Before I turn 30...

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In ten months I'll be joining the "dirty thirties" movement. Contrary to how most people feel about turning thirty, it absolutely doesn't mean anything bad to me. In fact, I feel that your thirties are probably your best years. But that's just me.

Before I turned 27 I made a list of 10 Things I want to do before I'm 30. To be honest, I kinda forgot about this list, until boredom fate made me read through some older blog posts earlier. And, wow, I can proudly say that I've already crossed 6 things from that list.

I officially have ten months left to achieve the rest of my goals, and then it will be time for some new ones. I'm not sure whether I'll be able to cross everything off the list, but I'm going to do my best to make it happen. 

Here's the list of the 10 Things I want to do before I'm 30:

1. Adopt a dog

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We only adopted Toby 3 weeks ago, but already I can't imagine not having him around. This little fur ball has crawled so deep into our hearts, and I'm so thankful that he came into our lives.

2. Visit Paris

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What a blessing to have been able to visit Paris with The Husband. We went there for a week during the summer of 2013, and it was even more magical than I thought it would be. I would go back in a heartbeat, and it really IS one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to.

3. Donate a lot of money to a charity

I don't know why I haven't done this yet, so I'm sure this will be the next thing I'll check off the list. Even though I sponsor a dog at a local animal rescue center, I also want to donate a considerable amount to a charity for rescued animals in Taiwan, as that's a cause I feel most passionate about.

4. Master liquid eyeliner 

Well, this one is debatable. I have been trying to do it more often (practice makes perfect), and I'm definitely getting better. But the thing with liquid eyeliner is, that you just never know what you're going to get. Some days it comes out perfectly, some days I just make a big mess on my eyelids and look like a raccoon. If I take my time, I can usually get it right. Not truly a "master", but I think this is probably as good as I'm going to get.  

5. Get engaged and married

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Check and check! The Husband and I got engaged during our week in Paris last year. (I know!) He proposed to me in front of the Eiffel Tower right before the tower lit up, while we were having a champagne picnic. There were literally thousands of people around us, but at that moment I felt that we were the only two people in the world. 

Seven months later we tied the knot in South Africa on a farm close to my hometown. Our friends and family flew in from around the world to celebrate our special day with us. It was absolutely perfect!

6. Fill up my passport with stamps

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I did it! My passport is officially full of stamps. Actually, on our last trip to the States, I got a little nervous about not having that much space left for stamps, but luckily it worked out fine. I love flipping through my passport and seeing all the countries I've been fortunate enough to visit. I can't wait to fill up the next one!

7. Go on a hot air balloon ride

Even though I'm so obsessed with this, everyone keeps informing me on how dangerous hot air balloon rides are. But I still really want to do it. (It's funny that I'm saying that, because usually I avoid any activity where I feel I might get hurt.) I know there are hot air balloon rides in Taiwan, but I want to go on one over the desert in the UAE. You know, like a magic carpet ride.

8. Write a children's book

The idea is in my head, but I haven't actually gotten to writing anything down. This is another item on the list that I truly want to achieve. Efforts must be doubled, as they say.

9. Buy myself an expensive designer purse

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I bought my first designer bag while we were in Paris. I figured THE shopping Mecca would be the best place to do it. Also, the 12% tax refund for tourists definitely spurred me on. I opted for the Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 bag in the Damier Ebene canvas. I think this bag is a timeless classic and I'll be able to keep it for the rest of my life. I use it quite often, as it goes with basically any outfit.

10. Apply for a master's degree program

Hmm, I'm not exactly sure about this one. On the one hand, I want to take time off from work to study Mandarin full time, but on the other hand I want to further my studies in my field (education). I'm not going to rush this decision, but who knows, I might have made up my mind by the time I turn 30.

I guess I'll have to get busy on the "unchecked" items. Be sure to check back in ten months to see if I managed to achieve the rest of my goals. Also, please share one goal that you'd like to achieve within the next ten months.

Happy Friday!