40 before 40

When I turned 25, I had a bit of a "quarter-life crisis". To help battle my feelings of failure and disappointment, I made a list of 5 goals that I wanted to achieve by 30. They were:

1. Be married (hopefully to Superman)
2. Have (at least started) a family
3. Have a job in my career field
4. Own a house
5. Own a boat

In the years between writing the list and turning 30 (2009), I had forgotten about my list. But as luck would have it, a few months after turning the big 3-0, I found it. I was very satisfied to see my progress.

1. Be married (hopefully to Superman) Check!
2. Have (at least started) a family Done! Check!
3. Have a job in my career field Check!
4. Own a house Almost check, as I was in the process of finalizing the purchase of our house.
5. Own a boat Not even close. However, seeing as I had two toddlers, this was also no longer a goal.

Recently, I decided I needed to make a new list. Goals of things to achieve by the time I'm 40. Here it is (in no particular order)...

My List:

1. Write a book (Even if I NEVER publish it.)
2. Get something published (photo, article, etc.) (journal article Fall 2015)
3. Sell something on etsy.com (summer 2011)
4. Present at a national conference (ACTFL - November 2015)
5. Have a job I love
6. Continue my education (through a certificate, another Masters, or start PhD) (IST Grad Certificate May 2014)
7. Jog a 5K (without stopping to walk)
8. Finish a half-marathon (don't care if I have to walk!)
9. Learn yoga (summer 2013)
10. Achieve a normal weight BMI (18.5–24.9)
11. Cook an entire Thanksgiving meal by myself (Thanksgiving 2013)
12. Grow an herb garden  (summer 2011)
13. Grow a vegetable garden (summer 2011)
14. Learn how to jar/can something (jarred jalapeños grown from my own garden summer 2013)
15. Make my own hot sauce (summer 2016)
16. Make my own wine
17. Take a "girls only" vacation (St. Louis - February 2015)
18. Take my kids to Disney World (March 2013 and again May 2014)
19. Take Superman to Cabo
20. Visit my good friend in India
21. Go to Hawaii (visit where I was born)
22. Go white water rafting
23. Take a cruise
24. Travel by train*
25. See a show on Broadway
26. Finish Thing1 & Thing2's scrapbooks (spring 2011)
27. Scrapbook my wedding (summer 2011)
28. Scrapbook my college years
29. Scrapbook my high school photos
30. Learn to play piano
31. Learn to use my serger (summer 2011)
32. Learn to knit
33. Learn to use coupons (making it a habit)
34. Read at least 15 more books from the top 100 novels list
35. Put myself on the bone marrow transplant list
36. Fill a recipe box with my favorite recipes (including family recipes) (fall 2013, made a family recipe cookbook on shutterfly)
37. Build something (like a shed, or pantry, etc)  (craft table...summer 2011)
38. Establish a style
39. Add charms for my sons to my charm bracelet
40. Take part in a Flash Mob

Wish me luck and keep me honest!

*I realized after I wrote this that I have already traveled by train when my best friend FotoGal and I backpacked through Europe together in college. What I mean more specifically is taking a vacation (with my train loving sons) through the U.S. by train. Which I have never done.