the library of alexandra

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!

  1. buy property 7.10.24
  2. soak in an onsen in japan
  3. get married
  4. learn piano
  5. stay in the most expensive suite in a five-star hotel
  6. see the aurora borealis
  7. get re-certified in open water scuba diving
  8. go to the opera
  9. submit my novel's manuscript
  10. cross the canadian border
  11. pay off my credit cards
  12. see castles in ireland
  13. create my first handmade journal with lined paper and self-bound binding
  14. incorporate a new healthy habit
  15. buy a round for everyone in a pub (thanks, richard)
  16. volunteer in my neighborhood
  17. do a public presentation
  18. eat vegetables from my own garden
  19. own my own business even if it's not full-time
  20. can my own vegetables from my own garden
  21. develop a daily routine
  22. get a professional certification in my field
  23. become a plastic-free household as much as possible
  24. learn a new programming language
  25. create digital, private, self-hosted family photo albums
  26. create my own media server and cancel streaming
  27. camp in olympic national park
  28. go on an international group trip
  29. build my own web service from scratch
  30. submit my paintings to a gallery exhibition
  31. audition for a voice acting gig
  32. write a song
  33. visit an abandoned ghost town
  34. try psilocybin outdoors
  35. 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.

#lifestyle