Lisa's List

Poster: Lisa M.

I have to give it to my friends... they are such an amazing group of people. But to come up with a pre-30 bucket list... simply fanstastic.

I think I've accomplished a lot in my life thus far... graduated from college, had a baby, got married (all within 6 months of each other). I actually have 2 kids, a great husband and a beautiful retired-show dog. I'm a PE teacher and I love my job. I received my masters in Education Administration. I also have taken the dance team that I coach to Nationals and State competitions. In 2007- my future sister in law and I participated in (and completed) the Avon 2-day walk for breast cancer...what a truly amazing experience.

In making this this list, I've realized that there are a lot of things that I want to do in my life still and that I really might have a true bucket list. But I have to be realistic so I narrowed it down. My doomsday is April 8, 2011 so here goes..

1. Show a dog in a Ring- I am a HUGE dork. And I'm totally ok with it. I want to breed/show dogs... I've wanted to for the longest time. I've watched the Westminster since I knew what it was. My current dog, Edy, is a retired show dog and her handler is going to be my mentor through this whole process... so hopefully I will be able to at least show a dog before I'm 30. Probably won't be my own, but that's on my next list!

2. Get a Canine Good Citizen and/or Therapy Certificate on Edy- This is sort of an extension off of 1. I want to be able to take Edy to local hospitals and nursing homes to visit people and in order to do so, I have to go through some classes and get her certified.

3. Learn to Ballroom Dance- My husband and I have been talking about it for years and my brother's wedding is this summer so why not?

4. Take Guitar Lessons/Get a Piano- I had to combine the 2. I grew up playing piano and have realized how much I miss it. So I would love to get a piano in my house to play more. And my husband and son are starting guitar lessons, and my mom and I decided we need to take lessons too!

5. Schedule a day at Feed My Starving Children- its a local organization that volunteers come to package food for undernourished countries. My church was very instrumental in bringing it to this area and I've never been. I don't want to attend a packing session, I want to organize a packing session- so hopefully with the help of my friends, we'll be able to fill up a session!

6. Get un-consumed with work- translation: quit coaching the dance team. My kids are only this young once and I feel like I am missing out on soooo much. I may come back and do it again one day, but I need to throw in the towel for now.

7. Visit a state I've never been to!

8. Go to the top of the Sears Tower- (or whatever its called now)- eeeeeek! I am soooo scared of heights. Seriously. I will need an oxygen tank and 911 on speed dial for this one...panic attack city!

9. Do the Naperville Women's Triathalon- its only a half and I know I can do it. I did just realize that I will have to sign up for the one this summer...its my last chance! So all you other girls that want to do the half-triathalon...I say we get it done together... I'll send the info!

10. Learn to Drive a Motorcycle- I just want to learn to drive it...not own one..yet! I'm obsessed and I've always wanted one, but I need to learn how first, so this seems like a perfect time!

Shannon's List

Poster: Shannon

No introduction here.....let's be honest we're lucky I was able to come up with a list.

1. Complete a half marathon. A full marathon seems a little too ambitious....anything less doesn't feel like a big enough challenge. And knowing that this is on another list, I know I'll have someone to push me to do it!
2. Become a regular volunteer at PAWS. I'm kind of obsessed with my dog, so if I'm going to volunteer, this makes the most sense.
3. Organize all of my boxes full of pictures and un-printed pictures into albums. Real albums, not facebook albums.
4. Turn my TV off completely for one week, just to prove I can (for me this may be harder than #1).
5. Read top 10 books of all time. There are several lists out there, I'm going to do the one from the New York Times. I actually have no desire to read most of these, but its probably time I start reading more than chick-lit. Hopefully I can knock a few of these out while doing #4.
1. ULYSSES by James Joyce
2. THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN by James Joyce
4. LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov
5. BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley
6. THE SOUND AND THE FURY by William Faulkner
7. CATCH-22 Joseph Heller
8. DARKNESS AT NOON by Arthur Koestler
9. SONS AND LOVERS by D.H. Lawrence
10. THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck
6. Go out on Halloween 2010. I hate Halloween, but I think I should do it up right one more time.
7. Learn to sew. Not sew my own clothes or anything, but I should at least know how to sew a button or fix a hem. (Widner, I fully expect your help on this one : )
8. Go on a real date at least once a month. Probably won't be long after 30 when kids are in the picture, so I want to be sure to take the time to enjoy just being the two of us.
9. Be the last one to go home. I rarely make it out all night anymore, so at least once I will stay out later than anyone else. And it doesn't count if its a night we all go home early...has to REALLY be a late night. Bonus points if the sun is coming up
10. Hopefully my 30th will top the list of my favorite birthdays ever. But just in case it doesn't, someday this year I would like to re-live my favorite so far, my 21st. This one will require everyone else's participation....I want all the girls to come to Champaign with me, and try our best to relive the four years that I consider the best four years of my life, and the four years were I met the best friends I'll ever have.

Widdy's List

Poster: Widdy

Miami, Florida, Summer 2009: I was sitting by the pool at the Delano Hotel, sipping on a cocktail and looked down at my pair of 34B's. I sighed, sat up, and said, "Girls, mark my words. By my 30th birthday, I am buying myself a boob job." The "stacked" ones told me I was crazy, the "flat" ones asked if they could join me. But overall, they all thought I was joking, but I wasn't. I really wanted a boob job, and I was serious! Three months later, I turned 29 and suddenly I began to panic. I thought to myself, "F...I only have a year??? How can I possibly manage to save enough money for this? Can I really go through with it?" I decided to tell my mom the plan, and to no surprise she was appalled, even teared up. Although I am still on the fence with the pending breast augmentation, it got me thinking. I am one of the oldest girls out of my friends. I will be the first to turn 30. I need to do something...

I've spent all of my 20's living with girlfriends, whether it was college or in the city. I can honestly say, I've had a damn good life. I have a group of girlfriends that roll about 12 or so deep that all remain fairly close. Being in our late 20's, I am sometimes surprised by how well we've all stuck together. We've had weekly dinner nights, vacations to Vegas and Miami, ski trips, parties, and every year we celebrate each others birthday with a BYOB dinner followed by drinks later at a bar. We've done this every single year since we graduated college in 2003. That's impressive! We look forward to these times, I look forward to them. Because let's face it, life changes when you get older. Between our social lives, work, family, and God forbid some personal time, it's so easy to get consumed by our everyday schedules. Sometimes we let it get the best of us, and we put those things we "wish we did" aside.

Today I am 29 years old, have a great job, amazing family, and a fantastic group of friends. However somewhere along the way these past few months, I lost track of that independent girl I once was, the one who was not afraid of trying, the one that made her own life a priority, and the other night I proposed "The Bucket List" to my girlfriends. So here we are, only days later, and we're doing it. :)

So did the boob job make my top 10? No, unfortunately it did not and that's not to say it will never happen. But until then, my cutlets will just have to do.

1. Plan to do as much traveling as I can these next 9 months. San Fran in March, Austin, TX later this spring, Hilton Head, NC in September, and who knows where else. We'll just have to see because according to # 4, I need to start saving more. :)

2. Run a half marathon. With all the running I have done, I still seem to believe that 8 miles is my personal limit. Well, that's BS, I know I can do it. So on August 1st, 2010, I will run the Rock & Roll Chicago Half Marathon (hopefully with friends by my side).

3. Renew a relationship with my childhood best friend. After college, I lost touch with a girlfriend of mine that I've known for 26 years. I once read a quote that said, "A friend is one of the best things you can have, and one of the best things to be." I plan on making sure I am there for her.

4. Put savings away on a regular basis. I could blame the prior six months of unemployment, but I won't. It's time to step it up, and I will.

5. Develop a training program for my department. I was given a wonderful opportunity to establish, develop, and grow the recruiting department for my company. With the amount of growth we're anticipating, I plan on expanding my department within this next year. I want to make sure whomever I take under my wing will have all the tools they need to be successful. (Side note: Things happen for a reason!)

6. Sing Karaoke at a bar by myself in front of all of my friends. I am dreading this. I have no problem standing up and giving a presentation in front of a large audience, however singing??? Sheesh, keep those vodka sodas a comin.'

7. Help my dad focus on his health. In the summer of 2001, my family and I were on our way home from boating on Lake Michigan when my dad began having a severe heart attack while driving on Lake Shore Drive. It was the worst day of my life, and while I was sitting there in the emergency room, holding the chaplain's hand, praying for my father's heart to start beating again, I thought of all the things I wanted him to be there for in the future. Today, I know he's not as active and healthy as he should be, so I plan on making sure I do my part in helping him be there for my family and myself down the line.

8. Go skydiving with a friend. I hate roller coasters, escalators, and mostly this idea. But F it, I'll do it.


9. Sew a complete outfit for myself and wear it. Totally random, but if you knew me, you wouldn't think that. I've been sewing since I was in elementary school and have many unfinished projects I need to tend to. I made a dress once and plan on doing something like that again.

10. List all 44 U.S. Presidents in order by memory. I can name the first nine by singing the President's song, and as for anyone else before Carter, I'm screwed. Hopefully there's a song out there for all 44.

Suzi Rose's List

Poster- Suzi Rose


12/28/09
Well, I woke up at a lazy 11:00 am today in the confines of my Dad's oceanside home in Texas. I brushed my hair and put on a bra to make myself a bit more presentable to go downstairs. I had my coffee and of course had to check my facebook and Yahoo. :) One of my "besties" Sarah, sent me an email that presented me with a challenge that I will have to face in the next year and a half of my life. A "BUCKET LIST" of things I'd like to do before I'm 30. At first, I took a huge sigh and said, "Dammit, one more thing I have to do." Then, as my mind woke up with a bit of encouragement from caffeine and packaged sugar, I realized that this would be an excellent idea.

Now I must say that my life has been extremely rich and adventurous. I've skiied the Continental Divide, gone scuba diving in Mexico, dog sledded in Alaska, ridden horses in the Rocky Mountains, and had a delicious Guiness in Ireland. But, let's be honest, my parents initiated most of those activities. So, it's time for me to get my ass in gear and get going in life. I've made a list of 10 things I'd like to do before 30. Most of these do require money...and as I teach 1st grade and suck at handling money, these could get tricky or I could just go broke. I guess I'll have to get crafty and cheap huh? Now, some of these might also seem easy....and they probably will be. But I've only got 497 days until the big 3-0. So, I need to get things moving. My list could go on and on if I was making a list of "before I die," but that's too much. Here's what I want to do in these next 497 days. Wish me luck in my adventurous, childish, frightening, and amazing endeavors.


1. Take more horseback riding lessons and/or lease a horse- I grew up riding horses. My dad had a ranch in Colorado with horses and I showed and jumped horses in Naperville. I miss it greatly. Unfortunately, it's pricey, but it is one of my most favorite things in the world and I need to get back on that horse. No pun intended.

2. New car- For godsakes, I've had the same car since 2001. She is paid for and is a total badass. Knock on wood, I hardly have problems with her....I say her, her name is Cricket. Long story. Anyways, she's got about 103,000 miles on her but looks like new...in my eyes. But, it's time to be a big girl and get a big girl car.

3. I want to visit friends/family in Arizona- 1/2 of my extended family lives in AZ along with several close friends from high school. I've been saying I'd go out there for ohhh, about 10 years now. I don't understand what is so difficult about going to a place with lots of sun and parties....

4. I want to go on a ski trip out west with friends or family- I also grew up skiing in Colorado. My dad was the volunteer medic on the ski patrol at Monarch ski resort in CO. I was a hot little skiier let me tell you. I've been back to ski in CO in the last 5 years or so, but I think it'd be amazing to go with a large group and sit in hot tubs, drink wine, and ski our asses off.

5. Publish "Ugly Shmugly"- Last year I wrote a children's book and submitted it to many publishers. I actually recently just got an offer from a company to see the entire manuscript. So...I need to do some editing and additional work and send it in. I'm really hoping to be published before 30! Oh and the name is copyrighted so don't even try to steal :)

6. Participate in Naperville “mini-triathalon” – Welllll, I will never be one of those people that will do a marathon. I just won’t. I know myself and I would probably die during it b/c I would put off “training” for it until like the day before. So, I’m going to try to do a mini-triathalon here in the Ville in August. I remember I was getting a ride home at 10:00 am last summer and it was hot as hell. I saw all of these people bettering themselves and going for a morning triathalon. I thought they were nuts. Well, I guess I am too then….please pray for me on this one.

7. Hold a tarantula- Ew. I know so weird and seemingly very easy but I am PETRIFIED of spiders....petrified. So....I'd like to walk into Petland one day and just hold one of the sons of a bitches.

8. Do some major work in my school district in the writing curriculum- I'm on my way with this one, but I want to make sure I follow through and keep the momentum going! I was asked to present to principals and 2 staff members from every elem school in my district on best writing practices with primary students. These kids are screwed... :) But I'd like to make a significant change in our writing curriculum within the next year or two.

9. Flippy Cup- I know, I know....I'm acting 20 but I don't care. My gf's and I rocked out shirts "Let's Chug It Out Bitches" like 4 years ago and played in a TAPS tournament with practically all dudes. I can't really be doing this when I'm 40, but we look young and can still drink pretty ridiculously, so I'd really like to sign up for another one of those drunken fun fests.

10. Niagra Falls- This is the one I am most worried about conquering. I have some travel things on my list already and money is tight-especially if I'm going to get that new car....But, why not try. Ideally, I'd love to rent an RV and road trip up there!

Allie B.'s List

Poster: Allie B.

I honestly feel like my entire life has been one giant to do list, with most of the items being gentlemen I’ve met over the years. Now it’s time to take things a little more seriously and with that in mind I humbly submit my “Taking On Thirty Top Ten”:

10. Visit Los Angeles, the place I obsess over but have never actually been to.

9. Learn to identify all 50 states on a blank map of the US. Right now I can name about 8 including Illinois, Hawaii and Alaska. Don’t judge me.

8. Make amends with an old friend from high school who I haven’t spoken to since college. It’s time, JF.

7. Sign up for, and show up for, a 5K Run.

6. Take a cooking class. I have no intention of learning how to cook but a basic knowledge of how to use an oven would be nice.

5. Date a fireman. I use the term “date” loosely.

4. Write down some of the stories my grandmother’s been telling me for years, like how she met my grandfather. She ain’t getting any younger and neither am I.

3. Participate in a “battle” to “house music” like on Jersey Shore, even if I look like a complete fool doing so.

2. Clean out my office. Anyone who knows me knows I’m hyper-organized, but I’ve had this office for six years and I’ve been slacking. It’s time to actually use my filing cabinets.

1. Finish editing the novel I completed writing in 2009 and get the damn thing published, or at least make an attempt to do so.

Here goes nothing….

xo

We Ain't Gettin' Any Younger

Thirty is a dirty word to a twenty-something girl. We fear it, we avoid it, we even claim to be celebrating the ninth anniversary of our 21^st birthdays, but the truth is it’s a number, not a death sentence. So we’ve decided to embrace it.

In an effort to hit the big 3-0 without any panic attacks, or even any regrets, our group of girlfriends has decided that we’ll each come up with a list of ten things we want to do before we turn thirty. Some are funny, some are serious, and some are just plain necessary, but they’re all important to us and we’re inviting you along for the ride as we help each other accomplish these goals.

So here we go, taking on our collective journey to thirty, one day – and one list item – at a time.