30 Before 30...the Explanation.

Here's a little more explanation on the list:

1. Join CrossFit. (Completed March 24, 2012) I'm already working on this one.  I have my intro session on March 24th, and after that I just need to pull the trigger.  My goal by joining this is to become a tough badass.  

2. Get out of debt completely.  Between my parents and my boyfriend, I owe approx. $2900.  I'm looking at you Tax Refund!

3. Buy myself a nice piece of jewelry. This is just one of those things I feel an adult woman should do.  I've been coveting several pieces from my friend Amanda's line of jewelry. so I'll be posting my favorite contenders soon.

4. Take a Bikram yoga class.  (Completed March 25, 2012) Ugh, this is going to be tough since I function terribly in extreme temperatures, but it's a good goal because of that.

5. Go SCUBA diving. (Completed December 2011)  This is a bit of a cheat since I already took care of it, but it was something I've wanted to do for awhile now.

6. Get certified in Open Water Diving SCUBA.  I am substituting this one because I won't be getting the funds together in time, and this is something I didn't think I'd have the chance to do before 30.  Bonus!Buy a grown up sofa. I'm an Interior Designer, and I still have my IKEA couch from my first post-college apartment.  Not okay.

7. Come up with 30 great vegetarian/pescetarian recipes that I can make everyday.  As a recent convert to pescetarianism, I have done a terrible job of coming up with new and exciting dishes.  Help is appreciated on this one!

8. Go to a shooting range and learn how to shoot. Maybe it's all those episodes of Law and Order: SVU I watch (I love you Detective Benson!), but this is something that I've wanted to do for some time.  I'll post my target afterward-prepare to be underwhelmed.

9. Drive myself or do a ride-a-long in a race car. (Completed May 26, 2012) Due to financial constraints (see #1,2,3,6,14 and 24) I will probably do the ride-a-long, which is $300 less.  

10. Try absinthe. This is really important because I'll be able to say "oh absinthe, sure, I've tried it.  No big deal."

11. Get my nephew to call me by my Auntie name "Essie". (Completed April 15, 2012) Tyler and Gretchen-I'm looking at you to support me on this one.

12. Enter a design competition. (Completed March 31, 2012) I always think about entering a design competition.  I even print out the rules and requirements, but I never do it.  Just being lazy.  Now there's no excuse.

13. Learn how to bake a great chocolate cake. (Completed April 8, 2012) My favorite dessert in the world is cake, and chocolate is my hands down favorite flavor.  Good thing I don't have any weight loss goals on this list!

14. Go hot air ballooning. I'm taking my boyfriend this Saturday for his birthday, so I'll be sure to post about the experience.  Really excited for this after not being able to do it on our vacation to Australia last year.

15. Learn 100 words in Hebrew. My boyfriend is Israeli, so if he can get a PhD in the United States, then I can probably learn a couple of words in his native language.  I'll choose the words, and he'll test me on/day before my birthday.

16. Get acupuncture. I don't have a specific ailment to get acupuncture for, but I'm sure it can help something.  I've just always wanted to know what it feels like.  PS-I hate needles.

17. Reach 150 followers and 2000 pins on Pinterest.  I just love Pinterest, and have enjoyed interacting with the community there.  I hope to reach more people in the coming year.

18. Take the Frank Lloyd Wright tour in Oak Park. We just moved from Oak Park and never did the tour.  So crazy.  I've done the Taliesin West tour in AZ, but haven't gone close to home.

19. Visit the Farnsworth House in Plano, IL. I grew up in Chicago, love architecture and design, love this house in particular and have never visited.  Blasphemy!

20. 7-Day Juice Cleanse.  (Completed May 27, 2012) I wonder if I can really make it through one of these without breaking.  This replaces a trapeze class for reasons I'll explain in a future post.Take a flying trapeze course. Maybe I'm belatedly inspired by Carrie Bradshaw in SATC circa 2003, but this seems pretty cool.  I'm afraid of heights.  Should be interesting.

21. Volunteer at 'The Plant'. (Completed May 19, 2012)  The Plant focuses on a closed cycle of sustainable (indoor) urban farming.  I can't wait to learn more.

22. Go to a Baha'i service. (Completed March 20, 2012) I've been to the beautiful Baha'i temple in Wilmette, IL, but never attended a service.  I don't consider myself a religious person, but I am a life learner, so this will be a great learning experience.

23. Watch 'The Exorcist'. (Completed May 18, 2012) My boyfriend and others think it's appalling the number of classic movies I haven't watched, so I'm choosing this as a representation of that deficit.  

24. Create a great bar set up-cart, booze, mixers, accessories. I love a great cocktail or glass of wine at the end of the day, and I've always loved the idea of whipping up a cool cocktail when guests come over.  There will be a post about the shopping list for this bar later.

25. Milk a cow. I'm not sure how I missed doing this growing up, but I'm definitely doing it now.  I have enormous respect for dairy, and thereby for it's provider.  I'll try to combine this with #28.

26. Visit the Holocaust museum in Skokie, IL.  (Completed May 28, 2012-Memorial Day) There are two reasons for adding this to the list.  1) I have always had a deep interest in the Holocaust and 2) Stanley Tigerman designed it, and he's an architectural genius.

27. Eat an ostrich egg. (Completed April 8, 2012) I have a nagging feeling that I may have already done this, but I don't remember, so I guess I need to do it again.  I love eggs, so this is like the Holy Grail of eggs.

28. Do WWOOF. (Completed April 7, 2012) If you know me, then you probably think this is something about dogs.  Not the case.  It's a volunteer program to join up with organic farmers and exchange labor for education, meals and lodging.  I'm sure to catch hell from my parents about staying over at a stranger's farm, but it sounds really cool.  Check out more about it here.

29. Go to a MMA fight. (Completed April 13, 2012) That's Mixed Martial Arts, if you weren't aware.  I'll admit, 'Warrior' got me pumped up about this.

30. Buy a lotto ticket once a week until my birthday. (Will be complete by my birthday-I purchased a weekly subscription) If I recall correctly, I think my Grandma bought weekly lotto tickets.  She didn't win anything (to my knowledge), but perhaps carrying on the legacy will bring in good luck.  In any case, it's for a good case.  The cheesy winner (they're always so cheesy, right?) can purchase their long coveted gold plated toilet or recreate Disney World as their house.  Me?  I would go much more subtle with a silver leaf toilet and a Legoland house.

Stay tuned for progress!