My birthday was this past weekend (yay!). Having only just turned 29, it seems somewhat appropriate to reflect a bit on my admittedly short twenty-something life.
Also considering that this was the third birthday I’ve celebrated in my adopted home of Berlin, I figure it deserves a bit more reflection than usual. THREE YEARS HOLY WHAT?! How did that happen?!
Anyways, thinking about my life and my plans and the fact that in less than 12 months from today I’m turning that strangely scary “30,” I figured it was about time I sat down, put pen to the paper and came up with some formidable goals for the next year.
I’m not usually one to make bucket lists, but I do love a good to-do list. So, in that respect, I’ve treated this list of things to do less so as a bucket list and more as a personal guide for me, my life. It’s not all travel stuff (hey! one can’t travel every day, yeah?) but rather the things I’d like to start doing to improve my quality of life (which is already pretty freaking good if I must say so myself).
As in my previous 25 Things To Do Before Turning 25 post, there are really a few categories to this. It’s as much a list of things to do as it is a set of goals to make life better for myself, those around me and just maybe, the world at large.
Here’s what I’ve got. Feel free to chime in: let me know if you think I’m crazy, if you want to do any of the things with me or if you’ve already done them and have some tips. I’m determined to make my 30th year pretty awesome and making these goals public is a good first step to get me on the right path.
In no particular order…
30 Things To Accomplish Before 30
1. Take care of my body
This isn’t just “go to the gym” (ha, like I even would?!) but more along the lines of: start meditating again, try out yoga & see if it’s for me, eat healthier, walk more often and so on and so on. I won’t lie: while I’m not afraid or anxious about growing older, I do want to stay fit and healthy and I’m realizing I can’t rely on my super awesome metabolism forever.
2. Visit Amsterdam
Okay, this one’s kind of silly. Can you believe I’ve lived in Europe for nearly three years and I’ve NEVER (not once!) visited Amsterdam? It’s almost unbelievable considering how hip of a city it’s supposed to be — not to mention the gazillions of tourists who visit every year. This must be rectified and quick! There are only so many stupid things one can do as a tourist before they get too old for it. Amsterdam, I’m coming after you. Be ready.
3. Aprender Español (Learn Spanish)
Yes, I live in Germany (and have no plans to leave), but while my attempts to learn German have been working somewhat successfully, I’ve realized I also need to know some Spanish. My plan is start studying the language more rigorously and I’ve already got some plans in the work to help me achieve this goal. Stay tuned!
4. Take a creative ______ class
I love learning and while I may no longer officially be a student, I think there’s plenty to still be gained in schools. Whether it’s a community school or an online university, there are several skills I want to hone in on this year. I’d love to learn more about taking photos or perhaps a writing course to help achieve more of my professional goals. Maybe even a refresher course on design?
5. Publish an ebook
This blog 404 is just over four years old. In that time I’ve learned a lot about the travel & tourism industry, about blogging & social media and about life in general. Over the past year I’ve started writing professionally for other travel publications online and off, but now I’d like to do something more comprehensive. This is already in the works, actually — but I’m not ready to announce anything just yet!
6. Go on a road trip in Europe
Who doesn’t love a good road trip?! Back in America, despite not owning a car, I managed to squeeze in plenty of road trips. The rush and excitement I feel sitting behind the wheel on an empty road at night (driving fast but not too fast, of course) is something I want to experience here in Europe. Road trip through Germany anyone?
7. Make cheesecake for the first time
Throughout my 20s I’ve finally embraced the kitchen. I love cooking actually. I find it relaxing and enjoyable. It’s one of those things that’s both a science and an art if you manage to pull it all together. And so this year I’d like to learn how to make a cheesecake. I actually have no idea how easy or difficult this might be. But a nice slice of NY style cheesecake sounds pretty good to me right about now.
8. Host a dinner party
This doesn’t have to go along with the cheesecake entry above, but generally speaking, I like hosting the occasional party. With my friends over the years, we’ve had plenty of dinner get-togethers but I’ve never truly hosted my own dinner party.
9. Send a postcard from every trip I take
Back when I was traveling around the world in 2010, I reliably sent off a postcard to my Grandma from every country. Once I settled in Berlin, that tradition slowed down to a full stop and now I’m lucky if I even manage to walk into a souvenir shop to buy a postcard!
As a surprisingly frequent receiver of postcards, I know the joy that it brings and I’m going to start this up again. Friends — make sure I’ve got your address!
10. Plant a tree
I’m fairly certain I’ve planted a few trees in my life, but the last one must’ve been when I was 12. I shouldn’t go through my 20s without ever planting a tree. It just seems like something I could accomplish every decade and this one is ending fast! Plus, you know: the environment and all that.
11. Have a morning routine
This is something an adult would do, right?
12. Turn off the Internet
Metaphorically speaking, of course. I’m long overdue for a digital detox. Maybe it’d just be turning off Facebook for a few days, or maybe it could be an entire trip where I don’t bring my computer, where I don’t use Twitter, where the Internet (for me) is off. The thought of this isn’t scary for me, but it does seem rather challenging.
13. Learn the art of cocktail-making
I once owned a cocktail shaker and a set of martini glasses. That was a fun year.
14. Jump more often (and get better at it!)
In college one year, during my summer off, I decided it would be a good goal to hula hoop regularly. My friends made fun of me for it, but on my first day of summer I went to Wal-Mart and bought a hula hoop. Best investment ever! And though I haven’t picked one up in a while, something I can do no matter where I am in the world is jump. Full disclosure here: I’m a terrible jumper!
15. Take a spontaneous trip
While I’m a master at booking last-minute tickets, it’s usually for a trip that I’ve meticulously planned. I can just be sometimes slow (ie, lazy) on the “purchase a plane ticket” part of travel planning. Backpacking around the world, I was a full-fledged expert at taking spontaneous trips.
I started traveling with an itinerary and then quickly threw it out the window, buying plane tickets and arranging visas weeks or sometimes days before I’d show up on a brand new continent. I’ve lost a lot of that since settling in Berlin so I’d love to recapture it for a trip or two. Book a last-minute plane ticket, show up in a new city and just go from there. It’s refreshing to feel lost every once in a while.
16. See more live music & concerts
Music was once a big part of my life. I was practically addicted to the Ticketmaster website, buying concert tickets every week. I’ve lost touch with quite a few of my favorite bands, but I’m starting to get back into it again…
17. Attend more unusual & creative performances
Earlier this month, in London, I learned about quite a few independent shows & performances. There was something called Naked Boys Reading which just sounded too good to be true. Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to attend, but I know there must be equally quirky events happening in other cities around the world. Things like spoken word performances, Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School and Berlin’s own “Berlin Under 30” are just the kind of events I should be attending more often for inspiration, for fun and just because—well, why not?!
18. Read _____
I’ve intentionally left this blank. There was one semester in college where I made a commitment to myself to read Moby Dick. It’s an epic story and one loooong book, one recommended to me by my high school English teacher. It had sat on my list of books to read for years before I finally decided to purchase a copy and see what happened.
I spent nearly two weeks devouring the story, reading large chunks at night until I finished. And you know what? It was fantastic. I haven’t decided which epic book I want to read this year, but I’m certainly open to suggestions.
19. Decorate my bedroom
Despite telling myself repeatedly that I’ve made Berlin my home, I’ve still managed to keep a safe distance from any sort of serious commitment. It’s time I actually put something up on the walls and made this place my home. I love the feeling of coming home to something (or someone), so this is an important step in solidifying my relationships here in Berlin.
20. Try a fast / meditate
Part of being healthier, perhaps, but I’ve also been fascinated with the idea of a fast for a few years now. I’m not in it as a dieting method but rather a spiritual, meditative experience. Alternatively, there’s always something like a silent yoga retreat. But shutting up just sounds really difficult.
21. Write more often in a journal
Again, this was something I once did quite regularly when backpacking around the world. I’ve got a stack of Moleskine journals filled with way-too-personal stories and secret tales from my travels. It was always a cathartic experience—writing down my thoughts (crazy or not) in a journal.
I’m sure it helped keep me sane when my life was in a bit of a shambles. It’s a different skill than writing on a computer and one I could certainly use more practice in.
22. Explore my own city
It can be totally liberating to rediscover where you live. Berlin is big and there’s still a lot more to see here.
23. Practice photography skills
I already touched on this above, but photography has become a secret little passion of mine. Don’t tell my father, though. He always tried to get me interested in photography as a kid and I would have none of it. Nowadays it’s something I really enjoy despite the fact that I have so much to learn.
24. Take weekends off
This might seem strange coming from a freelancer like myself, but something I’ve learned this past year is the importance of free time. When I had a corporate job, weekends and week nights were often completely free.
I didn’t have much to worry about and could use my time outside of work doing whatever I pleased. Now as a freelancer, there’s this constant stress and pressure to keep working, to get shit done. This snarky article on Gothamist just hits the point home for me: I need to build weekends and free time back into my routine.
25. Use my hands more often
I’m no handyman but I do think there’s a certain level of skill we should all have in this field. The art of making homemade gifts, DIY projects and, in general, just being more tactile. My world has increasingly moved online and I need to recapture the physical. Related: hugs!
26. Buy more souvenirs (for myself and for others)
Bringing back gifts from a trip is one of the small pleasures of travel. Nearly everyone does it (including me!) but sometimes I forget to bring back something for my friends and the people that matter most to me. The souvenirs I do buy tend to be of the more original variety.
(I really embrace the same type of “souvenir philosophy” as Kristin from Souvenir Finder). When I’m out buying postcards to send I’ll just have to start picking up the odd souvenir here and there.
27. Read more news (but don’t get stuck in it)
I’ve touched on this point sporadically here on the blog but it’s one I feel quite passionate about. I know there are plenty of folks out there who find the news frustrating and depressing, one-sided and uninspiring, but I feel quite the contrary.
This stems from my desire to be more aware of the world we live in. When reading the news and discovering what’s happening in foreign places it can and does spur action. Whether it’s reading The Economist magazine more often or just following the news of the day, being more aware this year should help me with my more altruistic goals in life.
28. Take a trip to visit someone I know
There are lots of reasons why we travel, but one of my favorites is to visit friends and people I know. Living in Europe I’ve lost touch with more than a few friends back home in America.
And as my circles expand and I meet people from even more faraway places I think it’s important to travel more regularly to keep those positive connections with friends and family around the world.
29. Give a talk or presentation
Oh god. Even the thought of this frightens me. As I grow older and more experienced I’ve realized that I actually know quite a bit about what I’m talking about. It’s just usually I’m talking about it with a few friends or acquaintances around a table in a bar.
Professionally it would make sense to push the boundary further and actually present what I know to a larger audience. Maybe this will be the year?
30. Do 30 days of SOMETHING!
Here’s the big one. This idea came about after spending far too much time on Reddit and YouTube, watching other bloggers and other late-night internet-dwellers putting forth public life goals.
Something I’d love to do is commit to making a change in my habits for 30 days, for one month—the 30 day challenge as it’s called. There are a lot of options here: no fapping, writing every day, taking a picture every day or maybe something else entirely. The point is to start a new habit and see if it’s worth keeping to.
* * *
Putting this list up made feel a bit vulnerable. I’ve shared a lot of information about myself here, even if it doesn’t look like it. These things are a sampling of my goals in life, my philosophies, my thoughts and my passions. I’ve put it all out there now. Let’s see what happens.
You can continue to follow the journey by subscribing for email updates when I publish new content. And please feel welcome to share your own goals and/or tips below in the comments.
Thanks for sharing our article! Glad you like :D
And good luck with all this, especially turning off the internet ;)
Haha thank YOU James! Thankfully I think Berlin might prove to be a good enough distraction from a few days off the internet!
I love your list Adam! There are a few on here I should probably try to do myself (though “before 30” has already passed me by) and it might help to do a list. I’m constantly making to do lists, and we have a white board we even brought with us from home so we could list out things we want to do/see in Berlin.
Spanish is a wonderful language, so much prettier than German, I think you’ll love it. I really want to improve my Spanish one of these days. Also, my mom has a killer cheesecake recipe, which I might have at home in Freiburg.
Thank you Ali! I make so many to do lists as well but usually on throwaway paper that I subsequently…throw away—often before I’ve finished them! Oops.
I’ve always loved the Spanish language as well and used to joke about learning it here in Berlin because there are so many Spanish-speakers. Here I am a few years later publicly declaring my desire to learn it! So it was only natural, really.
Oh, I remember the time when I hit 30 (that was July last year). I had grandiose plans: a couple of those involve getting my PhD before my birthday (didn’t happen, I got it 2 months later), as well as coming out (finally!) to my parents (didn’t happen either, it happened just last month, and as a result, my Dad doesn’t talk to me anymore).
Seriously though, the number 30 is less scary, but actually the events that surround it. I started a pension plan because my bank manager told me I need to think about retirement (but I just started!), for example. I can totally relate to the whole settling down issue (aka, decorating your bedroom), because for the longest time, I was living under the assumption that I am temporary in that particular place, and therefore I lived in a way that I can pack my bedroom in 5 hours, max. But I guess sooner or later, always running around and away isn’t the way to go.
And yes, little projects are cool, and makes life more interesting. I take a picture every day since October; been posting it on a Flickr account. That somehow forces me to see “beauty” in ordinary things, even without going out of the way to sight-see or something.
Oh well, good luck on your list, I am sure you’ll check off some, if not all of it. :)
Jeruen – that’s an epic comment you’ve left for me, thank you. Sorry to hear that coming out to your parents was so difficult – that can’t be easy.
A pension plan, though…that just sounds terrifying. Maybe I’ll get that sorted out by the time I’m 35…
Oh and remind me to get you to show me the Flickr account you’re posting your photos too! I love your reasoning behind it.
Love this list. I’ll be 30 in August 2015 and have loads of goals before then. One is to read 20 books each year (In 2012 I read 27!), learn to cook, and set up a business. I’ve always believe in goal setting, so mucha suerte on your list!
I love your goal to read 20 books per year! I’ve had similar goals in the past but my general willingness to read of late has waned. Amen to setting goals! Seems to be the only way I get things done…
I can’t believe you haven’t been to Amsterdam either. As for turning off the internet and taking weekends off — yes and yes! I’m terrible at both but I recognize their value. Harder to do in the winter…
I didn’t think about the winter conundrum… but it does seem like it would be even more of a challenge because of it. Argh!
I’ve tried to write a list for my next birthday (29) but i just can’t do it! maybe i should have started a little earlier since it’s November and my birthday is in april… so i made winter goals! i moved to Switzerland 2ish years ago and there is so much stuff i want to do that is not possible in the US. i think there are 25 things on that list, but i left about 10 of them blank for days when I’m off work and can go on spontaneous trips somewhere in Switzerland.
I used to make a list of goals every 6 months. It would be in May (6 months until my birthday) so that it coincided with the summer, then again in November for my birthday. The seasonal goals really help you to streamline things and I never had more than 2 or 3 things on the list.
I can totally identify with more then half of your points on that list! Especially No. 12 ;) I did a 365 photography project in 2012/13. It was an amazing experience. Learned so much about photography and myself (www.365project.org).
If you ever feel like going out in a group to explore Berlin and learn something about photography there is a group on meetup.com called: Photography in Berlin
I hope you will keep us updated about crossing things of your list!
That’s awesome you did a 365 photo project! A full year of taking photos sounds pretty ambitious to me. Hadn’t seen that Meetup group but will be sure to join it — sounds like just the right amount of motivation I’d need to get out and see more.
I am in my early twenties but for me there are also a few things which are important to do in the next couple of years that you have mentioned. First I want to meditate regularly. I always feel good and balanced when I am doing that. My personal to do list before I turn 30 is:
– making enough money with my online business to live the digital nomad lifestyle
– travel through South America
– publish my own books
– living in Bangkok for a while
– living in Berlin for a while (as I am German I simply can’t turn 30 without having lived in the capital)
– meditating, reading and going to the gym on a regular basis.
I think there are a lot more things I want to do but these are the main parts I could think of right now.
I took a meditation course in college and really learned the importance of balance then. Thanks for sharing your list of goals Sebastian. Seems like you’ll be busy!!
I love this, Adam… and the fact it is personal makes it what it is. BTW I read this and thought: What, he’s younger than me? And then I thought – no wait, I think I did think he was younger than me. And then I got all confused about what I thought your age was :D anyway we’re just three months apart so it doesn’t even really count. But we can make the 30th year of our respective lives great together :D btw as a literary critic I say the epic book you read should be Anna Karenina. I love that book to bits and pieces. And I’m TOTALLY up for the road trip through Germany (and / or Poland?!). Jzst get us a car :) xx
Oh Mariella – you’re always so sweet! Three months is hardly anything, really :)
Thanks for the book recommendation! Anna Karenina is one of the options already, actually :) Oh and it’d be so much fun to take a road trip with you!!!
Thank you for sharing! You’ve already done so much with your life already, can’t wait to say that I’ve done that much when I turn the big 2…9…
Aww thank you for the nice words Megan! Hope you get everything done that you want to do…but I’m also a little realistic with this list/guide—I may not be able to do it all, but I definitely plan to try!
Awesome list Adam! It’s a lot to do before 30 so just remember you’ve done so much already! Remember when I turned 30 and we went to Vegas (you were what, 21!). I think you should add 31 (or 30A): throw a big freakin’ party on my 30th like my big sis did years ago. We’re stock piling miles so that we can come to Berlin for your birthday next year or wherever you choose as the place you want to be. Hopefully you’ll have already been to Amsterdam by then b/c you are right, there is only so much appeal of Amsterdam after a certain age!
This list makes me think I should already be writing my 40 things to do before 40, especially since it’s 2+ years away and you know, it takes longer to do things when you are older lol! Cheers and enjoy the last of your 20s!
Yes I realize I’m being pretty ambitious with this list, but hopefully the challenge will be good for me. I think having a big blowout party for my 30th is a good idea — will need to think up something spectacular.
Great list of goals, Adam! I have no doubt that you can cross all of them off!
Thanks Amanda!
I was thinking this was quite a good list… until.. ‘HAVE A MORNING ROUTINE’. What? The most boring item on the list for sure! Hehehe
I like the cheesecake and cocktail ones the best.. definitely good skills to have in life. Good for making friends/luring friends to your house :p x
Hahah yes that’s probably the most boring thing on there. I suppose I needed one thing to validate the whole “growing up” shtick. Oh and perhaps I’ll have a “cheesecake and cocktail” night sometime to lure all my friends to my house :-)
I turned 29 this year too (in July) and it’s kind of me made think about all the things I want to do before I’m 30 (not that I wouldn’t be able to do them when I’m 30, but it’s nice to have a motivator). Good luck with your goals. I’m sure you’ll be able to achieve them.
Agree that a list like this is more of just a motivator than a “do or die” type of thing :) Hope we can both enjoy our last year of our 20s though!
happy belated birthday! I can relate to so many items on this list — especially the european roadtrip, and I finally did two this summer — one to Belgium and one through France, Switzerland, and Italy. It’s the best!
Thanks Edna :) That’s awesome to hear you did some European road trips this summer. It’s definitely a fun way to travel and summertime is the best time for a road trip!
This is a great list! I’m already 31 and definitely recommend the “taking care of yourself” item. It started to get more difficult for to be healthy after turning 30. The others are great too – I really find that when you put something down as a goal and have a plan for how to do it, you can really cultivate better habits. I still don’t have a morning routine, though!
I think trying to get a morning routine is going to the be the most difficult thing to do on my list!
And you’re right: putting things down as goals is a great way to motivate yourself. Plus when you do something as big as this and so publicly, it’s a huge motivator!! At least that’s what I’m counting on…
Great list, thanks for sharing! Making new years resolutions should be a breeze for you a month from now!
Sounds like you might already have something in place for learning Spanish, but I recommend duolingo and livemocha to learn the basics and build vocabulary. I wouldn’t rely solely on them, but they’re a great way to practice and learn online.
Oh god – I can’t imagine having to make a list of New Year’s Resolutions! This list will keep me busy enough :)
And thanks for the language recommendation. I already use (and LOVE) Duolingo. Just right now I’ve been using it to learn and practice German, but I plan to switch over to Spanish soon!
Awesome list. Some of them I actually want to do myself and reading your list just reminded me of that. Most people set goals at the end of the year as new year’s resolutions but I think setting them around your birthday is better. A birthday is a time to celebrate your accomplishments. I’m close to 30 but never really thought of things I’d like to do before then. I love making lists and things I want to do but the hard part is putting them into action. How do you make it happen?
Yep – I’m a big fan of setting goals around birthdays rather than New Year’s. Though my birthday comes up a little close to NYE so it’s always been about the right time of year regardless.
I think the first step in accomplishing a set of goals is by saying them publicly and then coming up with a game plan.
Nice list, Adam. I think taking care of your body and turning off the Internet are the two I identify with the most. I would also like to start hosting more dinner parties. Nothing like having long, slow evenings with friends. Happy Birthday!
Thanks for the birthday wishes Jenna! Glad to hear there’s some crossover in what’s on my list and what’s on others’
#7 and #11 made me laugh. This is a nice list, Adam. I like to do this kind of thing too, but I’d to be waaaaay more specific with some of these things otherwise I’d never get them done simply because they’re so abstract. Good luck, and looking forward to hearing how #2, #6 and #15 turn out!
I purposefully kept some of these abstract because honestly just thinking up 30 things to do this is year was already exhausting enough!
Glad I could make you laugh a little — get people to smile more often is sort of a life mantra of mine :)
I wonder if any 80 year old bloggers are out there with lists 80 items long. It would certainly be quite an impressive situation if so.
Haha, well let’s see how this list of goals turns out over the next 12 months and then we’ll see what I get up to each following decade…but even just thinking about it is bumming me out…
If you want to knock two things off your list, check out the yoga 30 day challenge. It’s how I first got started with yoga. It’s taught by Erin Motz and you can find it on doyouyoga.com. She explains all the poses step by stepso so its perfect for beginners. Each video was only about half hour long so I did them in the morning before work. Something to add toyour morning routine perhaps?
Hey Melissa – thanks for the recommendation for the yoga 30 day challenge! Glad to hear it’s what got you started with yoga – sounds encouraging and I’ll definitely check out the website!
Hi Adam, this is such a cool idea. I might do this myself at my next “0” birthday!
Good on you for learning another, another language! Wouldn’t it be fun if you added Russian or Hindi, for novelty? It would be great on your CV.
Actually, don’t do that. It’s mine LOL!
Cheers Victoria! I’m a bit surprised at myself that I’m so interested and willing (and hopefully able) to manage learning ANOTHER language — even while I’m still learning German. We’ll see how it turns out… stay tuned!
Hi Adam, this is such a cool idea. I might do this myself at my next “0” birthday!
Good on you for learning another, another language! Wouldn’t it be fun if you added Russian or Hindi, for novelty? It would be great on your CV.
Actually, don’t do that. It’s mine LOL!
I am compiling a Fifty before 50 list for my upcoming 50th birthday and used your list for inspiration. Good luck! I completely understand feeling exposed by revealing your list but without disclosure it would be too easy to cheat. :-) I’ll look forward to reading updates from you.
Thanks Beth! Glad to hear this list inspired you to make one as well. If you ever have any tips on achieving goals, please be sure to share them!
I am at work so will keep this short for now: but jesus, stop being so bloody adorable. Belated wishes for the last year of your twenties!
::blushing::
<3 Thanks Rohit!
Awesome list of goals! I already turned 30. :( BUT I have accomplished some of these things and took the opportunity of turning 30 as a Segway into a new life. Leaving for a RTW on 50 days!
[…] you remember my goals before turning 30, I’ve got big plans to focus on photography skills over the next 12 months. And seeing how […]
Adam!
I just turned out 30 years old, last month, and let me tell you something honey…you better hurry up! most of the things on your list, I´ve done it before I was 25…
I’m a traveler junkie, and I like your blog! good job!!
greetings from a land far far away…..
Hahah, thanks Bella – I know I’ve got lots to do here :)
Being substantially older than 30, your goals and plans seem great. Cheesecake should be easy and even we just completed our ebook entitled, “Traveling in Sin”. I believe exercise is key as well as a healthy diet, after all, without health, everything else you mentioned becomes irrelevant. Good luck,
George
Wesaidgotravel
Thanks George. Yes, health is a big deal and will only become more important as I get older.
Les Misérables for your epic book!
Thanks Angela – that’s definitely a contender :)
Adam this list is brilliant, I turn 30 next year and had started writing my own version when I came across your blog. I’m totally pinching some of your ideas… exploring your own city, I’d never thought of that! I’ve travelled all over the world but been based in London for 29 years and have seen hardly any of it.
If you haven’t read it read War and Peace, it will blow your mind.
S x
War and Peace is definitely a contender, thanks for the reco Samantha. And yes — if you’re living in London you DEFINITELY need to do some exploration! Love that town!
Awesome work, I am free lancer too and know very well importance of free time when its never available :)
Great list. It makes a change from the ‘places I want to see before I die’. I think I have a kind of places list with a few activities thrown in so maybe I should get working on my actual ‘doing things’ list like you.
Doing things is just as important as seeing things!
I love this list! Tell me Adam, have you accomplished any of this yet?
hey Adam…I’ve got to admit that when I was thinking about things I should do before I turn 30, I had similar ideas as you…
but you wrote them down so clear and simple that I just have to say thank you :) (even the Spanish part)
Glad my list is useful for others too! I think writing them down really helps to set you on the right path. Good luck with the Spanish! I’m learning as we speak :)
Wow, what a list!
I gotta give it to you, it’s an ambitious one, and I wish you luck in doing it all!
I am turning 31 this september and I’ve only given myself the goal of visiting 30 countries by then (since I didn’t make it by 30)… now that i’m living in Europe it should be doable (i am currently at 21 so have 9 to go… and 9 months…. i see a pattern here!).
Hope you accomplish everything, or at least set the foundation to do all these things in the coming years :)
I like the idea of trying to visit X # of countries by X age :) Good luck with your travels Claus!
[…] made it to Amsterdam… finally! Back in November when I wrote my list of goals for the year, visiting Amsterdam was top of the list. And now that the weather has improved in Europe, I’m […]
[…] you remember…one of my goals before turning 30 is to explore more of my own (adopted) hometown. So the other weekend I hopped on the u-bahn and […]
[…] of the most personal and meaningful reasons for travel: visiting loved ones. It’s one of my things to do before turning 30 and yet I haven’t taken a single trip for that purpose since I wrote that blog. Uh-oh. New […]
[…] living in New York City one day, in Bangkok, in London. Maybe even in Tel Aviv again. But I’m approaching 30 in a couple of weeks and I haven’t lived in nearly as many places as I thought I would. Which […]