35 BEFORE 35: One-Year Check-In

Last year, having finished off my 32 Before 32 Bucket list, I came up with a new list of goals to accomplish by the time I turn 35. Today just so happens to be my 33rd birthday, so although this blog sits collecting dust, I love doing these recap posts and checking in on my goals. At the time, I came up with my list, we were about 1-month in to pandemic life and had no idea what the next year would look like. My list of goals is a reflection of that unknown, but also optimism that eventually life would return to some semblance of normal. Here's what I managed to do during the Year of COVID:

35 Before 35: One-Year Check-In

1. Take an international trip | Ha.

2. Earn a second professional designation | COMPLETED (4/21) | Oh my goodness, I fit this one in just under the wire! This past Saturday, Chuck took the boys off my hands and I spent all day at home cramming and took the leap and PASSED my final exam on the first try! The test requires a 70% passing score so I was shocked when I got an 81%. Studying at home during the pandemic with two kids at home was sooo difficult, so I feel particularly proud of this one. My 3-year work anniversary is just over a month away and it's absolutely bonkers how much I've learned and achieved in that time. I can't wait to see where the next 3 years take me!

3. Pay off ALL student loans | IN PROGRESS | In 2020, I paid off THREE private student loans thanks in large part to the government stimulus checks. I'm hopeful that we'll have paid off another private student loan by July and though it will definitely be a stretch, it's not outside the realm of possibility that we'll have all of my private loans paid off by the end of the year!

4. Renovate basement half bathroom to a full bathroom | Originally, we planned to tackle this project this year. However, after a year of being cooped up at home, we decided we'd rather spend what we'd put toward tearing up our basement floor to take a family trip to Walt Disney World. Hopefully, we'll get to this in the next year or two.

5. Schedule a monthly family day trip

6. Join a nonprofit board | Not necessarily a non-profit board, but I am serving on a committee at church which is similar, so I'm not sure whether to count this one or not.

7. Install new kitchen and basement flooring

8. Open Roth IRAs for Chuck and me | This won't happen for another few years until we pay all our debt off.

9. Host a foreign exchange student

10. Deliver 35 meals to someone who needs it (1/35) | IN PROGRESS | Unfortunately, I kind of stunk at this in the past year. It was already too much work just trying to feed my own family!

11. Run a half marathon

12. Teach Charlie + Crosby how to swim | IN PROGRESS | We re-enrolled the boys' in weekly swimming lessons at Goldfish Swim School-Dayton and have marveled at their progress!! 

13. Replace our back porch

14. Visit Frankie's grave

15. Attend a cooking class

16. Deliver my Daddy's ashes

17. Take a romantic vacation for our 10th anniversary

18. Get a fourth tattoo

19. Install planter boxes in our front yard

20. Run a 5k with Charlie

21. Purchase a minivan | COMPLETED (12/20) | Almost on a whim, I decided to snag an awesome deal on a 2018 Toyota Sienna I'd been following on CarFax on the last day of 2020. It worked out great and becoming a minivan family has been everything I'd hoped for and more!

22. Run a race in 3 different states (1/3) | IN PROGRESS | I've run a virtual Ohio-based race, but don't anticipate running outside of my home state any time soon.

23. Plan an annual sister weekend

24. Refinance our mortgage

25. Attend a concert with Chuck

26. Replace living room furniture | COMPLETED (9/20) | Although our sectional took nearly FOUR months to arrive due to COVID-related delays, we finally got her in September of 2020 and have treasured it every day since then. We couldn't be happier with our purchase and are so glad we waited it out rather than going with a Plan B couch.

27. Take a Mommy + Me class with Crosby

28. Learn how to can veggies

29. Replace backyard fence and repair driveway

30. Visit my BFNSCF

31. Host an annual ladies' brunch

32. Paint and install new counters and kitchen backsplash

33. Decide whether to grow our family | I'm not sure what and whether to share about this one right now. This past year has been hard and weird, but hopefully I'll be ready to share at some point in the not too distant future.

34. Increase our tithing by 10% each year | IN PROGRESS | So far, so good! I've increased the amount of our monthly tithe by 25% from 2020 to 2021 and we've continued to give to our church every month.

35. Send 35 birthday/thank you/etc. cards (19/35) | IN PROGRESS | An unintended consequence of pandemic life- I live for mailing cards to my loved ones! I've probably sent more than 19, but haven't been super diligent about keeping track.

Considering the last year has taken place during "unprecendented times" (who else is sick of that word?), I'd honestly say that my progress hasn't been completely terrible. It will be interesting to see what the next year holds for me and my family. We can only hope for more travel, more friends, and less worry.