Remember the 50 things I want to accomplish before I turn 50 bucket list I posted in June?
The simple, affordable, novel, and achievable experiences I outlined to get out of my box and actually do the things that have been/are easily put off until “another time”?
Well, with a few months behind us and exactly 13 months until I turn 50, I thought it’d be good for me to update my list and update you for some personal accountability 🙂
Below is my list with the completed items in bold and in progress items in italic, both with a short description of what happened/is happening:
50 Before 50
- Relearn how to play Cribbage – I’ve asked my Dad to help me re-learn and he created a “cheat sheet” for me to start with. Now, we just have to break out the board and cards and get to it.
- Attend a pottery class/workshop
- Go on a short road trip with my oldest daughter
- Go on a short road trip with my wife and youngest daughter
- Take an online art class using a new medium: colored pencils – The Illustrated Life Journal course includes using colored pencils so is a start 😉
- Start an art/doodle journal – Done! And loving every minute of it!
- Try 12 new recipes from cookbooks on my bookshelves
- Visit a new-to-me restaurant – My wife and I treated ourselves to dinner at Radish & Rye for our 10th wedding anniversary. It was quite possibly the most delicious meal I’ve ever had.
- Visit a museum or gallery
- Learn a new crochet stitch
- Grow a new edible in the garden
- Send 12 snail mail, handwritten cards or letters to family and/or friends just because I can
- Have a family picnic
- Visit a new-to-me store – I’ve recently begun visiting Prana Blessings in addition to my old stand-by The Ark when I’m looking for new stones, candles, or cards for my spiritual practice. It’s a sweet, uncomplicated store and I love it!
- Invite an old friend or colleague to share a beverage or a meal – I enjoyed a lovely lunch with two colleagues from my last job before the Pandemic changed everything. We worked together for ~4 years and it was lovely to catch up a bit. We’ve promised to see each other more often, hopefully we can make it happen.
- Visit my bestie in April 2026 during Independent Bookstore Month
- Attend an author talk
- Volunteer at the Library/become a Friend of the Library
- Participate in a formal “afternoon tea”
- Read all books written by a favorite author – I’ve decided on Katherine Arden as my chosen author and have read 3/6 of her published books (re-read The Winternight Trilogy). She has a 7th book coming out in 2026 so I have four books left to read 🙂
- Dinner by candlelight
- Meet a fellow blogger
- Re-create a favorite moment/date – My wife and I recreated our first date on our 19th relationship anniversary with pizza and the Kill Bill movies. Hilarious and lovely. I’d forgotten how gory those movies are though!
- Leave Itty Bitty style kind/inspiring notes around town
- Go to a rage room or an escape room
images not my own, all link through my 50 before 50 Pinterest mood board
- Ride a train
- Learn a new card game
- Put together a 1000 piece puzzle
- Read a classic novel
- Read a biography/memoir
- Get a mani/pedi with a color(s) I wouldn’t normally choose
- Take a mud bath
- Complete a writing workshop (in person or online)
- Donate blood
- Help build a parade float
- Learn how to embroider – I’ve begun! And am loving it! And have so any ideas for pattern creation! And need to slow my roll and fine tune my stitches 😉
- Watch the sun set on a beach
- Change my mind about something/research something I’m set on and see if it shifts my perspective
- Visit a National Park
- Soak in a Natural Hot Springs
- Watch the sun rise (while outside) once per season – 1/6 seasons complete. I may have to set an alarm to help me remember to actually get outside as the sun rises.
- Be Published
- Try a food I think I hate
- Get a matching tattoo
- Attend the NM State Fair
- Design a piece of jewelry for myself
- Pierce my ears – Done! I’ve always wanted each of my ears to have three piercings and now they do. They’re still healing, but I couldn’t be happier!
- Get my estate in order
- Watch every episode of Star trek: The Next Generation – 17/178 episodes down, 161 to go.
- Celebrate BIG!
There you have it, six items in progress and six completed! Not a bad start 🙂
Fantastic experiences done, in the works, and still to look forward to!
I’ve carved out a little space in my journal to document it all but it’s not pretty yet (just a bunch of pencil and a little washi tape spanning several pages) so I’m not ready to share it outwardly yet. Maybe I’ll have it looking a little more put together in time for my next update in a few months.
Do tell, do you have a Bucket List of any sort? I’d love to hear about it if you do!
Onward,
Melissa
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I try to make some lists here and there, but nothing ever this comprehensive! I will say, when I have really set an intention to do something (like, this will be done, this is what I want) it always happens. It’s when I am wishy washy about it that it doesn’t. So listing and believing in yourself truly is the key!
I love that “Be Published” is just humbly sitting near the bottom quarter of your list. I would argue that you are very published, but I am curious about what qualifies for you there.
Thanks for sharing this with us, and glad you are having so much pre-50 FUN!
I’m so glad you’re able to cross things off your virtual list be setting the intention. Life has been so busy and I’ve neglected putting myself first for quite a while so this is a way for me to reclaim some agency and have some fun 🙂
I so appreciate you saying that I’m already published, and this is true, except that I’ve longed for years to devote time to writing, submit proposals, and have something accepted. I submitted a piece earlier this year (my first) and it will be published this year in an anthology of queer stories. I am so so excited and proud of myself for taking the chance <3
Well, that is awesome! Congratulations on the publishing milestone – that is incredible! And I am so happy to hear you are putting time into filling your own cup, and seeing how powerful you are !
Thank you, Jessica! The last decade or so have been such a learning curve for me, including giving myself to put myself first <3
I love that you have set yourself goals to achieve before you are 50. You are making good progress!
Thank you! I’m enjoying every step on the path!
This is a fantastic list of experiences that is perfect for the time you are in right now. And it will be a great list to fold over to the next decade if you have incomplete tasks when you hit 50.
You are so right! I hope to complete them all but will allow myself grace if there are bumps in the road.
I think the idea of changing your mind about something is especially fantastic. We should all continue to do this all through our lives!
Exactly! My sister suggested this and I love the idea!
This is a great list, Melissa. I think I need to update my 50-Before-50 with a few more accessible and enjoyable items (or maybe add ten items so it’s before 60-before-60 (haha). I have 4 years before I level up to the big 5-0, and I think there are one or two items that will go unchecked, like seeing a shark breach.
Can I ask where you took the The Illustrated Life Journal course? I’m interested in checking that one out.
I adore that you also have a list you’re working through! It’s been so fun for me to build and begin checking off!
The class is through Domestika. I did the free trial, purchased a couple of courses at a deeply reduced price, and then cancelled my sub. I love the site, but it’s a bit pricey for me to keep as a consistent bill. Here’s the life journal course: https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/2461-illustrated-life-journal-a-daily-mindful-practice/course
What a great list. I really enjoyed Katherine Arden’s Winterwitch series. I have been contemplating getting a third piercing but haven’t yet. Our national parks are amazing.. you should really check one out. Looking forward to see you go through the rest of your list.
Thank you, Hena! I really do want to explore more of our National Parks! Here in NM, we have so much open space and so many Public Lands that I think I take the official parks for granted. I aim to remedy that. Hope you’ve had a great week!
My birth family successfully put together 1000-piece puzzles many years in a row in the days around Christmas. The only difficulty was finding table space for both that and family meals. Just in case you’re looking for inspiration for how and when to complete that item….
I love this idea, Joy! Thank you!
That is a fantastic list. So varied and rich with experiences. Sending snail mails is such a lovely idea. I know everyone will love it!!
-Soma
Thank you, Soma. I sure hope so! I know I love getting personal mail and not just bills all the time 😉