30 Things for my Next 30 Years

So, I turn 30 tomorrow.  

I hope to celebrate by crossing a triathlon finish line.  I also hope that I won’t lose any of my appendages to frostbite because it is going to be C-O-L-D.  

Last night when I was driving Ina home from her grandparents’ house the song, My Next 30 Years popped in my head.

I know, so cheesy, right?

I started thinking about what I wanted the next 30 years of my life to look like.  Thinking about my age doubling in number and the person I would be as a result of those extra years was weird.  Creepy.  Blurry.

I know that what I do every year until then will form that 60-year-old-Racheal.  To some extent, my actions determine my destiny.  What do I want my destiny to be?  Pretty heavy question.  So much pressure.

One of my favorite sayings is, “If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.” I know that I could be way off, but here are 30 things I want to do in the next 30 years to form that 60-year-old-Racheal that I sort of met last night.  

1. Have another child.  Hopefully this will happen closer to 30 than 60.
2. Read the entire bible in chronological order.  Then read it again.  And again.  And again.
3. Travel to Greece, Italy, and South Africa.
4. Write a book.  Or a short story.  Or a children’s book.
5. Start a weekly family dinner at my house.  Get a bigger table.
6. Find a way to introduce others to good food and good exercise
7. Become completely debt free and not acquire more debt.  
8. Run a marathon.
9. Speak in front of a large group of people about something I am both knowledgable and passionate about.
10. Help bring something that Dan invented in his head to life.  
11. Build my career, but don’t let it define me.  
12. Complete a half iron-man <—crazy talk.
13. Create a completely welcoming, hotel-like guest room. (This may actually take 30 years.)
14. Plant something on my grandparents’ farm for large-scale harvesting.  I am thinking peaches.
15. Get chickens.  Eat their eggs.  
16. Start a large scale ministry or mission with my church.
17. Become comfortable sharing my faith with others and introducing them to Jesus.
18. See the Chiefs go to the Super Bowl or the Royals go to the World Series.  Come on KC, give me something here. 
19. Open a weekend bed and breakfast/antique shop with Dan.
20. Drive across the US from ocean to ocean.  Stop a lot.
21. Build a house, let Dan design everything, except for the kitchen.  That is mine.
22. Create recipes.  Share them.  
23. Get a nice camera and learn how to take nice-camera pictures.
24. Have grandchildren. (hopefully?)
25. Charter a sail boat in the Caribbean.
26. Sell something at a farmer’s market.
27. Take advantage of my children and grandchildren’s education.  (Re)Learn with them.  
28. Retire or at least go part time to play with grandchildren
29. Work on a drug that cures cancer (a girl can dream, right?)
30. Get a cookie jar.  Keep it full.

I think I am going to like 60-year-old-Racheal.  

Past birthday posts:

28 things in my 28th year

5 steps to an awesome birthday

29 things in my 29th year