29 was one of the most challenging years of my life, and it did everything possible to put me through the ringer. I am proud of what I was able to accomplish this year and am totally fine that I didn’t accomplish everything on my “30 Before 30” list. Life is about setting goals, and those items I didn’t complete will just have to remain on my list until I can check them off.
- Take an international trip – IN PROGRESS
- I have at least one international trips in the works! 🙂 My family and I are traveling to Ireland in September to celebrate all the milestones we have celebrated in 2018.
- Visit at least one new state – DONE
- The weekend after my 29th birthday, my mom and I took a trip to Denver, Colorado.
- Read 30 books in a year (Taking recommendations!) – DONE
- I’ve read 43 books since my last birthday. My favorite was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
What’s the best book you’ve read so far this year?
- I’ve read 43 books since my last birthday. My favorite was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
- Try a new sport – IN PROGRESS
- I decided to take up hiking as my “sport”. I joined a women’s hiking group for the state of Georgia to help get out more. I look forward to continuing this “sport” as my schedule allows in the fall.
- Take a girls’ trip – DONE
- My mom and I took a girls trip to Denver, Colorado and to Rome, Georgia. I also traveled to Chattanooga for my sister-in-law’s bachelorette party.
- Move to a new place – DONE
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- I purchased my first home in October 2017.
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- Change jobs – DONE
- 29 brought a lot of changes when it came to my career, but I think I have finally found my path. I started a new position in February as a Regional Recruiter for a university in South Carolina. I also have found more time to spend time on Southern Exhilaration, which I’m thrilled about the direction this space is moving.
- Grow my blog (Thanks for following along!) – DONE
- In the past year, my blog has experienced a 23% increase in traffic. I hadn’t really set a specific goal for the year, but I’m happy with this news!
- Get to know my family history – DONE
- Thanks to Ancestry.com I have been able to track my father’s family back to my 4th great-grandparents, and my mom’s mother’s side back to my 5th great-grandparents. I have so enjoyed this project, and can’t wait to see what else I discover about my family.
- Challenge my culinary skills – DONE
- I took a six-week cooking class with Publix’s Apron Cooking School.
- Do something that scares me – DONE
- This year has been one of the most challenging years of my life. I experienced a lot of scary big life moments in the course of a couple of months. There were definitely times I wasn’t going to make it, but now standing on the other side I am happy with how things turned out and with how it made me into a stronger person.
- Work out more and on a consistent basis – IN PROGRESS
- I consider this one a failure, because I wasn’t able to follow through on the “consistent basis” part. I have been increasing my exercise thanks to Spotebi. The programs work great for at home and when I’m on the road.
- Take a challenging hike – FAIL TO COMPLETE
- I had every intention of hiking the tallest peak in Tennessee and/or North Carolina. Unfortunately, time got away from me. I’m hoping to accomplish this in the coming year as my schedule allows.
- Relearn to play the piano – IN PROGRESS
- For Christmas, my parents gifted me a new keyboard. I’m teaching myself how to play again. It’s a slow process, and I’m doing it as I have time.
- Get back to graduate school size and weight – FAIL TO COMPLETE
- Due to health issues this year, my weight has been a battle. This is still a goal of mine, and I’m looking forward to accomplishing it.
- Learn a new skill – IN PROGRESS
- I started to learn crochet a couple of years ago, but never really got far with it. I decided to pick it up as a fun activity while I’m unwinding at night and watching TV. I have decided to crochet a blanket, but it is definitely taking me longer to accomplish than originally thought.
- Visit a new SEC stadium – DONE
- I had the opportunity to actually knock out two SEC stadiums (Vanderbilt and Texas A&M) in fall of 2017.
- Be more spontaneous – DONE
- I kicked off Year 29 with spontaneity by traveling with Pack Up + Go to Denver.
- I also decided my theme for 2018 is to “say yes to adventures” so I’ve got some excitement planned as the warmer months approach.
- Climb another state peak – FAIL TO COMPLETE
- See number 13.
- Learn a new language – FAIL TO COMPLETE
- To be honest, I didn’t put any effort into this goal. Do you have a suggestion on a language I should learn?
- Improve my wine knowledge – DONE
- I drank a lot of wine this year, and definitely expanded my wine palate. I had planned to take a class but financial limitations put a stop to that idea. I’m still hoping for a class in the future.
- Get a pet – DONE
- I have two fish by the names of Marco and Polo.
- Participate in a race – FAIL TO COMPLETE
- Since my health was not at a hundred percent this year, this one was a challenge. Plus, why do all the fun races have to take place when I’m out of town? This is still on my list of things to do.
- Attend another short-term mission trip – FAIL TO COMPLETE
- I very much have a heart for missions, but I could not find a trip that worked with my schedule or budget.
- Travel somewhere alone – DONE
- A three-day weekend in Charleston was just what I needed to reset for the 2018 calendar year.
- Put more money away into savings – DONE
- This year was certainly a yo-yo year with finances, but I was able to accomplish this goal.
- Take on a monthly photography challenge – DONE
- I did not take a structured photography challenge this year, but I ended up reading a lot on technique and going out to practice it. This past week I went back through my images and I’m proud of how I’ve developed as an artist.
- Expand my food palate – IN PROGRESS
- This year, I didn’t say no to as many foods as I normally would in the past. I would still consider myself a picky eater, but I’m ok with that and the new dishes I’ve acquired.
- Spend a full day at the spa – DONE
- Due to budget constraints, I opted for an at-home full indulgence spa day.
- Learn how to show myself grace – IN PROGRESS
- I’m a work in progress.
I’d say 24 out of 30 is a pretty great accomplishment! 🙂 30, I’m ready for you!
