The Original 30 before 30
A collage from the 30 before 30 slideshow, 2015
In its original haphazard order:
skinny dip
I think she was first because I have a lot of hangups about my skin suit and it’s exhausting. I just want to let go.
see a drive-in movie
millennials love their nostalgia
learn how to use a sewing machine (to make clothes)
as opposed to what, love? anyway, one day I’d like to have a craft room with a dress form, more for the aesthetic than actual usefulness.
Visit All 50 States
America, the beautiful. I love its grandiosity, its wonder, its purple mountains majesty — the varied climates and landscapes. I will take any and every opportunity to speak on whose land is being occupied and hopefully meet the indigenous communities when I’m in the area.
Take a long-distance roadtrip.
so I’ve specified this to roadtripping with the fam. I think it’ll be fun, if nothing else it will be entertaining.
Audition for a major role in a feature film
…yeah, I made this list before I committed my life to filmmaking so I think this was my roundabout way of forcing myself to take the leap. Acting was never the dream, I just saw it as a means to an end, the way to get my foot in the door. I have auditioned a couple of times, it’s gross lol I don’t envy actors and the hoops they have to jump through to make it in this industry. At the time I made this goal I think I told myself it wouldn’t count unless it was for a major studio film. so pretentious. I’ve auditioned for a student film (while in school) and another short (2.5 years ago), I didn’t get either role. If it were still part of the list would those count? idk. I mean I said audition, not land a role.
skydive
scrapbook
to document it all
Dip my toe in all 5 oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, South
yup
learn guitar
this clearly carried over but I specified it. I think with a specific intent I’m more likely to complete the goal
play piano
and then what? this is still here and I’m still working out the parameters. I don’t need classical training. I think I just want to master a few songs but I’m still coming up with the list. I’m currently more passionate about guitar. Part of my desire to learn piano (even as a child) is because I was always told growing up that I had pianist fingers. So maybe some part of me feels like I’ve been depriving my God-given phalanges from doing what they were put on this Earth to do.
Speak French
how specific. did I tell y’all my mom literally teaches French. So, yeah, no excuses. I actually started taking lessons from her early in the pandemic but I got overwhelmed because there were quite a few things I was trying to tackle at the time and I put too much on my plate. I’ll circle back once I have a better handle on my life and hobbies — constantly trying to do too much.
Speak Arabic
so this has been replaced with: learn a non-romance language. I really want to learn another language, I’m super convicted about that, but not really convicted at the moment to learn anything specific. It will come to me eventually, maybe I’m leaving it open for a foreign partner. I wanted to learn Arabic because it’s a historic language and I find the script absolutely stunning. And it’s spoken in so many countries, by so many cultures. I like the idea of learning a language that is widely spoken. But Arabic doesn’t call to me like it used to, at least not right now. I took Japanese in high school, it definitely piqued my interest, I loved learning a new writing system but I don’t currently feel compelled to circle back.
learn ASL
this should be mandatory. I don’t know how big the deaf community is so maybe the scope doesn’t warrant everyone learning but I just, it breaks my heart to imagine meeting someone and not being able to communicate with them. Yeah you can write but that would get frustrating after a while. Actually I did read a story on the Meetcute account on IG, in the comment section of a couple where the bf was deaf and the gf was hearing, and he was actually her ASL teacher - that’s how they met. Super cute but in the comments a girl said that her mother and father met, there was an instant attraction but her mom was deaf and she got tired of having to write back and forth to each other so she said I think I’m done. So the dad was understandably heartbroken but decided to learn sign language, he found her and signed to her and obviously they’re still together if their adult daughter is talking about them on social media. Adorable. But we should all learn. Also watch CODA if you haven’t already.
raise $20k for cancer research
so the charity goal still exists, but I’ve changed it to 5 figures instead of a specific dollar amount and I’m not specifying an organization/cause either. At least a few goals can incorporate a charitable component so I will decide, in the process of completing them, where I’ll want the raised funds to go.
Earn $250k
changed to 6 figures in 1 year as opposed to quarter of a million in 9 years but it still feels more doable now than it was 12 years ago.
visit an Asian country
I’ve definitely upped the stakes. 5 countries now. At least a week in each in order for it to count.
run a marathon
she’s still here. I hate running and I have temperamental knees. but maybe with the right shoes, right training program, and right terrain, she’ll be okay. and I can add a charitable component!
Do Habitat for Humanity
this one is gone. idk if H4H had a scandal or if I just got over it, maybe I realized I was getting too old to take time off for stuff like this. Habitat for Humanity is a gap year goal. A summer in college activity when you don’t have an internship lined up. It’s for the Rory Gilmores of the world.
Go on a cruise
still here. Unrelated, Cruz by Christina Aguilera is a banger. I don’t think it ever got talked about enough. Cruz & Soar. Impossible is also great — it screams early aughts Alicia Keys. The whole album is great but those 3 songs deserve(d) more love.
Cook every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking
write 1/2 a novel
lol, half. Anyway yeah, at the time I didn’t have an idea, maybe I’ve committed to a full draft now that there’s an actual story. Or I realized that half a book was a half-assed goal.
pay my own rent
it’s cute because it’s vague. pay my own rent once? for a full year? for eternity? what are the parameters? I guess this one has evolved into buying a house.
get and train a dog
so this one has shifted to adopt a dog because I know myself and I don’t want to set either of us up (myself or the poor dog) by committing to training when I know I don’t have the discipline. I can try but I think it’d be best to leave the bulk of the training to professionals. and I can supplement at home. I just want a DOGG. But also, career-wise, having a dog is not super feasible. it might depend on the breed but I’ve never been drawn to purse dogs or small breeds, the portable kinds. And I wouldn’t want to get a big dog just to keep it cooped up at home all day. If I worked from home, and didn’t live in a cramped apartment, it’d be a different story. Only time will tell.
Display my art in a gallery
lofty but still here
scuba dive in the great barrier reef
Go to a world cup game
Watch the NYE Ball Drop in NYC
yeah so I made the mistake of telling someone this and he was like ok let’s go, like 2 days before NYE and i just knew that this was nowhere near enough time to prepare. I think the people who are anywhere close to where the ball drop happens probably camp out for days (or at least they get there at the ass crack of dawn) any way. We took a bus the day of, I think we got there in the afternoon or early evening cuz I remember it being dark. We could not get anywhere near Times Square, we hung out in Central Park and wandered around. It was an interesting night but I wouldn’t count it as a completed goal and this goal def didn’t make it to 44 by 44, Times Square is a nightmare on a normal day, I’m not going to subject myself to that x1000 to ring in the new year. It’s def a young person’s goal and in that regard I’m ancient. Also post-pandemic, the idea of a sardine-tight event stresses me out.
Samba in Rio
Zipline
What do you think? Any surprises?
It’s interesting to see what I thought was achievable in 9 years. Or maybe I knew it was farfetched; it was just fun to come up with it. I mean if I was a nepo baby, it definitely wouldn’t seem delusional. But I’m not, so it was.
Oh also, I think I mentioned in the first post that back when I was attempting to tackle the 30 before 30, I created a short list of things to tackle in one year to motivate myself. The year was 2015. The tagline, my God. There’s a lot I’ll forgive of a 21 year old but at 25, yikes, what’s the excuse? I was so proud of that slideshow though.