymore. I’ll forever always drive an automatic, but maybe I need to learn in case I am stranded somewhere with a manual car?!

16. Go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter– another adventure to go on post-COVID

17. Visit Another National Park – I had visited Rocky Mountain National Park a few years ago. This past year, I made it to Shenandoah National Park when I took a birthday trip to Charlottesville. We hiked for 7 miles I think, and it was lovely and sweaty! Hoping to hike at Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the near future.

18. See Wicked – They were supposed to come to DPAC last year, which was of course cancelled due to COVID-19. I still listen to Wicked soundtrack all the time!

19. Watch a Star Wars Movie – Now that I have watched all of the Original Trilogy, I don’t know what my fun fact would be to surprise people! This was also an early quarantine activity while we were holed up at home.

20. Start investing – I met my big savings goal at the end of last year, so I feel ready to switch into investment mode. This is on my January to-do list so hopefully it happens very soon!

21. Gamble – no update here! Unless you count my mom wanting us to gamble money while playing cards at home lol

22. Get a massage – I have been forcing Alex to massage my legs and my back but I (and my body) would LOVE professional massages.

23. Take the number personality test – I finally took the Enneagram Personality Test (just Googled and chose the first free one I came across).! FYI, my Myers Briggs personality is ENFJ (though I haven’t taken it in a while). The Enneagram Personality Test tells me my primary type is Three, though I was a 98% math for One and Three?! My full Enneagram is type 3 wing 2. I am excited to finally understand all the Instagram posts about Enneagrams.

24. Take another Salem trip – this didn’t happen this past year unfortunately, but hopefully in the next couple of years!

25. Do a roll up – I was good about going to outdoor Pilates classes once the YMCA was doing classes again, but I felt off the exercise train in Q4 of last year, and I am just getting back on it! I cancelled the YMCA after a month not using it but I am doing a video workout at least once during the week and hiking once on the weekend. Not really working on my core otherwise (because I hate doing it…), but maybe one day I will get there.

26. Go to a music festival – Alex and I had planned on going to Merlefest last year, which was cancelled due to COVID so one day in post-COVID world!

27. Goat yoga – When my college friend Meghan visited from Texas early 2020, we crossed this off the list! We did a goat “yoga” (very little yoga, lots of goat cuddles) with Hux Family Farm. There were some baby goats too, and they were soooo cute!

28. Stay in a tiny home – Alex and I talked about doing this for a couple of years now, but since we travelled only a couple of times last year, it didn’t happen! Still on the list and still want to.

29. Travel to Midwest – still want to make it out to Midwest and ~experience CST~ haha

30. Travel to New England – maybe by fall/winter, I would feel safe flying? Not sure, but when I do, on my New England list are Vermont and Portland, Maine!

ADDING TO THE LIST (for fun and because I can’t control myself)

(31.) Go to a cheese festival

(32.) Learn how to make mixed drinks

(33.) Host a small Salem gathering with lots of cheese

What else should I add to the list?