My 30 before 30 list: 1-5

Just 22 short months before I hit the landmark age of 30, and I’m brainstorming a few things I’d love to try or accomplish in that time. I’m a big believer that the moment I write something down, it transforms from an abstract ‘maybe someday’ to an actually attainable goal.

Here are the first five items on my list, in no particular order:

1. See manatees in the wild. Pretty much anyone who knows me beyond a handshake is clued into the fact that I’m obsessed with manatees and have been for 20 years. (This may explain why I’ve been lovingly gifted everything from a manatee spoon-holder and tea strainer to manatee boxer shorts!) I saw live manatees at Sea World as a kid, but I’d love to visit their home turf at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. I know touching/harassing manatees is a huge no-no, but it would be amazing to canoe or kayak among them. I’m also not-so-secretly terrified of sharks and open water.

2. Complete a sprint triathlon. I can run and bike, but I’m not a strong swimmer. At Girl Scout camp one year, I was the only one who didn’t qualify for the deepest section of the lake. I also tend to swim in a diagonal when I do backstroke. Awkward! My friend Cassie started small in her quest for triathlon training, and if I dedicate next summer to challenging myself in the pool, perhaps a year from now I’d be ready?

3. Finish the quilt I started for my mom’s 60th last fall. Both my mother and I are captains of unfinished projects. But she finally finished the Daisy Chain Sampler she was working on for me, so I think I need to follow through and finally put all of the fabric I invested in to use.

4. Learn how to shape and fill in my eyebrows. I have a weird fascination with women’s eyebrows. When properly maintained, they tend to make a face look “finished” and polish off a makeup look. Maybe I’ll try enlisting help from Ivy? I had it done once for me when I got professional makeup applied to model for Salon W and think it made a huge difference. Shameless computer camera selfie from that night:

5. Complete and submit a short piece of fiction for publication. I still do a fair share of freelance magazine and newspaper projects, but I’ve let my fiction writing muscle atrophy. I’d love to spend time on something, then submit it to a publication like Des Moines-based Spoilage, or next year’s Juice Fiction Contest, if they continue that.