It is March 24th, 2020. My half birthday. I know you are reading this and thinking…who the (BLEEP) celebrates a half birthday over the age of five? I am not celebrating it, however, I am simply stating that in three and a half years I will be forty. The BIG 4-OH! Four decades old. It is scary, exciting and a bit of a ‘holy (BLEEP), where did my life go?’ feeling. However, I am not going to see it as a negative, but instead use it as a positive. Instead of freaking out like some people do, I plan to use these next three and a half years to do all the things I’ve always wanted to do, but never had the chance. Traveling, classes, learning,career goals….and yes, even a little shopping.
I got the idea from my friend Heather (who did something similar for her 30th) and a book I read called 30 by 30 by Stacey Wiedower. The book was a fun, cute read and also inspired me to make my own list. Together with some amazing people, I came up with an extensive list of things to do. I know some of them seem silly, but those of you who know my sense of humor will understand. Without further ado, here is my list.
40 by 40
1. Visit Hawaii
2. Go to Europe
3. Learn Klingon
4. Do a full marathon (bonus if it is NYC or Boston)
5. Do a tough mudder
6. Attend a major award show as press
7. Get my personal training certification again
8. Publish a book
9. Go to a movie premiere as press
10. Learn ballroom dancing (bonus if lessons are from a DWTS pro)
11. Get front row or backstage tickets to a show or concert
12. See a television show live in the studio audience
13. Interview an A list celebrity
14. Take a pole dancing class
15. Visit as many state landmarks as possible
16. Try as many state foods as possible
17. Visit a celebrity owned restaurant
18. Visit as many restaurants featured in movies/on TV as possible
19. Attend a major sporting event (bonus if it is the Super Bowl)
20. Appear as a guest on a talk show or newscast (tv, web or radio)
21. Cook every recipe in a cookbook Julie and Julia style
22. Learn sign language
23. Take a class on something completely out of my comfort zone
24. Do a winery tour
25. Climb the ‘Rocky’ stairs
26. Take a gourmet cooking class
27. Do a Spartan race
28. Do a boudoir photo shoot
29. Visit Disneyland
30. Do a Star Wars run in Disney
31. Do a full on spa weekend
32. Attend a show in Vegas
33. Find and hire a publicist
34. Take a makeup artistry course
35. Buy a real designer bag (not a knockoff or used)
36. Visit Rodeo drive
37. Learn how to make pasta from scratch
38. Go to the tree lighting in Rockefeller Center
39. Do a tour of a new city I’ve never visited
40. Visit a Michelin star restaurant
It is a long, expensive list, but with budgeting, hard work and determinaiton, I know I will achieve everything on this list. It won’t be done in any particular order, but I know I will make every single one of these things happen.
I will post on my sites, social media and video as many of these as possible, using the hashtag #40by40WithSammi. Stay tuned.