I'm sitting here looking at the clock as it ticks to midnight, realizing my 30th year is officially complete. I'm in shock...and awe...and feel so extraordinarily blessed I don't even know where to start.
First an apology- I realize I went MIA last September but I promise it was for a good reason. Even though he wasn't in my plan for 30, Mike has added more laughter, light and depth to my life than anyone I have ever been associated with. He is the best "distraction" to ever cross my path.
Without further delay, an update. Here it goes:
1. Run a half marathon, a triathlon, and a dirty dash
2. Run or bike 30 miles every month
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| I seriously bike all the time. 30 miles is one ride these days. |
3. Get in the best shape of my life
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| July 2014. I'm in even better shape these days. |
4. Hike a long hike I’ve wanted to do
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| Angels Landing, Zion National Park |
5. Go snow skiing again
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| Ski School, Snowbird |
6. Have a sleepover with all my nieces and nephews- This one never happened
7. Write letters to the 30 most important people in my life- I only wrote 5
8. Have a girls weekend with Mom, Kolbi and Holly
9. Go to lunch at least once a month with Kristen
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| She is my best friend for good reason |
10. Complete 30 acts of random kindness- done and done
11. Sample all 31 flavors of Baskin Robbins ice cream- I tried 20 different flavors...almost made it...Cherry Jubilee was my favorite (as a side note, did you know you can only try 4 flavors at a time and there are WAY more than 31 flavors now! Who knew!)
12. Read 30 books in a year- Like biking/running, this was simple. I finished 30 books in the first 4 months of 2014.
13. Throw myself a birthday party
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| Classic Skating was rad |
14. Spa Day- it was amazing. Must repeat soon.
15. Draw closer to God through worship, prayer and scripture study- Spiritual growth is a hard thing to quantify but I have learned to hear more and to feel more precisely.
16. Splurge on something I’ve wanted for years
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| and I've loved every second of it. |
17. Write a letter to myself for when I turn 40- on my computer. Saved and done.
18. Change something in my house
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| My new bedspread makes me happy. |
19. Donate 30 pieces of clothes to DI- it was WAY more than 30 pieces. DI loved me this year.
20. See a psychic- Unfortunately, this never happened. It is more difficult to find a psychic than you think!
21. Buy an entire outfit in one shopping trip
22. Learn a new hobby (painting, boxing, photography, guitar etc)
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| It's more of an obsession now. |
23. Watch the sunrise and sun set on a beach I’ve never been too
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| Waikiki, Oahu, HI |
24. Visit a new international city
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| Puerto Vallarta, Mexico |
25. Do something that scares me
26. Karaoke in public (this terrifies me!)
27. Skydive or bungee jump- planned twice and fell through both times. :/
28. Get scuba certified and go diving
29. Go to Disneyland and ride the rides at least 30 times
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| My greatest blessings call me Aunt |
30. Spend an entire week at Lake Powell or the cabin
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| View from a hike at the cabin |
So there you have it. I completed 25 of the things on my list and I have to say, the year was EPIC. It turned out even better than I thought it would! I laughed, I cried, I felt lonely and I felt loved. I learned new things and replaced fear with faith. I tried to love more deeply, be more optimistic and continuously look for the adventure in every situation I was in.
I made a plan for my 30th. Not everything turned out exactly how I expected yet it has been my best year to date. I can hardly wait to see what 31 has in store!!
Much love to you all and happy 31 to me!
~Stef
