Bucket List Update - Year 30 Accomplishments!

Another year complete and another set of items checked off the bucket list!
Once again some very special people contributed to the completion of some bucket list items, and others have been inspired to start their own lists, which I also count as a success!
As in the past, bold indicates items that have been completed previously, while blue bold indicates the items I completed this year. Nothing particularly strikes me as something I must add to the list this year, so I will keep it at 77 this time around.

So, here's the rundown!
#24 Played in the rain - Imagine wandering, lost, in a foreign country through fields of sheep with murky, swampy water up past your ankles post being drenched by a random downpour of rain. Steph and I laughed so hard we couldn't move, and my tears of laughter mixed with the rain water already covering my face. It was one of those moments with a dear friend that you just never forget.

#29 Gotten flowers for no reason - I've previously attempted to con random guy friends into checking this one off the list for me, but it never worked! So, when I received flowers at work from a guy I'd only spent one dinner with, I was surprised, excited, and let's face it, a little giddy! He was generous and thoughtful, and I'm honored to have received flowers for no reason from someone who thought so highly of me.

#48 Taken a risk with your job - My coworkers and management had more faith in me than I had in myself. With their encouragement, I chose to take the risk and do something I swore I would never do - get out from behind the design and development of training and stand before classes to facilitate. Even though the first few classes I encountered were rather hostile (through no fault of mine), I endured and even flourished. I'm also proud of the indoctrination of love for penguins I am passing along to each poor soul that sits in one of my classes!

#74 Read every novel written by an accomplished author - Many years ago my Mom, cousin, and aunt got me reading books by Karen Kingsbury. This year I can say I have read every one of the 50+ novels she has written, including the most recent book released.

I've made quite a bit of progress toward a few other items on the list, even completed another already since my 31st birthday, but it will have to wait to be reported until next year! For now, this is all I have to report! Don't forget to keep working toward your own goals! Merry Christmas!

01. Swam with dolphins
02. Climbed a mountain
03. Said “I love you” and meant it
04. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
05. Gone to a huge sports game
06. Slept under the stars
07. Changed a baby’s diaper
08. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
09. Watched a meteor shower
10. Given more than you can afford to charity
11. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
12. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
13. Had a snowball fight
14. Seen a total eclipse
15. Ridden a roller coaster
16. Watched whales
17. Taken a road-trip
18. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
19. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
20. Milked a cow
21. Alphabetized your CDs
22. Lounged around in bed all day
23. Kissed in the rain
24. Played in the rain
25. Gone to a drive-in theatre
26. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
27. Gone without food for a day
28. Made cookies from scratch
29. Gotten flowers for no reason
30. Been to Las Vegas
31. Done some type of construction work
32. Been on a cruise ship
33. Learned to speak more than one language fluently
34. Made a pointless modification to your house
35. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
36. Ridden a horse
37. Gone back to school
38. Hang glided
39. Attended at least one school reunion
40. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
41. Had a booth at a craft fair
42. Dyed your hair
43. Driven a wickedly cool car, even if you had to rent it
44. Dated against type
45. Traveled overseas
46 Taken a risk with your job
47. Taken your parents to dinner
48. Did volunteer work
49. Started a blog or website, with regular updates
50. Invented something
51. Held a themed dinner party
52. Gone to the cinema alone, and enjoyed it
53. Done punctuation and grammar guerilla attacks, (corrected posters, billboards, advertisements with a black marker) or corrected your boss
54. Earned a Masters Degree
55. Learned how to cook
56. Kept a plant alive for over a year
57. Bought an expensive piece of jewelry for myself
58. Bought a home
59. Published an article
60. Presented at a conference
61. Began (or steadily added to) a retirement savings
62. Done something nice for someone without their knowing it
63. Petted a penguin
64. Mastered one particular style of dance
65. Gone on a blind date
66. Taken a road trip across the U.S.
67. Ridden on a sailboat
68. Saw a Broadway show
69. Paid off student loans
70. Led a ministry team
71. Asked a guy out
72. Read the Bible from front to back
73. Got invited to a ‘cool’ work party
74. Read every novel written by an accomplished author
75. Taken a trip to visit a friend you haven’t seen since college
76. Zip lined
77. Visited all of the Columbus/Central Ohio Metro Parks