When asked how old I am, it still feels weird saying '29'. I have no idea why exactly. But my last couple of birthdays don't actually feel like my age. And the thought of turning 30 this year scares me and causes a bit of anxiety. I feel like a walking billboard for young people.... "not everything works out the way you plan", "you must be open to change because sometimes it happens whether you're want it to or not", "live in the moment", "you can't control everything". Five + years ago, I wouldn't have been prone to saying many of those things. Maybe the "live in the moment" quote. But I had an idea of how I wanted my life to turn out and approximately what age and order I wanted things.
That all went out the window. I ended up meeting an amazing man who completely made me re-think things, but in a good way. I got used to not knowing exactly where we'd be in a year's time. It's been an adventure. But we're finally settling down. Though, it's still not how I imagined my life years ago. I can't control everything and I'm ok with that. I have a pretty awesome partner to face everything with and to continue on this adventure.
Last year, I made a
'30 Before 30' list. Things to encourage me, motivate me, and inspire me. I figured it was about time I checked in on the list since I'll be turning the big 3-0 in about 2 months time.
30 Before 30
1. Rebrand Sparklegirl.
- I thought long and hard about this. Brainstormed a lot. So far I haven't made any final decisions. So many people know me as Sparklegirl now. I'm not sure if I want to change it.
2. Go on a vacation with Adam.
- Done! New York City!
3. Start and finish our wedding scrapbook/photo albums.
- Haven't even started. Shame on me! Though, we have printed other photos and put them in albums.
4. Be more adventurous with my cooking.
- Yes and no. We've started eating healthier. I've been using tons of vegetables lately.
5. Host a dinner party.
- Somewhat. We've had a lot of company visit since we moved. So we've made quite a few dinners for guests.
6. Find a 'day' job I enjoy.
- Meh. I try my best to focus on Sparklegirl and IGGPPC and not stress about the other job.
7. Find a new church home.
- Not quite. We've visited 2 different churches on numerous occasions. I can't say either feel like 'home' yet.
8. Feel comfortable and happy with my body.
- I've been working hard on this. Upping my exercise, eating healthier food. But, also trying to feel cute with how I look at this moment.
9. Start a family with Adam or start preparing for one.
- Well I'm working to get myself healthy, which includes figuring out my thyroid issues. And we're thinking of buying a house. So I think that's baby prep haha.
10. Sew more skirts for myself.
- Nothing yet. I plan on making one or two for Fan Expo Canada this summer.
11. Go to a comic convention as a spectator, not a vendor.
- I feel like this will never happen because I love being a vendor. Though, I've been thinking about GeekGirlCon a lot lately.
12. Master french macaroons.
- I failed miserably a couple months back and haven't tried again since.
13. Go on lots of hikes throughout Sudbury.
- Yes! We've gone a lot of walks through numerous conservation areas and there's lots more to visit!
14. Become a better photographer.
- Though, I haven't bought a better camera, Adam has shown me some tricks with the manual setting on my current camera.
15. Invest in a better camera.
- See above.
16. Travel further North to see more of Canada.
- We haven't travelled further than Sudbury yet. That will change this summer.
17. Learn to get up when my alarm goes off, not an hour later.
- Some days I can do this. Other days, not so much.
18. Plan a big party.
- Well I am helping plan my Mom's 50th birthday party.
19. Get new eyeglasses.
- That would require an eye exam, which hasn't happened.
20. Try a new food.
- I cannot think of anything new I tried this year.
21. Go fishing.
- Even with living up North, I still haven't gone fishing!
22. Have an all-day movie marathon.
- Nope.
23. Grow tomatoes on my balcony.
- That's my plan for the summer!
24. Hang photos in our apartment and finish decorating it.
- I can honestly say this is done. Pictures are hung up in every room and new lampshades were purchased!
25. Go to a fancy event with Adam where we're both dressed up and dance.
- Do weddings count? We've been to three since moving here.
26. Play and beat more Nintendo DS games.
- This has been happening more often. I've been making time for DS playing.
27. Visit and swim at every beach in our area.
- I swam at two different beaches last summer. There are so many more. But we fell in love with Moonlight Beach.
28. Go to a farm to buy a pumpkin and carve it for Halloween.
- We bought our pumpkin at Costco. Fail.
29. Dance as often as I can.
- Well, I can happily say this has happened! I danced my ass off at every wedding I attended and dance parties occur often in my kitchen.
30. Spend my last day of being 29 doing all the things I love!
- I still have two more months!
Not too many things can be crossed off right now. Though, some of them are on-going things. I don't know if I'll ever be completely happy with my body, or content with my photography knowledge and skills. These are things I want to work on for life. But I like being able to look at this list and think about each thing. Reflect on what I'm doing and working on. And now that I can see there's a lot that could be crossed off (try a new food!), I have some inspiration for the next couple of months!
What are some things you're working on or trying?
xo Jen
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