In a previous blog post, I talked about my “25 Before 25” - a list I made when I turned fifteen of 25 things I wanted to do in the next decade. Now, at age twenty-five, I’m going to list my 35 before 35.
They are in no-particular order and are designed to be a time-capsule of the things I find valuable at this time more than a bucket-list of must do’s.
1. Get married.
Sarah and I have been happily in love for 9 years now - it’s inevitable.
2. Take a cooking class in Italy.
A little bit cheating, but Sarah and I have always thought we’d honeymoon in Italy and this is something we really want to do. You’ll notice that a lot of this list was designed to hit multiple things with one trip or activity. You might think that’s cheating, but it’s my list.
3. See the solar eclipse in Spain.
In 2019 during the last solar eclipse that hit the US - a few friends and I decided that we’d all meetup in Spain in 2026 to see another one.
4. Travel to Morocco
My friend Sean traveled to Morocco and ever since then it’s been on my travel list.
5. Drive across the country
I absolutely hate driving, but I feel like if you live in the US, this is a must-do. Plus, it helps me see a lot of the states I haven’t seen yet.
6. Live outside VA
This one I almost instantly regretted putting down haha. I love Virginia and I love Charlottesville. I’ve traveled to and stayed in 37 other states and I’ve never felt a pull to live anywhere else. However, I think that I’d regret never leaving the state - at least for a period of time.
Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right?
7. Go sand-boarding
It looks sweet. I wanna do it.
8. Go wing surfing
It looks sweet. I wanna do it.
9. Write 100 blog posts
You gotta make your goals achievable lol.
10. Visit Acadia National park
People sleep on Acadia I think, but it seems drop-dead gorgeous. Plus, my Aunt and Uncle live only about 2 hours from it!
11. Make a short film
I’ve always wanted the feeling of truly making a movie, and I feel like this is the decade.
12. Write a short story
Hey, if I also write the short film I’m going to make - win win.
13. Learn to garden
Sarah and I kept a garden this year at our house and grew radishes, carrots, kale, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. I barely did any of the work, but saw how inspiring it was for Sarah and I want that feeling too haha.
14. Spend Christmas in Germany
I’ve never been to Germany in the winter - only really in the spring or summer to visit family. But, I wanna see all the places I’ve been covered in snow ☃️.
15. Go to a fine dining restaurant.
Sarah and I love to cook and love food - and I think this would be a really special experience.
16. Publish an app.
I’ve built a lot of websites and web-apps, and would like to add a native app to the list. Swolmodoro?
17. Make an article of clothing.
I feel like this is a cool skill to have.
18. Build a self-sustaining organization.
Not sure if this has to be a business - and I’m not sure if I have to start said organization, but I want the feeling of knowing an organization no longer needs me.
19. Get a tattoo.
I’ve wanted one for a while and I’ve got some stuff I think I’ll only consistently remember by permanently etching into my body.
20. Have a kid.
Sarah and I want children, and I want to start that chapter of our lives in this decade.
21. Buy a house.
Good lord I hope we can do this by the time I turn 35.
22. Go bungee jumping.
It looks sweet. I wanna do it.
23. Visit all 50 states.
I’ve only got 13 left!
24. Bake croissants.
I asked Sarah to add one to this list and she said that I needed some low-hanging fruit haha.
25. Visit a desert.
Sandboarding?
26. Ski in Europe.
Ski trip over Christmas in Germany?
27. Go bike packing.
I really like to bike and went backpacking with some friends this year and really enjoyed it. Feels like a natural evolution.
28. Visit Yosemite National Park.
I mean - c’mon.
29. Visit Glacier National Park.
I actually just got back from doing this one 🙌. It’s beautiful and underrated!
30. Ride a Onewheel.
Not only does it look sweet - I’ve been following Future Motion since they launched the first Onewheel and think I would fall in love with it.
31. Visit Freddy in the UK.
I have a friend from college named Freddy and he lives in southern England - I haven’t been to England since I was 13, and I wanna go visit.
32. Surf in Hawaii.
I fell in love with surfing last year and would love to see how magical its birthplace is.
33. Celebrate 10 new holidays.
A new holiday every year! I love to experience new cultures and learn about what other people value - so I think this would be a cool tradition to start.
34. See a world class orchestra.
I’m a musician and trained choral singer, but have never seen a top-tier orchestra in concert. This one was a recommendation from my friend Chelsea who’s a classical pianist. Sounded cool!
35. Go to the San Diego Taco Festival.
I have no idea if this is still a thing, but I heard about this festival on the Food Network when I was 10 and have not stopped thinking about it. I love tacos.
