29 at 29 Bucket List: The Year in Review

Birthdays are often a time for reflection, and for me, this year is no different. Tomorrow, I’ll hit a milestone birthday that I’ve had mixed feelings about for a long time, as I enter a new decade of my life. Part of me mourns the loss of my twenties because I mourn the loss of 2020, a year when the world has been placed on hold. Like many of us, I miss traveling and adventuring freely without fear of illness. I miss hugs and coffee dates and even wandering aimlessly through Target on a Sunday afternoon.

But the year has not been without its lessons learned, and I’d be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t count my blessings. After having surgery in January, my health is improving. I’ve had the chance to focus on new creative pursuits (more on that in an upcoming blog!). I’ve remained connected to friends — old and new — through virtual platforms, which I’m incredibly grateful for. I’ve absolutely loved working from home and the time I’ve been able to spend with my family in South Florida.

Every year, I create a bucket list of places I want to visit and things I’d like to do before my next birthday. My 29 at 29 Bucket List took a major detour after February, but I still managed to accomplish a lot that I’m proud of. My 30 at 30 Bucket List will look different from what it might normally look like, but I’m still determined to make the most of this time and live my life with intention. I’ll be sharing my 30 at 30 list soon, but in the meantime, check out my recap of last year’s bucket list!

29 at 29 Bucket List

1. Do a tasting at the Formosa Winery in Kissimmee. Because of health issues, I’ve really cut back on alcohol consumption and decided to forgo a trip to the winery for now. I hope to find a time to go in the future when it makes the most sense!
2. Explore the Sunken Gardens in St. Pete. I planned to go in early March, but when COVID-19 hit Florida, I decided to hold off. This will be on next year’s list, once the weather cools down!
3. Go on a Mount Dora Ghost Tour. Hoping to go in the future, when the timing feels safer.
4. Visit the Howey Mansion. See above.
5. Attend a fall festival. I attended the fall festival at Southern Hills Farm in Clermont on 10/13/19 – such a blast! I absolutely loved the apple cider donuts. 😍
6. Explore Wynwood. I visited the Wynwood Walls for an evening on 11/30/19 with family – so pretty!
7. Tour the Flagler Museum. I visited Flagler with my family on 11/29/19 – recap coming soon!
8. Visit Southern Hill Farms in Clermont. Visited the farm on 10/13/19.
9. Travel out of state. I hoped to travel more extensively out of state and had a trip to Tennessee planned for early 2020, but COVID-19 had other plans. I did hop the border to Georgia and stop by the Georgia Welcome Center on 11/5/19. I’m looking forward to more extensive out-of-state adventures in 2021!
10. Take our annual mother/daughter trip. I was devastated that we were unable to go this year, but hope 2021 works out better for us!
11. Snap selfies at Wall Crawl. Now that they are open again and practicing safe social distancing precautions, I definitely plan to go! Any takers?
12. Visit the Citrus Tower. Rode to the top of the Citrus Tower on 8/19/20. Such a cool view!
13. Visit the Mount Dora Modernism Museum. Visited the Modernism Museum with my family on 9/21/19. Check out the recap (and other fun things to do in Mount Dora) here!
14. Wander through the art galleries at Snap! Orlando. Visited Snap! Orlando on 5/22/20 and saw the Douglas Kirkland exhibition. It was a fun way to socially distance and still explore something new!
15. Go on the Orlando Eye. I no longer am interested in going anywhere near I-Drive for the foreseeable future. 😂
16. Scope out a new hiking trail. I’ve been to more than I can count, but recently visited the Hickory Bluff Preserve in Osteen.
17. Get my writing published somewhere new. I now write a monthly guest blog series for Corporate Health Fairs Florida!
18. Visit the Coral Castle in Miami. Toured Coral Castle – what a cool hidden gem! Check out the recap here.
19. Go to the Jupiter Lighthouse. Visited the Lighthouse and toured the grounds on 12/27/19 – stay tuned for the recap!
20. Explore the Eau Gallie Arts District. Hoping to take a trip out there next year!
21. Finish an old writing project. This didn’t happen, BUT I was able to focus on another really exciting creative project that I can’t wait to share.
22. Watch a movie at the Enzian. I’d still love to go, but waiting until I feel safe in a movie theater.
23. Take a Mr. Rogers Walking Tour at Rollins College. Every time I attempted this, it started raining! Hopefully someday I can time this right. 🤷🏻‍♀️
24. Go to the Back to Nature wildlife sanctuary. Would love to go when weather cools down!
25. Begin the APR process. I took preparatory classes in Spring 2020 and will be taking classes again this fall.
26. Get ordained to officiate weddings. Got ordained on 4/5/2020… anyone need a wedding officiant?
27. Attend a local sporting event outside of UCF. Nope – this one did not feel safe. I did attend some UCF football and basketball games, though!
28. Schedule a reiki session. I didn’t schedule an actual reiki session in person, but I took a class online through mindbodygreen with Kelsey Patel.
29. Go glamping at St. Louisa State Park. Hoping to go in cooler months!

All in all, while I wasn’t able to do as much as I would have liked, I still managed to do a little sightseeing this year and work toward some personal goals. Here’s to an even brighter 30th year!

Any suggestions for my 30 at 30 bucket list? What are you working toward? Sound off in the comments below!