40 Before 40

Today’s my birthday. I’m 35! I am very excited about this age and about what the year ahead holds. I’ve been toying with the idea of making a list of 40 things to do before I turn 40 — things that are do-able in the next five years. But coming up with 40 things is hard! Here’s my list so far:

1. Run a 5K

2. Go to Europe again DONE!

3. Write a book (doesn’t have to be published, but I have a lot of ideas and I’d like to get at least one of them out on paper!)

4. Learn to swim

5. Watch the “Before Sunrise” trilogy

6. Get highlights (in my hair; not the magazine) DONE!

7. Take a trip to Mexico City with Mike and Michaela so they can see where I lived and studied DONE! Kind of. Mike took me for our 10th anniversary, but we left Michaela at home.

8. Start a scholarship to help low-income students study abroad

9. Volunteer at Michaela’s school on a regular basis THIS IS ONGOING, BUT I ‘VE BEEN DOING IT ENOUGH TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT CALLING THIS DONE.

10. Not only schedule a regular date night with Mike each month, but actually make it happen!

11. Attend 15th college reunion DONE!

12. Go on a road trip to visit Civil War sites

13. Learn how to grill DONE! I am way more comfortable grilling now. We have a gas grill and I’ve learned how to turn it on and use it relatively frequently.

14. Blog regularly (at least once/week)

15. See Prince in concert Alas, this will never happen.

16. Celebrate Mike’s 40th birthday in style WE CELEBRATED IT MIKE STYLE… LOW-KEY. HE BOUGHT A TWO SEATER MERCEDES CONVERTIBLE, SO I THINK THAT COUNTS.

17. Go on a Disney cruise

18. Sustain my recently acquired healthy habits (exercising regularly, eating better, drinking half my body weight in ounces of water each day)

19. Learn to kayak DONE!

20. Go see a Lakers game

21. Attend my 20th high school reunion DONE!

22. Learn to meditate

23. Host a foreign exchange student

24. Go camping DONE!

25. Hike Cowles Mountain DONE! I thought I was going to die, but Mike, Michaela and I made it all the way up and back!

26. Take a mother-daughter class of some sort with Michaela DONE!

27. Go on a Panama Canal cruise with Mike’s mom and stepdad DONE!

28. Do a “Year in the Life” book for Michaela each year (right now, I’m a year or two behind – oops!)

29. See Brittany Spears in concert with my friend Erika

30. Go to Cuba

31. Go to Hawaii

32. Plan a successful 2016 CalSPRA conference (my responsibility as President-Elect) DONE!

33. See Morrissey in concert… again (next time will be my 10th!) DONE! Numbers 10, 11, 12, and 13 are under my belt

34. See shows at the Old Globe and La Jolla Playhouse, neither of which I’ve been to in spite of being a native San Diegan

35. Write (not email!) at least one thank you note or letter a week I’m pretty good about this, carving out time each Friday to jot a note or two.

36. See a Summer Pops San Diego Symphony concert DONE!

37. Complete my service on the California School Public Relations Association board DONE! Thank goodness. Five years is a long time.

38. Learn more about investing (because investing well could mean “retire!” on my “50 before 50” list, ha ha.)

39. Visit a new country DONE! We went to Japan and Malta.

40. Have a kick-butt 40th birthday party!

What would you add?