30-Before-30 List

June 3, 2010. Thursday.

This month will officially mark my 28th year of existence.  Just a little over 2 years shy of being the big and previously dreaded 3 - 0!  Barring any scientific, genetic breakthrough that will stop me from aging, I realized that I am not getting any younger and the things I've been putting off doing, the endless bucket lists I've drafted, well, they just can't keep on piling up without an expiration date.

And so in a completely "un"pretentious "Dead Poets Society" seize the day moment, I've decided that what the hell am I still waiting for, and just go ahead and do it!  All the things that I have longed to, wanted to, feared to, wished for, dreamed of doing, I can do right this minute. (or right this next two years, as the case may be) 

So I have decided to compile every heart stopping action, feelings, moments & challenges I dare to achieve at this point in my life (Really, I would have placed be married to Brad Pitt, but it's probably best to keep the list grounded in reality) The goal: To check each and every one of the items off before the clock inevitably strikes twelve on the 23rd day of the sixth month of the twelfth year of the new millennium.

The 30 before 30 Project

1.   Be a mom.   

 2.   Run with the bulls in Spain.  

3.   Play in the snow during winter . Living in a tropical country, I have always wanted to be surrounded by powdery cool ice.

4.   Bungee Jump. Free falling 767 feet above ground is no easy, well, feat. Truly an amazing out of body experience.  A must, for anyone who thinks of themselves as an adventurer.

5.   Give ski/snow/sand boarding a shot.       

               
6.   Get into the best shape of my life (weigh 105-110 pounds)


7.   Parasail. There's just something about being holstered up in the air that's fun and thrilling to do especially when on vacation.

8.   Run a marathon. Finishing a marathon, no matter the time is something else, especially for someone like me, who has sworn off from any form of bodily exercise a long time ago.

9.   Climb a mountain summit (at Mt. Makulot's peak) or Hike all the way to the crater of Mt. Pinatubo. 

10. Surfing Safari. Being able to ride the waves til it reaches the shore really does give a completely different level of accomplishment.

11. Scuba dive with the fishes. Another must-try for would be adventurers. Nothing but calm picturesque under the sea moments down there.

12. Experience a hot air balloon ride.

13. Explore the ruins of Angkor Wat or the inca trails of Machu Picchu (whichever comes first)

14. Cliff dive without fainting. Trying it out on a smaller albeit not necessarily less scarier cliff a year before gave me the confidence to do it over again at a higher, still scarier jump off point.

15. Go spelunking or cave trekking. One of the most beautiful place to ever be at any point in the world - Palawan's underground kilometer-long river. 

16. See the Bronze Horseman in St. Petersburg during winter. DONE!!! Fell in love with the novel and this 2011 was fortunate enough to have seen the actual monument of Peter the Great.

17. Get my editorial works (article and/or photographs) published on a magazine. DONE!!!

18. Road trip adventure abroad with a friend. What every girl should do before she gets married. Go on a road trip abroad with a friend, with nothing more than a map and a thirst for adventure on hand.

19. Dance my ass off at the Sinulog Festival

20. Swim with the Whalesharks in Donsol or the Dolphins in Subic. For Valentines this 2011, Hubby decided to make this one wish come true! Un-freaking-believable!

21. Whip up a kick-ass 3 course gourmet meal. DONE!!! After staying away from the kitchen for almost 3 decades, I have finally unleashed my inner Martha Stewart.
 

22. Kiss the boy I love under a row of cherry blossom trees.   Japan is awesome as it is, but during spring time, cherry blossom viewing makes it that much more magical.

23. Learn how to drive without supervision. DONE!!! From EDSA to C5 to SLEX, this task was 27 years in the making, but now I am finally able to drive myself anywhere, anytime.

24. For now, see any 1 of the ff: the Ifugaos in Banawe Rice Terraces, the mile long Great Wall in Beijing, the raging steams of the Grand Canyon, or the amazing Terracota Warriors in Xi'an

25. Explore Europe DONE!!!: Climbed the top of the Spanish Steps, Ride a gondola on Venice' grand canal, Cable car to the Swiss Alps, Kiss the boy I love on the highest point of the Eiffel Tower.

26. Cage diving with the Sharks.


27. Sky dive

28. Catch a burlesque/strip show. DONE!!! You just have to do it.  The experience alone will give you stories to tell that will last a lifetime.


29. Be a water sports enthusiasts. I don't like doing anything that is considered a typical exercise, like running or lifting weights but put me in a board on water and I will surely go at it for hours. Extreme sports rock!

30. Live by myself. DONE!!! Even if it was just for the briefest of periods (2 months), I'm glad I got to learn how to take care of myself and be by myself without any family or friends in a completely different environment from where I was so used to.