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35 By 35

Have you ever read a book and once complete, you wonder what the characters are up to? You get so engrossed in the book that the characters become real to you and it seems as if they are friends you’ve had for a long time? Almost as if they are real people and their lives continue on once you’ve read the last page? Well, that’s how I felt after reading “The Next Thing on My List”. I was so involved in each character’s life, that the story didn’t end for me once I finished the book. It was probably one of the better books I’ve read in a really long time.

Without giving too many details, I can give you a brief synopsis of what the book was about and then I’ll explain why I am making this post.

The novel is about a young 30-something named June. She is your ordinary career girl with a humdrum life….until her life is completely changed forever. She gets into a pretty bad car accident and her passenger, Marissa-whom she barely knows-dies at the scene. June feels the guilt of being responsible for her death, so she promises to fulfill this list of “20 things to do by my 25th birthday” which she finds in Marissa’s purse. June feels that she HAS to complete this list because Marissa will never be able to. It becomes challenging, as June has to decode some of the items on the list, but she never gives up.

This was admirable to me because sometimes we coast through life without fully enjoying it. The things on Marissa’s list were so simple, yet without the list, she may have never done them. I’ve made lists before, bucket lists, but making a list like Marissa’s would be different because it would be a life list; something that is obtainable, unlike most bucket lists. I’ve now gained the inspiration to complete 35 things by my 35th birthday. Seeing as though I will be 33 in July, I’ll have a little over two years to complete the 35 items. And, SURPRISE! I will be taking you all along for the ride with me! Every time I complete an item, I will cross it off my list and make a post about it. Hopefully my readers will hold me accountable. I am making a promise to myself to get these things done. Not only will it be fun to accomplish, but just the sense of accomplishment once the list is complete will be rewarding all in itself. So, what will the 35 items be, you might ask? Well, it took a lot of thinking to create this list, but here goes:

35 Things to do by My 35th Birthday

  1. Ride in a helicopter

  2. Go horseback riding

  3. Wear a bikini

  4. Visit Canada

  5. Ride in a hot air balloon

  6. Get my credit score up to 750!

  7. Go bra-less in public

  8. Ride in a convertible

  9. Try a new food

  10. Go ice skating at Rockefeller Center

  11. Visit a winery

  12. Go skiing

  13. Marry my best friend

  14. Stomp grapes

  15. Write poetry again

  16. Watch the Harry Potter series (I’ve never seen a single movie)

  17. Change my last name

  18. Take a tour of DC

  19. Lose 30 pounds

  20. Volunteer

  21. Trademark “HolddtheMayo”

  22. Go to a Day Party

  23. Do Karaoke

  24. Participate in a marathon

  25. Get matching tattoos

  26. Make a BIG purchase

  27. Fast for 30 days

  28. Kiss a dolphin

  29. Ride on a jetski

  30. Silence the haters

  31. Make a name for myself, socially

  32. Go to an Eagles game IN Philly

  33. Get my motorcycle license

  34. Get promoted at work

  35. Take care of my mother

Phew! That was a lot of work and VERY hard to complete. Thanks to Jill Smolinski and her book, I am looking forward to completing all 35 of these items by July 27, 2020. If you had to make a list like this, what things would you choose? How do you think you would feel once you’ve completed the list? Leave a few of your items in the comments below and lets discuss!

XOXO,

TJ

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