my 29th year bucket list

Birthdays. Aren't they funny? When you are younger you can't wait to be older and when you get to where you *think* you want to be, all you want to do is go back! I will say that I'm pretty comfortable in my skin these days and the number that comes along with it. Most of my friends have or are about to hit the big 3-OH, so I've had some time to do a little observing of life after your 20's. I will say that I'm blessed to have such amazing friends that have taken on 30 with so much grace! I had heard rumblings (not from my group of friends, but others) that they were really dreading turning 30 and were having a hard time coping with it. I wondered why? Is it because maybe they aren't doing what they thought they would be doing or hadn't achieved goals they thought they would by 30? When you put it that way, maybe it is hard to swallow. I will be the first to say that the job I have now is not ANYTHING like what I'd ever imagined doing, but you know what...it's not all bad. I had envisioned a life of NYC, tiny studio apartment, traveling like crazy for some cut-throat job hoping to build an empire of my own. That was my 20-something dream. Now it sounds like a nightmare.

Instead my 20's went something like this:

Had the BEST 21st birthday party ever. Seriously, I still look back and pictures and laugh...
Graduated from college at 21 with a degree in Apparel Design and Merchandising
Had already been working retail for several years and was completely burnt out and couldn't imagine a life like that
Landed my first "real" job at a law firm being a legal assistant working real 40 hour weeks and riding the bus to downtown, although I had/have no idea what I'm doing...just keep typing. I knew I could do that.
Was still dating my college sweetheart
By age 22 was engaged to said college sweetheart (December after graduation)
Got married to said college sweetheart (6 months later)
The next day I turned 23
We bought our first house
Had a TON of great parties and memories
Decorated, did yard work, did nothing and slept until noon on the weekends
At age 26 I found out I was going to be a mommy
At age 26 almost 27, I became a mommy
At age 28 we rented out our house and moved in with my parents while our dream house is being built
At age 28 (almost 29) I realize, you know what? It's been a pretty awesome decade.

I'm not mourning the last year of my 20's, I'm going to embrace it with everything I've got!

So, here comes the bucket list. I'm not going to look back on my 20's and think about what my life would have been like had I ever ended up in NYC instead of with the love of my life and then the other love of my life that came 4 years later. But, I do want to make the MOST out of this last year of my 20's and make it one I'll ALWAYS remember! Cheers to promising myself a totally legen....wait for it....dary year!

Leslie's 29th Year Bucket List

Walk/Run a 5K

Go to the Kentucky Derby...big hat, fancy dress, in the stands

Explore the Bourbon Trail (this may be on my husband's bucket list more than mine, but that's okay :)

Ride the Megabus to Chicago

**Learn how to just accept a compliment and not feel like I always have to explain myself or downplay it.**

Get my hands on a 8mm film camera

Complete 10 things that I pinned to my DIY board on Pinterest. And prove that I did it by blogging about it!

This may seem completely self-indulgent and a little vain of myself, but I want to have some portraits taken...of me...just me.  One day I know I'll be thankful to look back on them.  I'm in the best shape of my life, I've had a baby and on my way to 30.  I'll think of this as my Senior pictures.  Like 29 is my Senior Year of high school again and I'm about to graduate to the 30 somethings.  

Read 5 new books. (I'll  take suggestions too!)

Try a yoga class

Write more handwritten letters instead of emails. I mean who doesn't love getting mail?

Get out and hit up some local farmer's markets.  Between the ones in town and the huge one at Findlay Market, I have NO excuses not to go!  

Search for some peace

And to put the cherry on top of my 29th year (which I know is in another 364 days) I want all of my friends to celebrate my 30th with a super duper fun GLAMPING trip!  Let's break out the real silverware, real plates, fancy glasses and get our glamorous camping on!

Don't worry, I already have a Pinterest board starting for the glamping trip :)

It's a start, and certainly not complete. I'm also going to make a promise to myself to keep up with my blogging and hopefully blog about all of the items on my bucket list!