A Twentysomething’s Bucket List : 30 Before 30

Growing old has always been scary for me. Though I always look up at grownups and wonder if I’ll ever look as mature and responsible as them, the thought of aging another year every freaking year freaks me out. And that sentence is pretty messed up, but growing a year older is just really scary for me. I always feel like the clock is ticking and I should do something, anything.

That’s why I make lists. That’s why I start every week with a to-do list. That’s why I list down all the tasks I have to accomplish within the day. I love making lists, even though I can never cross out every item off the list. This is why making a bucket list has always been on the back of my mind, though I find it difficult to write one. This is is weird, though, because I wrote my first bucket list before I graduated from high school. This should come easier, right? I saw my old list and almost cried because the things I wanted when I was 15 are pretty much the same things I want now that I’m already 24! Some dreams never change.

There’s no better time to write one. I’m currently having an early onset of quarter-life crisis, and I think I really need to pause for a while and know what I want to do with my life. I can’t panic now, even though a doctor once said that I probably have anxiety disorder, heh. I’m only 24. I have my whole life ahead of me to figure out this shit.

I want to be so many things all at once but that’s impossible. So I’m only making a 30 Before 30 list, because figuring out the things I want till I’m 80 is a bit overwhelming. Let this be the first part of my bucket list. I’m challenging myself until 30 to accomplish these 30 things. I know bucket lists don’t sit well with some people, but I always need to be reminded of the things I have and need to do.

I thought limiting myself to just 30 things will be difficult. It turns out that filling in the list is even more challenging. But here it is. I came up with the 30 things that I’ve always wanted, things that I’m too lazy to do, and things that I’m too scared to try. These are some of the greatest desires and challenges of my heart. I can’t wait to cross them out one by one. And maybe, just maybe, repeat them again and again.

1. Get published in a magazine/newspaper
2. Be part of the red ocean
3. Celebrate my birthday in a foreign country
4. Travel overseas alone (2022)
5. Visit at least 40 provinces in the PH
6. Finish writing a novel (young adult/adult)
7. Manage my own business
8. Earn enough through blogging
9. Meet an online friend in real life (Nov. 8, 2015)
10. Learn how to ride a bike (2021)
11. Learn how to swim
12. Experience the four seasons in Korea
13. Successfully cosplay Kiki
14. Undergo lasik surgery
15. Take my family to Italy
16. Dare to go blond (or any striking hair color!) (Deep violet lol 2019)
17. Bungee jump
18. Go WWOOFing
19. Go on a road trip with Alex
20. Get a driver’s license
21. Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
22. Conquer my fear of dogs
23. Teach little kids (be it as a volunteer or as a teacher)
24. Publish a children’s book
25. Run a 21K marathon
26. Read all Agatha Christie novels
27. Finish a master’s degree (on what, who knows!)
28. Learn enough about HTML and CSS to create my own themes
29. Backpack cross-country
30. Be fluent in Korean

Life has been incredibly trying lately, but I guess that’s part of growing up (and growing old!). Lately, all I think of is how to end all my money worries. So I know some of the items on my list are silly, not very adult-like, and fangirl-y (of course!). But there must be more to life than worrying about my finances or “grownup” problems. There has to be. Thus, I challenge myself to gain as much life experiences as possible. To live life to the fullest, as they say.

Of course, there are some things that I want to do that don’t exactly fit a bucket list. Like getting married or strengthening my faith or having my own children and having an established career, etc. I mean, those things can’t be confined in time, right? 🙂 It feels silly now that I planned to have a baby before I turn 25. That’s next year!!!!! So yes, plan’s cancelled.

I think the greatest challenge here is leaving my comfort zone, a.k.a. my bed, because you know, I love staying in and watching dramas and ogling at oppas. But my thirst for adventure and life experiences always manage to drag me out of my bed and change out of my PJs. So there’s still hope for me. Wish me luck!