Intro to the Dirty Thirty

The past 8 months of my life have been filled with highs and lows, ups and downs, change and adjustment. In light of all of this chaos, I find that I am desperately in need of a plan. I want some structure. And I want something to work toward.

See, I turned 28 back in September. And while I am not disappointed with my life, things are not how I "expected" them to be. While I do have faith in God that his plans are far greater than my own could ever be, it is difficult at times to not feel discouraged. Because I (am learning to) accept that my will is not always that of God, I am going to try to manage the things that I can control and make sure that I am actually living my life and not dwelling in the "I thought it would be." Because of this, I am sharing with you my Dirty Thirty. These are the 30 things I would like to accomplish before my 30th birthday on September 12, 2011. In between working toward and documenting these achievements, I look forward to other accomplishments that I never even dreamed of working toward that God may have in store for me. That being said:

My Dirty Thirty
1.) Ride a horse.
2.) Skydive.
3.) Ride in a hot air balloon.
4.) Make a donation to my alma mater greater than $500.
5.) Move out.
6.) Acquire my passport.
7.) Get it stamped.
8.) Spend New Years in New York City.
9.) See the Grand Canyon,
10.) Kiss the Blarney Stone.
11.) Learn to knit/crochet.
12.) Make something with said skill.
13.) Make one of the Dave Matthews Band pilgrimages (the Gorge, Red Rocks, Charlottesville)
14.) Get certified in project management.
15.) Read the Bible.
16.) Start a 403B or some other retirement savings plan.
17.) Visit the 4 corners.
18.) Give Pride and Prejudice another chance.
19.) Take golf lessons.
20.) Be debt free.
21.) Read the entire Narnia series.
22.) See a Broadway show.
23.) Take some sort of class that is fine art related.
24.) Take a cooking class.
25.) Go on a weekend trip with my mom.
26.) Visit Cooperstown.
27.) Find the Little Black Dress that I can count on.
28.) Start or join a book club.
29.) Begin and complete a cross stitch.
30.) Find a place to volunteer on a regular basis.

Along the way you will meet the crazy cast of characters that make my life fantastic, stressful, happy, chaotic, and totally worth it. Please join me on this quest for the dirty thirty...We'll see what I accomplish, where I epically fail, and why it's all worth it.

*~Ready or Not~*
JAK