40 by 40

bucket list

On my 37th birthday, I decided that I had some things to do before I turned 40… big things, little things, silly things, important things. But really, just things… for me, myself, and I.  

Sometimes alone.  Sometimes with another.  Sometimes in a group. Things that would test my sensibilities, my perceived strength, my willpower, and my beliefs about myself.  Things that would challenge, complement, coddle, and encourage creativity.  Things that I think we all say, “I’ll do that one day” but didn’t want to keep putting off.

I spent nearly a year thinking about this list. It has seen many versions and revisions. The original plan was to give myself 2 years to get them done.  I started a little early (you have to seize opportunities when granted), but I’m pretty darn committed to concluding them if not by my 40th birthday, than at least by the conclusion of my 40th year on planet Earth.  

I’ve had many people inquire (thanks to some Facebook posts and my #40by40 hashtag), so I thought it would be fun to document the 40 officially (which provides a sense of responsibility and accountability) and to share this journey on which I’ve embarked.  They are in no particular order, although seeing Garth Brooks was definitely #1 on my list!

**Disclaimer: I’ve reserved the right (and have enacted the right) to change any of the items along the way.  Some of my initial pursuits began to feel obligatory instead of fun. This is about fun, taking risks, and challenging myself. If I wasn’t feeling it, I’ve likely replaced it with something else.

Red=Did not complete; Blue=In Progress; Black=Accomplished; Purple= Routed back to complete sometime after my 40th 

1) See Garth Brooks in concert

  • Pepsi Center-Denver, Colorado
  • March 22, 2015
  • with Jaime (pictured) and Andrew Kort, Jack Edson, Jake Edson (not pictured)
  • 2015-03-22 21.47.302015-03-22 19.21.13

2) Skydive

 

 

3) Run a Half-Marathon

  • Richmond, VA
  • November 14, 2015
  • with Martha Glass, Tess Brooke, Jaime Williams (who ran the full!)
  • HQG 40by40 Half Marathon_hi res2015-11-14 10.38.35

4) Learn to play 1 song on the piano

5) Return to Europe 

  • Ireland and Prague
  • July 2017
  • 20292819_10213309602277799_1054456803242752641_n15665885_10159024697730317_7957650485279135016_n

6) Go to Prague

  • July 2017– my 40th birthday DREAM TRIP
  • 20374238_10159037176340317_3922933645448292263_n20258193_10159043579505317_4120798385740980445_n

7) See a legend in concert

  • I saw 3!!! — Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, U2

8) Fight for something you believe in; take a stand

  • Women’s March
  • Washington DC
  • January 2017

9) Take a beautiful hike in Virginia

  • I’d hoped for McAfee’s Knob, but decided instead on a hike of Humpback Rock  in Afton, VA with my cousin, Ali.
  • June 24, 2017
  • IMG_5347

10) Go Parasailing

  • Virginia Beach, VA
  • June 24, 2015
  • with Mom
  • 2015-06-24 17.11.14

11) Meet/See Dolly Parton in person/at concert

  • Pure and Simple tour
  • Red Rocks Amphitheater
  • July 27, 2016

12) Attend a concert at Red Rocks (Colorado)

  • Dolly Parton’s Pure and Simple tour 
  • July 27, 2016 

13) Experience a sunrise on the East Coast and the sunset on the West Coast in 24hrs

  • Sunrise in Charlotte, NC; Sunset in San Diego, CA same day
  • May 2017

14) Take a vacation alone

  • Same trip as sunrise/sunset trip above

15) Start Blog and write at least 1x month

16) Take a dance class

  • Performed in the mother-daughter dance with Abigail at Little Leaper’s spring 2017 performance; counting Sunday rehearsals, choreography, and performance as more than equivalent to a dance class

17) Buy a plant and keep it alive… like, indefinitely

  • Did NOT go well initially  img_1273
  • Improved over time (with numerous plants)

18) Do something crazy (or that others might deem crazy, your parents question, or most people wouldn’t do)

  • Crazy color hair
  • December 28, 2016

19) Give up all social media for a month (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)

  • Lent 2015

20) Watch at least six 80s or 90s “classic” movies not previously viewed

  • Sixteen Candles, 1984 (1/15/16)
  • Breakfast Club, 1985 (1/17/16)
  • Say Anything, 1989 (1/23/16)
  • Pretty in Pink, 1986 (7/25/16)
  • Pulp Fiction, 1994
  • Clueless, 1995 (7/9/16- this movie is terrible)
  • Chasing Amy, 1997
  • Rushmore, 1998 (fell asleep, not attempting to watch again)

21) Learn to use my camera on manual (non-automatic) setting

  • Played around a bit and photographed Little Leapers “The Wizard” on manual setting; with decent success

22) Attend at least 3 arts-related events that I otherwise would not have considered

  • Christopher Durang’s comedy “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” performed as part of the Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts’ 2015-2016 Mainstage Theatre series
  • Circus Oz (Australian Circus); February 10, 2017, Moss Arts Center

23) Get a massage 1x per month for a year

  • January 2016- The Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV
  • February- Estes Park, CO
  • March- Greenbrier, WV
  • April- Blacksburg, VA
  • May- Blacksburg, VA
  • June   😦
  • July- Blacksburg, VA
  • August- Boston, MA
  • September 😦
  • October= Longmont, CO
  • November 😦
  • December- Greenbrier, WV
  • January 2017 😦
  • February- Wintergreen, VA

24) Get a pet

  • Long-haired calico cat
  • Rosemary, aka- Rosie
  • December 2016

25) Learn to snowboard or go snow skiing again

  • Wintergreen, VA; February 2017
  • Breckenridge, CO; December 2017

26) Master 5 exceptional meals

  • Beef Tenderloin
  • Fried Chicken
  • Lasagna 
  • White Chicken Chili
  • Shrimp Scampi

27) Learn how to make mom’s cream cheese braids

  • Lesson and co-execution
  • November 2015 
  • with Mom2015-11-08 17.21.34-12015-11-08 17.21.34-2

28) Learn how to make mom’s Thanksgiving dressing

29) Learn to roast a turkey

  • Thanksgiving 2015
  • First attempt/lesson with Mom
  • 2015-11-26 10.55.212015-11-26 14.27.52

30) Try 1 new wine/month for a year and document those I like

  • I tried a lot, I documented nothing 🙂

31) Attend a film festival OR a music festival 

  • Bonnaroo
  • June 8-11, 2017

32) Participate in the 10th anniversary (April 2017) remembrance events for 4/16 at Virginia Tech (*this is on here because I’ve never attended/participated in any function outside of The Concert for Virginia Tech, which I coordinated.  It’s time to be present in that space.)

33) Enjoy a trip, event, or activity with my brothers

  • Las Vegas for Chris’s 40th Birthday 
  • 12/27/2015-12/29/2015
  • Specifically VIP seating for… a concert by Britney Spears
  • with Chris, Matt, Jennifer, Kelsey, and Jamie
  • Britney

34) Go to a drive-in movie

35) Do a “classy” boudoir photo shoot

  • Not exactly boudoir, but I came back to this on February 3, 2019 and did a Glam Session (check it out)
  • 71482346_10162151538825167_7671045382905790464_o

36) Ride a motorcycle

  • Harley Davidson ride provided courtesy of VT colleague Anthony Scott around campus

37) Float the New River

  • Actual 40th Birthday group activity

38) Truck bed camping under the stars

39) Learn to make pie crust from scratch and to make meringue

  • Beautifully executed with the help of VT colleague and friend Jaime Williams

40) Spend the night in a tree house

  • Lyons, CO
  • July 24, 2016
  • “Little Red Tree House” pictured below13621612_10209686292177311_707707774_o.jpg
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