35Things.txt
35 Things to Do Before I'm 35
this list is inspired by jem, whose new list is for her 40th. i used to make lists like these all the time when i was young, before i had any real power over my own life. i even had a richard horne book, 101 things to do before you die—i was obsessed with checking off the things i was supposed to do™ in life. this list is meant to also inspire myself to write about these things as i complete them.
my 35th birthday will be january 15, 2026. now it feels serious!
- buy property
- soak in an onsen in japan
- get married
- learn piano
- stay in the most expensive suite in a five-star hotel
- see the aurora borealis
- get re-certified in open water scuba diving
- go to the opera
- submit my novel's manuscript
- cross the canadian border
- pay off my credit cards
- see castles in ireland
- create my first handmade journal with lined paper and self-bound binding
- incorporate a new healthy habit
- buy a round for everyone in a pub (thanks, richard)
- volunteer in my neighborhood
- do a public presentation
- eat vegetables from my own garden
- own my own business even if it's not full-time
- can my own vegetables from my own garden
- develop a daily routine
- get a professional certification in my field
- become a plastic-free household as much as possible
- learn a new programming language
- create digital, private, self-hosted family photo albums
- create my own media server and cancel streaming
- camp in olympic national park
- go on an international group trip
- build my own web service from scratch
- submit my paintings to a gallery exhibition
- audition for a voice acting gig
- write a song
- visit an abandoned ghost town
- try psilocybin outdoors
- create an amazing home mocktail bar
i'm more surprised at how many creative things i'm wanting to do over the next two years, but honestly, i've felt that for a while. burnout really sucks the creativity out of you, and i've only started to feel it coming back lately.