30 at 30 Bucket List: The Year in Review

Another year older, another year… wiser? (Jury is still out on that!) It’s hard to believe we’ve already reached that time of year again, especially with the pandemic warping all sense of time for so many of us. This past year has not been a particularly easy one, but it has come with its share of lessons and has made me feel stronger in my convictions than ever before.

One of my favorite ways to celebrate a new year is with my birthday bucket lists. These lists have become an annual tradition for me, ever since I turned 25. Having a list of adventures for the year ahead always gives me something to look forward to (in a bite-sized, easily accessible way), and I never seem to run out of things I want to do! If you haven’t created a mini-bucket list for yourself, I highly suggest you do so.

Life may look different these days, but I think it’s more important than ever to carry on with our traditions – even if we need to adjust them. For most of these, I had to mask up, and some didn’t happen because of a concern for my safety — but that’s okay. In addition to the listed items, I visited the Van Gogh exhibition at the Dali Museum, became a paid freelance writer, took a trip to the beautiful coquina beaches of Washington Oaks State Park, hit 50 episodes of my podcast, road-tripped to Lakeland, got a brand new car, and so much more. I also spent more time with family while working from home, something that I’m incredibly grateful for.

Below are my 30 at 30 bucket list items and how I did. Stay tuned for next year’s list!

30 at 30 Bucket List

1. Launch my podcast. The Wellness & Wanderlust podcast was officially launched on 9/28/2020. You can click here for links to the podcast on all the various streaming apps, along with a full list of episodes!
2. Explore more of SNAP! Orlando’s City Unseen adventures. Visited the Pompeii installation in Loch Haven Park on 10/31/2020. I can’t wait to visit more of these in the coming year!
3. Rent a Swan Boat at Lake Eola. I didn’t end up going this year, but it’s on my list for next!
4. Visit some hot spots on the Florida Mural Trail. Visited murals in Lakeland (see recap here), Lake Mary, and St. Pete!
5. Wander through the Sunken Gardens in St. Pete. Visited on 5/11/2021 – what a magical experience! Check out my recap here.
6. Go to a drive-in movie. The movie theater near me stopped offering drive-in movies soon after I posted this. Maybe someday!
7. Visit the Howey Mansion. Toured the mansion 10/9/2020 – so much fun! A short recap can be found here.
8. Take a Mount Dora Ghost Tour. I never got around to this one – hopefully in the future, though!
9. Snap selfies at Wall Crawl. Next year!
10. Complete another 30-day kickboxing challenge.
11. Learn more about tarot reading. Honestly, I forgot about this one! 😅
12. Get my writing published somewhere new. Wrote guest post for The Financially Independent Millennial on identity theft prevention, which was published 9/22/2020, and romantic travel guide for Lazy Travel Blog, which was published on 10/8/2020. You can find my full portfolio here.
13. Buy a stranger coffee. Going to coffee this year was so rare. I’d still like to do this!
14. Go on a turtle walk. Poor planning on my part – the tours were booked up early and there were fewer taking place because of the pandemic, so it’s on my list for next year!
15. Take an energy healing class. Forgot this one too.
16. Attend a Nerd Nite event (virtual or in-person). Another year!
17. Explore the Ringling Museum. This is on next year’s list.
18. Experiment with recipes that work with my newfound food sensitivities, and try to master one new recipe per month.
19. Visit the alpacas at LunaSea Alpaca Farm. Took an alpaca yoga class and met some of the sweet alpacas on 10/11/2020.  My heart is full!
20. Embark on a Sun-Rail progressive dinner. Will do this when it feels a little safer!
21. Visit the Enchanted Fairy Doors at Leu Gardens. Visited the Enchanted Fairy Doors on 10/31/2020 and again on 7/18/2021 – how beautiful!
22. Tour the UCF Arboretum.
23. Attend a Creative City event. Attended Creative City’s Dazzling Nights event at Leu Gardens on 12/14/2021 and Re:Charge with Timucua Arts Foundation on 7/24. Both were beautiful experiences!
24. Go on an Alfond Inn Art Tour. This is on the list for the upcoming year.
25. Discover a new hiking trail. Hiked around Lake Lotus Park on 10/3/2020.
26. Go on a drive-thru safari. Not yet, but I did do a drive-thru state park!
27. Grab a bite to eat in Boxi Park. Not yet.
28. Explore the Turnbull Ruins in NSB. Visited the ruins on 12/6/2020.
29. Visit a new tea shop. Sadly no – stuck to my usual locations.
30. Do the 30-Day Outer Order, Inner Calm Challenge with Gretchen Rubin. Participated in the challenge in October 2020!

While the past year wasn’t as adventurous as I would have liked, I still am proud of what I was able to accomplish and look forward to the year ahead. I’ll be sharing next year’s list on the blog soon. What do you think I should add to the list?