To celebrate this milestone birthday, I decided to do something I do well: make a list.  What are your “then’s” and “now’s”?

30 Things I Did Before Turning 30

1. Graduated with two undergrad degrees in four years
2. Traveled to Italy, Germany, England, Finland, Denmark, Holland, France
3. Honeymooned in Ireland
4. Bought our first house
5. Quit smoking (8 years ago)
6. Went skinny dipping in the ocean on the coast of Spain
7. Birthed a beautiful baby girl
8. Birthed another beautiful baby girl (at home)
9. Kept decade-old friendships alive and made a 30th birthday celebration girl-trip to Portland happen
10. Had a couple blurbs published in Mamalode
11. Watched the movie “Clueless” so many times I have the entire script memorized
12. Beat my goal of losing 30 pounds in 30 weeks by losing it in 15 weeks (a loss that now hovers between 36-40 pounds, depending on the day)
13. Started writing for fun again and joined the throngs of “mom-bloggers,” teaching myself how to use wordpress in the process
14. Married my perfect match
15. Played “Kate” in “Taming of the Shrew” (among many other roles)
16. Dabbled in oboe & piano
17. Taught violin lessons
18. Became an Auntie
19. Wept with joy as my three closest friends married their loves
20. Got my motorcycle license
21. Attended my 10-year high school reunion
22. Discovered makeup (finally, at age 29)
23. Learned the ins and outs of QuickBooks and Excel (and loved every minute)
24. Joined a book club and continue to delight in fresh reads and new perspectives
25. Figured out forgiveness is the key to letting go of resentment
26. Had every color of hair
27. Secured a job that let me spread my wings
28. Taught three freshman-level college classes
29. Visited my familial roots in Belize and Sweden
30. Rocked the song “Manic Monday” countless times during karaoke nights

30 Things I Will Do Before Turning 60

1. Travel to Napa and eat at French Laundry
2. Hire a housekeeper…or figure out that secret to controlling clutter
3. Make my kid’s birthday celebrations unforgettable
4. Use my fabulous fabric and sew, sew, sew
5. Say “thank you” everyday, appreciate the little things and be grateful for all aspects of my life
6. Have a second honeymoon in Ireland
7. Maintain healthy, mindful eating habits
8. Sing everyday and play my violin more
9. Go to NYC for fashion week
10. Publish a novel/book
11. Continuing working to keep my marriage successful and happy and celebrate many more anniversaries
12. Rent an RV and travel around the USA
13. Support my daughters’ dreams, be it college, or travel, or wherever the journey takes them
14. Buy a pair of designer heels
15. Own a restaurant/cafe/food truck/b & b/something food related with Jake
16. Buy a house to grow old in
17. Interview my grandmothers about their experiences being moms
18. Cherish and love my children everyday
19. Take a dance/ballet class
20. Organize photos into albums
21. Save money for retirement
22. Raise my tiny girls to be incredible adults
23. Run/walk the half marathon with L. & M.
24. Volunteer somewhere as a family
25. Visit Australia
26. Become a grandma (?!? Crazy to think about!)
27. Use our set of china dishes more
28. Create new art
29. Be in a local production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show
30. Continue being open to learning, growing, living through the next few decades