A Belated Birthday Post - 32 Before 32

My 31st birthday came and went without much of a celebration. Shaun took me out for lunch and drinks, but we had to call it a day after half a plate of nachos and a few sips of beer because I felt so shitty. I spent the rest of the night curled up in bed with a fever of 102. My first and only birthday spent in Seattle was kind of a let down.

I did get to spend a lot of time planning my list while I sat in bed, but shit happens and I'm just now getting around to posting it. I'm only six weeks late. I'm pretty excited about it and hope you think it was worth the wait.

1. Run an 8 minute mile.

2. Photograph another boudoir shoot.

3. Reopen the monkandmao Etsy shop with all cat-related crafts.

4. Get tattooed, even if it’s something small.

5. Put music on my phone and organize some playlists.

6. Wear sequins.

7. Get a massage with Shaun, if it’s in the budget.

8. Go hiking.

9. Stay (mostly) sugar-free. No cane or beet sugar, agave, maple or brown rice syrup, or hfcs (obviously). A little piece of high-quality dark chocolate is fine. #nomoresugarmonster

10. Spend some time in front of the camera.

11. See Crystal Castles live if they do a U.S. tour.

12. Experiment with tofu. Use it differently in a meal.

13. Run another half marathon, either a real one or on my own.

14. Buy used whenever possible (clothes, shoes, accessories, furniture, dishes, etc.).

15. Go camping.

16. Donate to five Kickstarter campaigns.

17. Don’t drink booze for three (non-consecutive) months, just for fun.

18. Use Couch to 5K to increase running speed. Try 7mph, maybe even faster.

19. Play Cards Against Humanity again.

20. Type up and organize my recipe file.

21. Make a video tutorial and share it with the internet.

22. Read a Vonnegut book.

23. Take a class.

24. Teach a class.

25. Make pink pretzel hearts and give them to friends.

26. Visit mom, grandma, Ash, and Isabelle in Utah.

27. See at least 5 arty/crafty projects to completion.

28. Give my car interior a thorough cleaning.

29. Leave food on my plate if I’m satisfied, especially when eating at a restaurant.

30. Visit the coast. Any coast.

31. Take a picture of each letter of the alphabet. This needs a hashtag.

32. This is the big one. Above all else, stay focused on what’s really important. Even if the other 31 goals on this list don’t get completed by my 32^nd birthday, I will feel great if I can honestly say I worked really hard on this one.

Focus on...

-   ...school. I’m about halfway to B.S. in Accounting. I would be thrilled to take 10-12 credits a semester, but I’ll be happy if I take at least 6 and kick ass at my classes.

-   ...building and strengthening relationships. This includes my relationship with Shaun, family, and friends. Don’t flake on plans. Ask more questions. Don’t take people for granted. Talk less about myself and learn more about others. Make an effort to spend time with friends I want to keep in my life.

-   ...my health, both physical and mental. Keep up with running, lifting weights, and HIIT. Add yoga once guided classes are in my budget. Take care of issues before they turn into sources of stress. Keep writing To Do lists and go to bed with a clear mind.

-   ...cultivating my inner beauty. Sadly, I’ve spend most of my life worrying about my appearance and neglecting my personality. It’s never too late to change that. I will be compassionate, understanding, curious, giving, forgiving, authentic, optimistic, and kind.

So, after years of making lists that involve spending a bunch of money, I've learned my lesson. I'ma work on ME. I can do this. All of it. Can't wait to share my progress!