30 before 30

Today is my half birthday. 

I’m now on the downhill slope from 29 to 30. 

Crazy. 

But if I've learned one thing in the past 29.5 years, it’s that time is only going to go faster.

I mentioned in my last post that I was working on a list of 30 things to do before I turned 30. I finished it and then left it to collect dust in my drafts folder for 4 months with about a hundred other blog entries. Oops.

So here is the official list, with commentary:

1. Complete a GRE Test Prep course. This is to help Hannah prepare, and also because I’m a total nerd.
2. Take a BYU class. One work perk I’m ashamed I haven’t taken advantage of yet.
3. Complete Spanish 101-102 Workbook. It’s sad how much I've forgotten. Also: Again, nerd.
4. Health goals. I have some specific plans here, but I’ll leave you to use your imagination.
5. Stop being a dating hater. Ugh. This one is hard. But I’m committed to being more open and vulnerable in this area. Including reversing my stance on blind dates. Hint, hint. (;
6. Train for ½ marathon. Also sign up for another one. But specifically train because I've never actually finished training before race day…
7. Giveaway-a-day for a month. This means get rid of one piece of junk every day for a month. Because one man’s trash and all that…
8. Passport stamp. I already finished this one but I’m up for more travelling anyway (:
9. Plan 52 letters of thanks project. This is one of my NYR for next year but I need to do some prep work for it ahead of time.
10. General Conference blog. This is an idea from my friend Tyler that I really like. Details to come.
11. Organize photos. I have about a million GB of photos scattered over at least a dozen devices. Gotta rein in that chaos.
12. Photo collage. This is a crafty project I’m depending on Taylor to help me with.
13. Pay off 1 loan. I've been chipping away at my student loans, time to pick up the pace.
14. Get a bike. I've wanted a bike for over a year. I think that puts it officially past an impulse buy. This may be a birthday present to myself or part of my tax refund.
15. Personal history – 1 entry per week. Because I miss writing. And am still terrible at journaling.
16. Inbox zero every Friday for a month. In an attempt to control my wildly out-of-control work email. I currently have 4000+ emails so this will be intense.
17. Create and practice budget. I half-finish this one all the time. Time to seal the deal.
18. 100% visiting teaching. Because I’m the worst at this.
19. Temple habit (2x month). My life was so much better when I had this habit.
20. Take a last-minute trip. Just for funsies.
21. Complete Mr. Downs/other reading list. I haven’t settled on which list yet but I want to get back to the classics.
22. Finish listening to all episodes of this American Life. I do this when I exercise, so I’ll have to exercise a lot. Two birds, one podcast.
23. Start a quote of the day/week. Probably an Instagram project. My kind of craft (:
24. Start a book club. For how much I love reading this shouldn't be as hard as it seems!
25. Look into contract work. Another way to pay off loans faster.
26. Cancel subscriptions. I spend a little money in a lot of places unnecessarily.
27. Facebook-free February. I really liked doing this last February.
28. CWP. Mine’s expired.
29. Finish quilt. From Christmas 2012…
30. Learn to drive stick. Seriously, how is this still a goal?!?

The next 6 months are going to be BUSY!