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With my birthday quickly approaching (tomorrow, eek!) I have been thinking about how time has been flying by. It seems like just yesterday my husband planned the most amazing 30th birthday weekend for myself and our friends, now it’s 2 years later. 

I have to admit, despite some daily annoyances and work grievances I am overwhelmingly grateful for my husband, our families, friends and good health. Sometimes it’s easy for me to get caught up in the minutia of day to day tasks, and this birthday has been a great time to reflect and appreciate. 

I told my husband I wanted to make a bucket list for this year and really the next 10 months. Trevor finishes fellowship in June and who knows where we may end up. I feel like I am not prepared to leave Chicago, but am also aware that move may sneak up on me. I decided to sit down with my journal and make a list of things I hoped to do in the next few months, and now that I’m sharing it here you guys can hold me accountable. 

 

Take a cooking class: I’ve already taken some initiative on this! I signed Trevor and I up for a sushi making class in October, which we have both been dying to try. I will report back after!

 

Hike at Starved Rock: Honestly, it’s crazy how many times I have talked about this adventure. It’s hard to find an entire day off for both of us but I am determined to make it happen this fall. I’ve heard it’s the most beautiful season to visit and we love a good hike.

 

Eat at Acadia & Momotoro: Both of these restaurants have been on my list for years. I’m not sure why we haven’t made it in. Probably because we never plan early enough to get a reservation!

 

Enjoy the lake: After Trevor and I went down to the lake and tried stand up paddle boarding I realized how little we take advantage of the water. We don’t live close enough to walk, but it’s a quick bus ride down and we need to try to make that happen more.

 

Have a Spa Day: Never happened and it needs to. I am normally a very cautious spender and need to stop viewing things like this as unnecessary expenses. This is already in the works too – Blair and I are planning to have a spa day before the holidays together, and I am excited just thinking about it.

 

Host a Dinner Party: I love having people over. Our small space and busy schedules don’t allow this as often as I would like, but I would really love to host a sit down dinner sometime this year!

 

Go To a Concert: Ever since Lollapalooza two years ago Trevor and I remembered how much we enjoyed live music. It’s something we did all the time when we first started dating and has just fallen to the wayside. Booking more shows is in our future!

 

Book a Weekend Trip with Trevor: Michigan or Wisconsin? I know I talked about some destinations we had been keeping our eye on and I need to plan something this spring.

 

Be better at staying in touch: I’m not a phone person, there I said it. I’m not the greatest at staying in touch with the people I don’t see everyday and have been making a huge effort to change that.

 

Run another 5K: I just recently started running again and enjoying it. That last part is crucial! I used to run daily and stopped enjoying the experience. I have gotten back into it, but just a few days a week and would love to run another race soon.

 

I really tried to brainstorm things I would actually want to do and not list a bunch lofty goals I had. Hopefully I can make these happen sooner than later! What do you guys have on your mind that you have been wanting to try?