Birthday Bucket List

I’ve been 22 for a little over a week now so I think I’m qualified to give my opinions on what it’s really like. I don’t want to bum anyone out, but it’s almost exactly like 21, except on your birthday people are going to keep playing an insanely upbeat Taylor Swift song which seems like it would be annoying, but it’s glorious.

I spent the entire week before my birthday brainstorming a list of 23 things I want to do before I turn 23. I’m not sure why, but getting it done before my 22^nd birthday was a priority. Some of the things on the list are admirable, but most of them are extremely embarrassing, but I’m going to share them anyway.

1.     Leave The Country 

This may seem basic, but I've always wanted to travel, and I feel like this is a practical goal.

2.     Read the ENTIRE Bible

This was something I was supposed to be working on for the year but I slowly drifted away from it. This is definitely one of the ones I'll be mindful of.

3.     Run a half marathon

I am laughing as I type this but we'll see what happens.

4.     Become a yoga novice

I've always wanted to get into yoga and now that it's so popular, I feel like it will be easier to pick it up.

5.     Hit a fitness goal

This one is super vague so it's probably just going to be recurring. So I'll set new goals as I achieve the old ones.

6.     Go see a movie alone

I have some serious anxiety about this, but one of my most trusted friends says that it's a life-changing experience.

7.     Become a Morning Person

My Passion Planner schedule starts at 6:30 so I think my day should as well.

8.     Do a Whole30

This is going to be extremely challenging, but I want to start eating healthier and this force me to try some new things.

9.     Learn Calligraphy

My handwriting is awful and I follow at least 15 Instagrams dedicated to the most beautiful calligraphy and I'm so jealous, so I'm going to try to pick it up. 

10. Learn to Play Tennis (somewhat well)

I've always wanted to get into tennis. This is probably going to be my year of becoming Serena Junior.

11. Start Writing my Novel

This should actually be "Finish Novel" because I started a few years ago. Some of my ideas are extremely dated and I've changed so much I might just scrap it and start over.

12. Learn Wine Appreciation

I'm not trying to become a Sommelier, I just want to be comfortable in the wine isle at Kroger. This one is going to require some trial and error of course, but adults should be able to order a glass of something they enjoy with dinner.

13. Go to a Concert I’ve Always Wanted to go to.

I went to a Beyonce concert this past summer and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I used to be so hesitant of concerts because I thought it was a little ridiculous to spend so much money on a single night of fun, but I definitely want to start investing in memories.

14. Learn to Balance my finances

I am extremely irresponsible with my money at times. Luckily I'm still an emerging adult so it's not a huge deal, but I need to get my life together.

15. Learn to Say “No”

I have the hardest time saying No to things. After reading Shonda Rhimes' book, The Year of Yes, I realized that I have the opposite problem. She felt like saying no limited her from experiencing life, and I get so swamped doing things that I don't want to do, that I don't make time for myself.

16. READ. READ. READ.

Reading is such a simple pleasure and it's definitely one of the best parts of my life. I love getting lost in stories and digesting new information. I wish I could drop all my responsibilities and read books for days on end. 

17. Create a space you love

I've never been completely in love with any of my bedrooms (as a college student, I've moved A LOT). I'm going to spend this year cultivating my tastes and actually deciding on what decor feels true to my personality.

18. Obtain a Professional Wardrobe 

I would definitely say I have a shortage of "dress up" clothes, and with my impending graduation, I need to expand my wardrobe.

19. Save Enough Money to Survive for Six months

Once again, I can be really irresponsible with money, and anything could happen. I definitely need to work on saving a 'nest egg' for emergencies.

20. Take a Road Trip

I know traveling is already on the list, but there's just something different about the memories made traveling in a car with friends.

21. Learn to Drive a Manual Car

This is definitely a practical skill to have, and I'm always impressed when people say they can drive stick. I guess I just want to be impressive too.

22. Finish Spanish Dueling

I've been working on this one for YEARS and for some reason I just CAN'T stick with it, but I'm working on it.

23. Fall in Love

Super embarrassing, but if you know me at all, you're probably surprised this wasn't #1 on the list. I completely understand that my identity is in Christ and I don't need a relationship to define me. But with that being said, I completely adore romance novels and I want to live in my own version of one. 

I think all of these fall somewhere in between practical and mortifying, but I definitely am going to try as hard as I can to achieve them all. I have a hard copy version of this in the back of my Passion Planner, and I will definitely be holding myself accountable. A few may change over time, but come September 20th, 2017, get ready for the coolest 23 year-old on the block. I don't plan on taking this list too seriously, but I highly suggest you all make one as well!

Be Blessed, 

Andie