Over two years ago I posted my 40 before 40 list. It quickly became apparent to me that I wouldn't check everything off...some would not be feasible, and some I just didn't have the desire to do anymore. I also did some things I never imagined I'd even have the opportunity to do when I made this list - like travel to South Africa, or buy a shore house, or meet Bruce Springsteen - which were awesome before 40 bonuses. Some of my 40 wishes did come true though. I think I liked making this list more than anything - and I won't be making a 50 list because 50 things is a lot.
See a play on Broadwaydone March 4Walk over the Brooklyn Bridgedone March 4- Skydive so I still sort of want to do this, but I'm not sure if that's because I think I want to or because I actually want to
Go tubing on a riverdone August 13- Volunteer at a
soup kitchen - not technically, although we did volunteer on Thanksgiving day to serve and clean up food in 2015
Eat a lobster roll in Mainedone July 18, 2015Stay in a Falls View room at Niagara Falls- done March 14-16, 2015Write a novelladone December 2015. This will not see the light of day.Tip 100% of the bill at a restaurant- at the Tuckahoe Inn on September 24, 2016Go whale watching- in Cape May, September 24, 2016See Mt. Rushmore- done September 2015Take a spontaneous weekend trip – deciding to go and leaving that same daydone July 24, 2015-
Watch Old Faithful blow- done September 2015 - Stroll along the Seine went to Scotland instead
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Go to high tea.In Scotland. - Learn conversational French Abandoned when Paris was abandoned
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Adopt a family in need at ChristmasChristmas 2015 - Witness the
changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace Never made it to England
- Go to a college
football game I gave away tickets in a bigger stadium to go to the shore
Eat at a farm to table restaurant (stole this one from Jana, thanks friend!)Talula's Garden on June 19, 2015, and many more after that.Read two Agatha Christie novels – a Marple and a PoirotI hated the Marple (attempted in May 2015) but liked the Poirot (read in June 2015)Participate in a walk to raise money for pancreatic cancerNovember 2015Get the tattoo on my back touched upMarch 2017 (see pic on the bottom)Stand on the Cliffs of MoherNovember 2, 2016- Buy a pair of Frye boots I've hated every pair I've tried on so far. I bought Pikolinos instead and I fucking love them.
- Go to the opera Opera on the Mall was cancelled due to weather and rescheduled to when I couldn't go
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See the Mississippi River- February 2016 Beignets at Café du Monde- February 2016-
Conquer my fear of the grillSummer 2015 - I made myself grill once a week. - See the Chincoteague Ponies - newp. But I will see the ponies on Ocracoke this summer.
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Have dinner at Vetri- September 3, 2015 Cheesesteak tour in Philly- I did the cheesesteak festival and I'm calling it done- Visit the Morris Arboretum - this was my backup plan for my birthday since we couldn't be at the shore. We also couldn't de-ice my car in a timely manner, so, no.
- Go to the Mutter Museum
Attend an author event at the Philadelphia Free Library- Toni Morrison book signing April 29, 2015. I also saw Jodi Picoult there with Jana in October 2016.- Get something published on HuffPost I never even tried
- Take a cooking or
baking class Stopped looking
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Learn how to use a drillShore house work spring 2016 - Pick strawberries and make a strawberry
pie from them abandoned, not interested
- Bake French bread - I am literally never allowed to put this on a to do list ever again in my life.
I've never avoided the fact that I'm a girl who likes food, so when I read that you attended a cheesesteak festival in Philly, I was even more jealous of this fact than you going to South Africa. I have an unhealthy relationship with food.
ReplyDeleteAbandon the sky diving. Please. So many things that aren't on this list are amazing. Africa. And coming up this week- sleeping out to benefit Covenant House. You've done so many awesome and wonderful things for others. Continued Goddess speed❣️ Love you and so proud of you to infinity and beyond. Your. Momma
ReplyDeleteSkydiving's not so bad. :-) I did it; it feels pretty empowering. I was harnessed to a jump instructor so I could experience the free fall. He knew what he was doing. I agree...Steph, you're pretty amazing! Cheers to you.
DeleteThat's an awesome list. I have been considering revising my 30 by 30 list because...yeah, some of that just ain't happening. Congrats & Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteMy cousin went to Chincoteague last year and I was obsessed with her pony pictures!
ReplyDeleteYou did a pretty damn good job with this list, if the measure of "doing well" in something like this is having fun, meaningful experiences you'll cherish. I still have skydiving on my hypothetical bucket list, but it doesn't feel like something I'll aggressively pursue doing anytime soon. Maybe when I reach my 30s? ;)
What a great list! You have accomplished so many!
ReplyDeleteFrye boots are massively overrated, not to worry. Is there a particular style of boot you're looking for? Because I can direct you to some better ones!
ReplyDeleteCan you please still go to the Mutter Museum? I'm dying to see your photos of it!
I think you've accomplished some amazing stuff on this list and your bonuses are even better!
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed at the things marked off... & love even more the things you've since learned dont even matter anymore or better decisions made. Life is all about moving forward.
ReplyDeleteLove this. You did a lot! My brother and SIL got engaged at the Mutter Museum. She's a doctor but I still always thought it was an interesting location choice! What happened with the french bread?
ReplyDeleteYou killed it with this list, awesome! Going to high tea is definitely something I'd love to do <3
ReplyDeleteWow you nailed that list. You have accomplished so many great things. I have accomplished so very little in life, I'm such a slacker.
ReplyDeleteI love your tattoo! So gorgeous and you. I like looking at others tattoos but I'm leery (read super scared of potential pain) of getting one myself. You did a great job with your list! I have never put one together. I'm contemplating 50 before 50 but like you said - it seems like so much. I'd start listing crap just to reach 50, which defeats of the purpose of doing something like this.
ReplyDeleteGirl you have accomplished a lot on that list! And it seems like the ones you didn't you either did something similar, or just had schedule conflicts. I'd choose the shore over a football game anyway :)
ReplyDeleteI've been to the Mutter. Don't go. It's upsetting.
ReplyDeleteI'd say you were pretty darn successful! I'm a huge fan of these lists if only because they remind me that I could be doing something new and fun on the weeks or weekends that I feel "bored." :)
ReplyDeleteYou've done SO much! HAHAHA at the french bread comment. I've attempted and ruined so many breads. Also love the way your tattoo turned out.
ReplyDeleteYour tattoo turned out so good! Good for you for accomplishing so much on this list, I am totally copying and since I am so close to 40 I'm going to cheat and put in stuff I have already done ;) Lol to the french bread, I love making bread and still have no desire to attempt that!
ReplyDeleteYou pretty much crushed your list. I like having a guide, but not doing something I no longer want to do just because I put it on a list. I think I might do a 101 in 1001... if I can come up with that many things.
ReplyDeleteYou did so much on your list!!!! I love the tattoo. :)
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I abandoned my 40 by 40. But you did a hell of a job on yours. I am quite impressed.
ReplyDeleteIt is seriously impressive how much off this list you did, especially since you also did cool things that weren't on the list!
ReplyDeleteThe French bread one really makes me laugh because I remember another time you posted it and I thought I should try it too. Nope. Just the Pillsbury kind.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think we (the collective we) just want to skydive because "we" think we should. I will not.
Skydiving...no thank you!! And LOL @ baking french bread. Otherwise you accomplished so much and more on your list and I love how the tattoo coverup turned out. My husband needs a coverup desperately.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about a 50 before 50. I'm 45 now so it's time. Thanks for the inspiration. The cooking class is fun and now Sur La Table has fun options (and discounts on many of them) and the Mutter Museum is fascinating! Kudos to you on a life well lived thus far. Here's to the next round.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty freaking impressed with your 40 before 40 - I think you accomplished an impressive amount! That tattoo transformation is amazing . . . love it!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty freaking impressed with your 40 before 40 - I think you accomplished an impressive amount! That tattoo transformation is amazing . . . love it!
ReplyDeleteIgnore the comment above - dang kids using my computer! Sorry . . . again!
DeleteThis is awesome! You really did do so much in two years!! I feel like I'd make one of these lists and fill it with things I really want to do that aren't necessarily feasible or I'd be uninterested by most of them in six months. Haha!
ReplyDeleteLove the tattoo result! Also, don't make me beg for the Novella. GIVE US THE NOVELLA!
ReplyDeletei feel the same way about skydiving. i kind of want to, but we are going to NZ which would be a great place to do it and I somehow talked myself out of it. KC is 100% against it. which is weird to me, because i feel like his personality is totally jump out of a plane whereas mine is not. but no matter, neither of us are jumping out of a plane (we are going white water rafting instead, because that's similar lol).
ReplyDeletehad to laugh at your french bread one. i would love to bake bread.. that is on my list in my head. don't know about french bread, but some form of bread that is not bought from the store.
this might sound dramatic but i feel like my life changed so much from 27-30 which is when i made my 30 before 30, so things i put on there just weren't important a year or two down the line, so i'm not sure if i want to do a 40 before 40 or 35 or whatever.
I died laughing at number 40. I intend to sneak it on your list sometime when you aren't expecting it... but truly, 40 before 40 has provided you so many opportunities to grow and stretch yourself. Cheers to you!
ReplyDeleteSur La Table offers cooking and baking classes all the time and sometimes you can get lucky and score a class for HALF OFF!
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