30 Before 30: Epic Quest of Awesome

***1/8/13 Updates***  This post has been moved over to my LIFE LIST.  

***6/3/12 Update***  I hereby change the name of this post to "30 WHILE 30"!  What can I say?  Life got crazy.  Being self-employed DOES NOT = leisurely lounging around, working on blog posts, and watching The Chew while cupcakes are baking...HAHA!  This list WILL be completed by 5/29/13. 

Shortly after turning 29, I got the notion that I should put together a list of 30 things to accomplish before I turn the big 3-0. Stuff I’ve been wanting to do for a while, but for whatever reason because I’ve been busting my ass baking cupcakes 24-7, haven’t gotten around to doing yet. I’ll admit, a few of the things on the list are, while not unattainable, rather ambitious. Honestly, if I make it through half of the things, I’ll be a happy camper. Especially since I’ve just now gotten serious about tackling it with only a little over a month until D-Day. 

1. Travel outside the US - DONE!  My unplanned, solo adventure through Costa Rica was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.  I cannot wait to go on another trip like that and am secretly (I guess not so much anymore) planning a trip to Mexico.  Next time, I’ll try not to leave my camera behind on a shuttle.

2. Meet my pseudo-nephew Will – DONE!  Finally made it out to Medina, TN (pronounced ma-DINE-ah, where nothing is fine-ER than living in Ma-DINE-ah...yeah, I know, totally makes no sense) for a visit with the BFF, her hubs and their little one.  It was a craptacular (New Year's Eve) weekend which included: scratch off tickets, casinos, fireworks, backyard fires, buckets of water, epic Titans football win, and copious amounts of alcohol.  

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So precious!

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Slobbery McSlobberpants. 

3. Get hot pink highlights in my hair – DONE!  Ok, so it was just one streak, but it was totally cool and made me feel like a rebel.   

4. Go kayaking – DONE!  This went along with number 1.  I sea kayaked one morning in Samara, Costa Rica. It was a blast and a great workout too!

5. Go to a wine tasting – DONE!  Well, technically this was more of a drunk wine FEST that mom and I went to back in October, but we certainly tasted our fair share of wine (and then some). Highlights included mom dancing with random strangers and me carrying around a half drunk (drank? drunken?) bottle of wine like it was my “baby”.  Good times x2.

6. Purge all of the junk out of my house - Three trips to the thrift store and a bulging trashcan later, this one is ALMOST DONE.  One area left to tackle and I will be junk free.  This was actually one of the toughest things on the list because I've always had the habit of hanging onto things for sentimental reasons.  Ultimately, I just got sick of having useless junk everywhere and became OK with throwing these things away (or donating them).  I mean shit, if I'm going to be working from home everyday, I need to maximize what little space I have in my apartment.  And clinging to every birthday card, tchotchke, rooster salt & pepper shaker I've ever been given is not helping me do so. 

7. Brew my own beer.

8. Run another marathon - DONE!  Crushed it.

9. Take a cake decorating class.

10. Visit a museum I've never been to before.  Zimmerman family, how the hell did we miss Barney Smith's Toilet Seat Art Museum when we were in San Antonio last year?!?! 

11. Sing karaoke (for old time's sake). 

12. Bake a souffle.

13. Hot yoga - DONE!  Back in January I did some cupcakes for the marketing director of Hot House Yoga.  When I dropped them off to her I casually mentioned how I'd been wanting to try hot yoga.  Well, she gave me her card w/ a note on the back good for two free classes.  At 15 bucks a pop, I'll take it!  So this past Monday, I finally dropped into a class...they're not kidding about the HOT part.  Workout-wise, I wasn't that impressed.  I didn't feel challenged, I just felt...ridiculously sweaty and uncomfortable.  Some people swear by it.  To each their own.  I'll stick with my FREE yoga classes at One Life that make me feel challenged and sore the next day. 

14. Get a cupcake tattoo. - I'm going to count the whisk & spoon tattoo that I got back in August towards this.  Originally it was going to be a cupcake, but I changed my mind at the last minute and am so happy I did.  I LOVE IT. 

15. Go to the shooting range - DONE!  Nothing like a trip to shooting range with your, gun totin', conservative, brother Andrew.  We had a blast and, more importantly, I am slowly becoming comfortable with something that has always been a great source of fear and anxiety to me.  We've already made plans for another shootin' date!  (I remain liberal in my beliefs:  Mo' guns = mo' problems.) 

16. No soda for a week. 

17. Refinish a piece of furniture.

18.  Complete the 100 push up challenge.

19. Go camping.

20. Eat the worm from a bottle of Mezcal.

21. Take a pole dancing class.

22. Get a library card. - DONE!  And I already have late fees!  Hooray! 

23. Play a game of Monopoly until the bitter end

24. Reconnect with 5 old friends.

25. Buy the coffee for the person behind me in the Starbucks drive-thru.  (I don't even go through the Starbucks drive-thru, I've just always wanted to do this!)

26. Volunteer at a local race.

27. Travel to a big city. - DONE!  Chuck Z (mom) and I took a fun filled trip to Philly & NYC last May.  We visited the Reading Terminal Market.  Strolled through Central Park.  And saw a taping of The Chew!  ''Twas the best trip ever.  Except for driving through NYC in rush hour traffic...that I could go my whole like with never having to do again.  I think I left permanent grip marks on the steering wheel. 

28. Finish writing my business plan - DONE!  Ok, I lied.  I don't know if this will ever be DONE.  My vision for Roxie's Cupcakes is ever evolving and it's really hard to put it all on paper.  As far as the immediate future is concerned, I know where I want to go with it and what I want it to become.  It's all up here bitches ((pointing to my brain)). 

29. For the love of God, join match.com and start dating again!!! - DONE! Has been an interesting experience thus far...haha!  If nothing else, I'll have some great stories to take from it! 

30. Quit my day job and become a full time cupcake baker - Obviously, I saved the best (and most important to me) for last.  It brings me great joy to mark this one as DONE!

Updates to follow as I mark off the remaining 18 items!!!