40 Under 40: Celebrating My 30's, July 2014 - 2024

As much as I was bummed about turning 30 years old, I was even less excited about turning 40. I remember my Dad turning 40 and thinking he was so old. I couldn't possibly be that old, could I?

When I turned 30, my sister Christy told me that her 30s were some of her favorite years and that the decade was so great because she actually had money to go do the fun things she wanted. I definitely agree with that sentiment to an extent, that money has not been an issue as my career has progressed and with a little luck in the real estate market. I've moved around a lot in my 30s, and just now getting settled into my latest home in the Fort Worth, Texas area.

My ex- was a major part of my life throughout my 30s, but after nearly 10 years of both amazing adventures and interpersonal frictions, I released him back into the wild and have been single for the last year and a half. Dating at this age has been a little miserable and a little crazy, but I'm in a good place right now romantically, even if not in a dedicated relationship yet.

One of the reasons I was bummed about turning 30 ten years ago was because I felt like I hadn't accomplished what I wanted to yet by that point. To attempt to combat that disappointment, I wrote a blog listing thirty things I had accomplished and of which I was proud. Continuing that theme, I thought I'd do the same for turning 40. What I ended up with was a little different, but here are 32 Life List accomplishments plus 8 other categories of things for/of which I'm grateful or proud.
    
In my 30's alone, I completed 32 things from my Life List, and did some items more than once (e.g. sleep in a capsule hotel, swim with dolphins, swim with giant sea turtles).

 

32 Life List Achievements Accomplished in My 30's:

Number	Act	Date Completed
6	Walk the Boardwalk in Atlantic City	7/11/2015
11	Ride a tandem bicycle	7/4/2021
15	Publish a book	2/10/2020
19	Ride a bullet train	5/21/2016
23	Confront a cadaver	3/28/2015
24	Sleep in a capsule hotel	5/19/2016
29	Read Catch 22	10/29/2016
31	Walk the Champs-Élysées	7/1/2018
34	See the Colisseum	6/22/2018
42	Swim with a dolphin	2/27/2020
45	Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower	7/1/2018
48	Eat a fugu	5/21/2016
49	Ride a gondola	6/21/2018
51	Attend a performance at the Grand Ole Opry	9/16/2022
53	Snorkel or Scuba through the Great Barrier Reef	9/25/2017
56	Stay at the Hamptons	7/14/2017
57	Spend a night in a haunted house (or hotel, or castle, etc)	7/30/2016
59	Tour the Hershey Chocolate Factory in PA	7/13/2015
68	Spot a wild javalina	12/25/2014
78	Tap a maple tree for sap	4/7/2018
84	Tour Niagara Falls	7/10/2015
89	Cruise through the Panama Canal	2/19/2020
93	Photograph an endangered species	12/21/2023
96	Walk the ruins of Pompeii	6/1/2018
101	See the Louvre Pyramid	7/1/2018
110	Swim with giant sea turtles	7/22/2014
129	Watch a Sumo wrestling match	5/18/2016
132	Watch a show at the Sydney Opera House	9/28/2017
134	Drink at the Taste of Chicago	7/8/2015
135	Attend a tea party during the cherry blossoms	3/26/2019
144	Go wine tasting in Europe	6/26/2018
145	Eat at a Wingers	4/1/2022

 

8 Additional Highlights of My 30s:

1.  Achieved career goals of making 6-digit salary and becoming a manager 

 

2.  Performed multiple times with the Gypsy Jitterbugs, including my favorite routine, Rosie the Riveter. Post break-up, I got back into swing dancing and recently joined a new dance troupe locally!

3.  Painted some pretty neat artwork of which I'm proud

4.  Had several amazing vacations:

         - Epic Road trip - 6607 miles of driving, 61 unique roller coasters, 7 theme parks, 15 days

 

                             

 

         - Traveled to Australia on long-awaited itinerary planned ~10 years prior 

 

   

         - Learned about Ice Wine and attended an Ice Wine Festival

 

         - Dressed up and attended Dapper Day at Disneyland

 

 
         - Took the time to do the full transit Panama Canal cruise while in between jobs 

 

 

 

 

          - Treated family to vacation home in Hawaii for Christmas and to celebrate my parents' 50th Anniversary 

 

 

 

5. Moved five times for work-related reasons:

• AZ --> CT June 2017
• CT --> FL July 2018
• FL --> San Diego March 2020
• San Diego --> Palmdale, CA June 2021
• CA --> TX April 2024

 

 

6. Did some crazy things that maybe should have been on my Life List but weren't:

• Went splunking (guided, but still neat)

 
 

 

• Played knockerball

 

 

• Hiked "The Wave" in Coyote Buttes North (again)

 

 

• Swam with rays (rays not pictured)
  

7. Had a "White Christmas", a "Christmas in the Sand" and even a "White Sand Christmas" (in PCB)

8. Designed and created Lego Room in Palmdale house, complete with a mural, ceiling light fixture, and custom curtains

 

 

All in all, I guess you could say I had a good decade. And so far, my 40's are looking to be even better!