So in the months leading up to my 29th birthday, I asked friends and family to challenge me to accomplish something by 30.

Here’s what they came up with:

Athletic/Physical [Known As: Kick Ass & Take Names]

• My challenge for you is to do 5 minutes of planks a day in some combination of straight arm, forearm, all fours and side planks. – KQ [Started on 10-10-16]
• Learn to do something upside down in a pole dancing class! – MC
• Skydiving – JS, JC, KT
• Take a trapeze class – TH
• Go salsa dancing – JC
• Go kayaking – JSW
• Attend yoga classes for a month. Being consistent with your practice. Feel the difference. Post postures in your FB feed – PL [Started on 7-24-16 & continued on 10-10-16]
• Be physically active – AM [Started on 7-24-16 & continued on 10-10-16]
• Be able to do the bird of paradise yoga position – Me!
• Run a 1/2 marathon before you turn 30. – MD, BB, GS
• Do a color run 5K – AB
• Take a Zumba class – WW
• Try archery – WW
• Be in a flash mob. – EM

 

Spiritual/Mental/Giving Back [Known As: Namaste Bitches]

• Volunteer 30 hours at your local shelter before you turn 30 – AK [Started on 9-1-16]
• Learning to meditate (even if you decide not to keep it as a practice) might be an interesting one. – KI-S [Working on it as of 6-1-16]
• Get up earlier and use that time to focus on something you love – DBQ [Working on it as of 6-1-16]
• Start a charity foundation – JN
• Strengthen relationships formed throughout your life. – KBH [Recommitted to this on 10-10-16]
• Buy 30 meals for 30 homeless people over the year – HB
• Have at least one full week, 7 days, where you just allow yourself to be happy, not complain about anything, but relish on all the good in your life and around you – JEB [Completed the week of July 10-16]
• Do one nice thing for yourself every week 🙂 self care, yo! – AK [Recommitted to this on 10-10-16]
• Relax and spend some quality time with yourself at least one hour every week – JCT [Started on 7-24-16 & continued on 10-10-16]

 

Cooking/Food [Known As: Noms]

• Choose a country, then make meal from scratch of one of its dishes. Serve with one of its drinks. – JSW
• Stomp grapes to make wine – RS
• Bake a cake/pie from scratch, including frosting (cake)/crust (pie). – CAR
• Make a Mexican dinner entirely from scratch (tortillas too!).- CAR
• Learn how to cook a soufflé – AB (2)
• Try one brand new (to you) food item from a different country per month. – RC

 

Travel [Known As: Leaving On A Midnight Train]

• Take a trip somewhere you have never been – alone. – MPM, DA, IS
• Attend a music festival and camp there – AT
• See all 5 Great Lakes.- CAR
• See the Northern Lights – RA
• Go to Vegas – RA
• Watch the sunrise over the monuments in DC – RA
• Visit California – SM
• Show up at the airport with a bag packed but no ticket and find a destination when you get there. – CR
• Travel to Iceland – Me
• Camp outside, on the ground, in a tent, in a sleeping bag // Go on a camping trip (not in an RV) with the family, bring your camera and go on a nature photography adventure – HJ & SH
• Go ziplining in NH over the beautiful mountains and rivers – ER
• I challenge you to find fun free or inexpensive things to do in the town and surrounding area. – DL
• Spend a day by yourself as a tourist in Boston – WW
• Go on a whale watch – WW
• Take a road trip to Salem, MA – WW
• Hike the Grand Canyon – IS

 

Reading/Writing [Known As: #BookAddict]

• Send a card to someone (as many different someones) every day. – MA [Working on it as of 6-25-16]
• Journal daily with the intent to publish on your 30th. – MA, NMS [Working on it with this blog!]
• Read a classic book that you’ve always thought about reading but never took the time. – SYM
• Read all of the books I own – Me [Working on it as of 6-20-16]
• Get story published by a major magazine under your own name – Me [Started on 7-24-16]

 

Misc [Known As: Amateur Hour]

• Learn ASL (Learn a New Language) – SR, MK [Working on it as of 7-17-16]
• Watch all 7 Rocky movies (Rocky 1-5, Rocky Balboa, and Creed) – BO
• Try something this year that scares you, something you could never see yourself doing! – AK, YA
• See a play or musical you’ve never seen live. High school, college, national tour, Broadway, doesn’t matter – live theater is always magic. – KR
• Learn how to drive a stick – AB (2)
• Do a TED Talk – JN
• Take target practice with a pistol at a shooting range. – SYM
• Pay off all of our credit card debt – Me
• Trace my ancestry – Me
• Get another dog – Me
• Create a capsule wardrobe – Me
• Get on TV – TE
• Start on your 401l – WW [Completed at the end of 2016]
• Get the haircut you’ve always wanted, but never thought you could pull off (you can!) – MM [Completed the week of July 10-16]
• Take an online class and learn to make your own greeting cards! – TH [Working on it as of 7-17-16]
• Make a dream board – MB [Started on 10-10-16]