We all have life goals or dreams that we wish to accomplish at different points throughout our life. Every once in a while, I stop to think about all of the things that I’ve already accomplished in my short life and that thought is almost always immediately followed by a conversation with myself about all the things that I have yet to accomplish.
Here is a short list of five of the main things I hope to have achieved by the time I’m 30.
1. Write a Book
The closest that I ever came to accomplishing this was in the eighth grade. I wrote a 200-paged novel (well, half of a novel) that encompassed the life of an 18-year-old girl trying to solve her sister’s murder. Surprise, surprise. The best things in life usually don’t last, and the only copy of this manuscript ended up wiped clean from my hard drive along with all of my artistic talent. I haven’t come close to writing anything as good since then.
But there’s still time.
2. Move Out on my Own
Let’s be honest, the first year or two after I graduate college are probably going to involve me slightly mooching off having my parents still around. They always joke about how I’m going to be living downstairs in the basement, paying rent and following their house rules until I can afford to be on my own, which is definitely almost 100 percent true. I can just picture it now: my mom calling me at 3 a.m. asking me what time I’ll be home because it’s a school night for my brother and she wants to set the house alarm. Talk about reliving high school all over again.
By the time I’m 30, I hope that I’ve saved enough to buy my own home or, at least, rent my own apartment long-term.
3. Travel
I have a serious case of wanderlust. I want to be anywhere and everywhere. Call me a tourist, a dreamer or even call me crazy—I will not settle down into my life until I’ve at least seen half of the landmarks/places on my travel bucket list.
Thinking of a few to start with: California, D.C., the Grand Canyon, Machu Picchu, Greece, and many more.
I’ve even decided it’s an option of mine to consider teaching abroad; that way I can combine my love of exploring new places with my love of sharing/imparting knowledge in the classroom.
I just want to be sure that I see something. There is so much more to this world than the city of Boston—this little caged birdy wants to spread her wings and soar.
4. Be Content with my job
The idea is that travel will take place before settling down to a full-time job, but of course not everything can be planned accordingly. Sometimes opportunities fall into your lap and sometimes things happen that you can’t change. By the time I’m 30, I want to have my own classroom in a school that suites both my needs and the needs of my students; I don’t know where this will be, or what I’ll feel like after the first few years of teaching, but my hope is that I’ll be comfortable and content where I am. I don’t need to make the most money (I’ve pretty much accepted this won’t happen), but I will need to love what I do.
5. Be Content with Myself
Being content with myself is one of the most challenging things on this list. It is an area that encompasses so much, and ultimately, it is something that will extend well beyond when I am thirty. However, the basis for being content with myself is something that begins now and changes every day.
It is an uphill battle to fight against the unrealistic standards that have been set by society for young women. Being content with myself involves: feeling good in my own body, being proud of what I believe in, never sacrificing my happiness for others, refusing to let myself get discouraged or torn down, and being the best version of myself that I can be.
I want people—my students, friends and eventually my children—to be able to look at me and all that I’ve accomplished and believe that it’s possible for them to do anything and be anything they want. Cause it is.
