30 By 30

Over at Day Zero they encourage people to come up with 101 in 1001 (that's 101 things to do in 1001 days), but that seems really ambitious. Instead, I'm launching 30 By 30, my list of 30 things I want to accomplish in the 365 days before my 30th birthday.

I'm going to do my best to follow the advice of the Day Zero folks and create specific tasks with measurable or definable results. You can track my results through this link (provided the Blogger Help Group people are right). Tasks in progress will appear in blue. Finished tasks will appear in green with the date of completion. Of course, there will be frequent Facebook status updates related to the list.

ACTIVITIES/TRAVEL
1. Travel to a new place below the Mason Dixon Line (March 14, 2009)
2. Visit three tourist spots in New Jersey (went to the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts in Madison, the American Hungarian Foundation in New Brunswick and the Morris Museum November 2009.)
3. Get another stamp in my passport before it expires (I left the country on July 3, 2009 but didn't get a stamp because Canada doesn't roll like that. Then I got a stamp from Costa Rica on Aug. 4, 2009.)
4. Watch four foreign language films (May 16, 2009)
5. Do a yoga class focused on meditation versus exercise (April 23, 2009)
6. Spend a little time exploring an outer borough (Aug. 15, 2009)

SPIRITUALITY
7. Say blessings over my food
8. Volunteer meaningfully. Hey, I even started a group for young Jews to volunteer: www.facebook.com/JerseyTribe. (December 8, 2009)
9. Give Divine thanks for the blessings in my life and the lives of others
10. Learn about another religious faith or tradition (April 2, 2009)
11. Find a synagogue I enjoy for the high holidays (not fully enjoyable, but it was good enough. September 19, 2009)

FOOD
12.Master a complicated Hungarian dessert (Feb. 14, 2009)
13. Cook with two new vegetables or fruits per season (3/4)
14. Make coffee tasty enough for others to drink/enjoy (Feb. 15, 2009)
15. Eat in one of the umpteen New York City restaurants I'm always reading about & lusting over - I'm planning to hit the Second Avenue Deli for my birthday lunch!
16. Cook Indian food (September 3, 2009)
17. Roast a turkey and serve it at a dinner party (or Shabbos dinner)

WRITING
18. Comment on five new blogs each month (4/12)
19. Earn $100 from Google AdSense ($35 as of mid-July!)
20. Increase my readership by 20% from where it was last year
21. Submit posts to a blog carnival each month (Been doing for at least half the year so I think we're good. July 17, 2009)
22. Launch three new blog-related (or writing) endeavors (April 12, 2009)

LIFE
23. Get over my fear of driving on bridges
24. Read 25 books in one year (15/25)
25. Have an emergency kit in my car
26. Get a new car (Feb. 28, 2009)
27. Get a new job (Aug. 19, 2009)
28. Get a new place to live (Since my new job is only 4 miles from my current apartment, I'm not moving. Sorry to disappoint.)
29. Practice speaking/reading Spanish (Aug. 12, 2009 in Costa Rica)
30. Master the art of doing nothing. I'm pretty sure this will be the hardest item on the list. Didn't fully do it, but I think I'm getting better. (January 1, 2010)