Friday, April 15, 2016

50 before 50

You read that correctly, folks.  50.  What the F?  I'm not ready to be 50 yet.  2023 sounds really far away, am I right?  Right?!?

I've got things to do before that happens.  So, I thought I'd finally create some form of goal or bucket list to put some of those things on paper (so to speak).  Honestly, I didn't "dream big".  I selected things that I truly want to do that are totally achievable.  I want this list checked off completely by June 17th, 2023.  I don't want to have any reason to look back at it with disappointment.  It's all about accomplishing, seeing, doing, experiencing things I want to do.


  1. Take the stepson to Texas
  2. Rent a houseboat on the Hawkesbury River
  3. Taronga Zoo wild ropes
  4. View Sydney's Sculptures by the Sea
  5. Gain my "permanent residency" status
  6. Get my NSW driver's license
  7. Participate in City 2 Surf (even if it's just walking because let's be honest, it's going to be just walking)
  8. Take stepkids to a water park
  9. Spit Bridge to Manly walk
  10. Adopt an animal at Taronga Zoo
  11. Attend a show at Town Hall Theatre (small community theatre where I live)
  12. Go to see snow in Australia
  13. Wine tour in Australia
  14. Visit Canberra (Australia's capitol)
  15. Camp at Royal National Park
  16. Go to a Sydney Blue Sox baseball game; that's right, Australia has a small professional baseball league, and I want to go to a game.
  17. Host a Tex Mex dinner party for Aussie friends
  18. Attend Sydney's Mardi Gras parade; this is not exactly like the one you'd find in NOLA.
  19. Travel to see live music in Australia; I used to travel often in the US for shows, but I haven't done it here.
  20.  Have a cocktail at BluBar (Shangri La in Sydney) with this view:
  21. Watch a sunrise over an ocean (I've done this before, it's just been awhile)
  22. Watch Niece 2 graduate High School in 2017
  23. Watch Nephew graduate High School in 2019
  24. See Shawna - my Texas girlfriend that lives in Italy who I haven't seen since 2008, and she's had four bambinos since then!
  25. Have a girls' weekend with USA friends
  26. Visit Austin (again); it's been too long since I've seen my favorite Texas city.
  27. Relax during a weekend getaway, just for my guy and me
  28. Go to a cat café
  29. See another Broadway show
  30. Since the magic # is 50, have 50 people complete my book challenge, Book Challenge by Erin
  31. Read all books I currently own
  32. Finish "Around the World in 80 Books" book challenge
  33. Get that new tattoo I've been wanting for years
  34. Organize concert t-shirts and have them made into a quilt (like the one pictured) because I have a lot of concert tees that I can't part with, but I don't wear, and I'd like to keep the memories...
    Source
  35. Finally, maintain an exercise routine where I'm doing something at a minimum 3 days a week
  36. Meditate every day for 30 days in a row
  37. "Pay It Forward" care package at least once a year
  38. 21 day detox at least once a year
  39. Bring my lunch from home (don't buy take-out) for a minimum of 30 days in a row
  40. Have a weekend of solitude
  41. Pin-up photo shoot
  42. Rent a party bus
  43. Send 50 snail mail cards or letters (besides Christmas cards)
  44. Increase annual charity donations
  45. Plant flowers; I've never owned a pot plant or had flowers that I maintained outside; I need this to change.
  46. Meet a blogger in real life
  47. Pick a highly talked about television series and watch it; contenders are Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, True Detective (first season)
  48. Complete Jenn's "fall film challenge"; I've participated twice but haven't finished it.
  49. Watch 50 movies that I've never seen, and I've wanted to see (or feel like I should see)...this list has its own blog post to help me keep track.
  50. Share the adventures!: blog about every one of these goals as they've been met.
What do you think of these?  Anyone want to come to Australia and help me check some of these off the list??

18 comments:

  1. 2023 is definitely yeeeers away!

    I've just looked at your challenge list... if I start now I have to read 10 books by the end of the month?? Eeep! That's a bit much even for me!

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  2. omg what a great list! so far away - plenty of time ;) i love all the things that you want to do not only in australia but coming back here too :) i think you'd be a super hot pin up and it's something i thought would be super fun to do myself. oh gosh there's so many great ideas i have for myself. i have like 6.5 years to 40 i should do one too haha

    xoxo cheshire kat

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  3. You should plan for a little container garden next spring, I have a little container garden outside my bedroom/office window and it makes me so happy to see little pops of color that are all mine.

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  4. This is a solid list- some simple things and some that take planning. I did a 30x30 list (I still have a few years) but I feel like I need to edit it a bit... Not because the tasks are too big or anything, but because my priorities have shifted since I made it :)

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  5. I really need to start a list.
    I tried doing it one time & came up with like 5 things. Apparently, I'm not very adventurous :) haha

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  6. 2023 is really far away. So far! Hahaha. I will be turning 40 that year. *Insert Kevin McAlister aftershave face here* I love your list! YOu have a great variety of things on here and I hope you get to experience every last one of them!

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  7. Love the list and idea. I need to do something similar. I turn 50 in 2025 which seems so far away and yet so close and when the hell did 50 become the next milestone birthday? I swore I was 25 just a few years ago. :) I highly recommend Breaking Bad or Justified (not mentioned but just tossing it in the ring).

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  8. These are such awesome things! I am struggling to remember that I have a list to finish before my big 40 next February...I think a lot of it isn't getting done, but I also only gave myself about 2.5 years instead of like 8.

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  9. i love the idea of making a quilt with your tees! 2023 is SO far away!

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  10. Love that you want to take your stepson to Texas and visit Austin again! That would be such a fun trip! I definitely think that you need to visit your friend in Italy! That would be such a fun trip! I'm hoping that I'll help you get to the 50 people completing your reading challenge this time around!

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  11. I went tubing on the Hawksebury River! My parents did VRBO and the couple whose guest house they were staying in took us and my friend to their house on the river. So fun! Also Mardi Gras was going on when I was there and we wanted to go to the parade but a few of the people we were going with were WAY late, so when we got there my friend and I were just so pissed off because either the parade was over or there was literally NOWHERE to stake out to watch it so we just ditched them all and went home. I had so been looking forward to that dang parade!

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  12. This is truly one of the most interesting # X # posts I've seen! I love these goals... so much travel and fun here! #s 27, 38 and 41 are things I would love to do for sure. I need to make a 30 before 30 soon!! :) I need to figure out how many books I own but have nt read... too many complete before age 30 I think.. but maybe I could knock a chunk off! XO - Alexandra

    Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things

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  13. Intriguing list. You *may* have inspired me to do something similar, for I'm not too far behind you on the trek to the big 5-oh! Girl, I have no doubt you will rock a pin-up photo shoot! You have the sass to completely pull it off. Have a good one!

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  14. Watching a sunrise over an ocean and a cat cafe sound dreamy. Also, I like this list. I am way too close to the 30 mark to start that list now.

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  15. I gave your list another look through, a more thorough one. I have watched the entire series of Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, and True Detective. All three are very worthwhile, in my opinion, and have very distinct premises, strengths, and weaknesses. True Detective would be the easiest to accomplish, given that it is only 10 episodes long. Sons of Anarchy and Breaking Bad require more of a time commitment. Sons of Anarchy reminded me of a soap opera geared towards men, very testosterone driven and sometimes over the top. All three are worthwhile in my opinion. I'll be interested to see which one you end up watching.

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  16. You've got heaps of time! I love this list, and the mix of big and slightly more achievable goals. I think I went too big with my 30 before 30, quite a few of those will be seamlessly transitioned onto my 40 before 40...!

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  17. Such a great list, you're going to have so much fun checking these off. okay maybe minus the yearly 21 day detox ;)

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  18. Finally getting around to thoroughly reading your list... So many good ones! I can help you with #46 when you complete #26! :)

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