40 before 40. things to do after turning 30 but before turning 40.

33/40 | may 2016 – may 2026.

•  ☑⠀ attend a film festival
  • ⤷ chicago international film festival 2024
•  ☑⠀ attend a music festival
  • ⤷ lollapalooza 2022 & ravinia 2024
•  ☑⠀ attend a sports event
  • ⤷ minnesota twins baseball game, st. paul saints baseball game, & chicago red stars soccer game
•  ☑⠀ be a tourist where i live
•  ☑⠀ become a better home cook
•  ☑⠀ continue collecting favorites as physical media
•  ☑⠀ establish a skincare routine
•  ☑⠀ get houseplants & keep them alive
•  ☑⠀ get a job with work travel
•  ☑⠀ go to the movie theaters regularly
•  ☑⠀ grow a container/balcony garden
•  ☐⠀ have a spa day
•  ☑⠀ move to a large u.s. city
•  ▣⠀ read all owned, unread books
•  ☑⠀ read everything related to the dark tower series
•  ☑⠀ read w. somerset maugham's bibliography
•  ☑⠀ (re)visit areas likely significantly affected by climate change
  • ⤷ abroad: thailand, malaysia, singapore, & vietnam
  • ⤷ u.s.: gulf coast of florida, dallas/ft. worth, new york city, salt lake city, & new orleans
•  ☑⠀ rewatch star trek tv shows & movies
•  ☑⠀ run a half marathon (13.1 mi/21 km)
•  ☐⠀ run an endless summer trail run series race
•  ☑⠀ see dita von teese live
•  ☑⠀ start a vinyl collection
•  ☑⠀ take amtrak
•  ☑⠀ take a hiking and/or running trip
  • ⤷ badlands national park, custer state park, & black hills national forest
  • ⤷ rocky mountain national park
  • ⤷ great smoky mountains national park
  • ⤷ uinta-wasatch-cache national forest & twin peaks wilderness
  • ⤷ mark twain national forest, ozarks, & hot springs national park
•  ☑⠀ take a month-long vacation abroad
  • ⤷ thailand, malaysia, singapore, vietnam, & south korea
•  ☑⠀ take a multi-state road trip
  • ⤷ utah ⇢ idaho ⇢ montana ⇢ wyoming
  • ⤷ illinois ⇢ indiana ⇢ kentucky ⇢ tennessee
  • ⤷ illinois ⇢ missouri ⇢ arkansas ⇢ tennessee
•  ☑⠀ take a solo vacation
  • ⤷ south dakota: badlands national park, black hills national forest, mount rushmore national memorial, custer state park, crazy horse memorial
  • ⤷ southern minnesota: sat in a cabin on a lake for a long weekend
  • ⤷ northern wisconsin: sat in a cabin by a fire with a stack of books while it snowed for a long weekend
  • ⤷ illinois: lincoln home/museum/monument/tomb; missouri: gateway arch national park, mark twain national forest, ozarks; arkansas: ozarks, hot springs national park
•  ☑⠀ take up a new hobby
  • ⤷ mixology, pilates, knitting, tea, & biking
•  ☑⠀ transition to a car-free daily lifestyle
  • ⤷ moved to a city with good public transit, bought a bike, & sold car
•  ▣⠀ travel at least once a year (excepting 2020)
•  ▣⠀ visit at least one friend once a year (excepting 2020)
•  ☑⠀ visit canada
  • ⤷ sault ste. marie, ontario
•  ☑⠀ visit more u.s. national parks for the first time
  • ⤷ badlands, rocky mountain, yellowstone, mammoth cave, great smoky mountains, indiana dunes, gateway arch, & hot springs
•  ☑⠀ visit more u.s. states for the first time
  • ⤷ south dakota, pennsylvania, florida, new jersey, new york, colorado, nebraska, indiana, tennessee, utah, idaho, montana, wyoming, louisiana, kentucky, connecticut, rhode island, massachusetts, missouri, & arkansas
•  ☑⠀ visit southeast asia
  • ⤷ thailand, malaysia, singapore, & vietnam
•  ▣⠀ visit all five great lakes
  • ⤷ lake michigan, lake superior, lake erie, lake ontario, & lake huron
•  ☑⠀ volunteer locally
  • ⤷ esl classroom teacher, esl tutor, ciff volunteer, bookstore volunteer
•  ☑⠀ watch akira kurosawa's filmography
•  ☑⠀ watch the studio ghibli filmography
•  ☐⠀ write one short story

bonus. i have time left, and because i'm always ambitious.

•  ☐⠀ become a volunteer citizen archivist for the u.s. national archives
•  ☐⠀ develop an ashtanga yoga practice
•  ☐⠀ get in the best physical shape of my life
•  ▣⠀ reach 100/1,001 on the "before you die" lists
•  ▣⠀ transition to a sustainable wardrobe and style