30 Before 30: Thirty & Guest Post

Here we are again at the end of a month and an end to a theme! Its almost sad as they end, yet full of excitement for the new month. I feel like number 30 on my list should be something amazing. I feel like a let down since I can't make it that amazing. The goal listed below is also on my life list but its a big and costly one!

30. Buy a house.

source

The reason for this is obvious. I have kids, too much junk, and no place of our own. It is one of those "needed" things for adults with families.

However, better than my goal is five goals from my guest blogger today. I am glad to welcome back Roger from A Daily Dose of R&R. I trust you will enjoy his goals and perspective as much as I did!

Here he is...

Hello! It’s Roger again, you might recognize my name from a post a while back about long distance relationships. As for a quick update, things are still well on that front. Still miserable, and still well worth it. But that’s not the point of my being here today. Amanda asked me to stop by and talk about the five things that I would like to do before I turn 30. Well, I’m 24 now, so I like to think that time is on my side…  But it’s also moving much faster than it once did, so many of the things on this list are already in the works to get done. So, whether you wanted it or not, here’s a chance for you to learn a bit more about me.

1. I’d like to get a book published. 

Who hasn’t fantasized about writing a book at least once their life? I can’t speak for everyone, but as an avid reader, having my name on a book was definitely something I knew I wanted to do before thirty. And, I am quite pleased to say that this goal is very close to becoming a reality, only not in the sense you might think. Starting earlier this year, my girlfriend and I collectively began working on editing an anthology to raise money for a non-profit organization called First Book and fulfill our dream of attaching our names to a published work. That book, Neverland’s Library, is scheduled to release in March of next year. In fact, I’ve been so successful in achieving this goal, that I now have plans to release not one, but four different books. 

http://neverlandslibrary.com

I’ve not given up on publishing a book entirely written by me, but editing is definitely a unique way of achieving this goal. I can certainly live with my name being attached to a book with fantasy genre authors that I read and love.

 
2.       I’d like to move from having a job to having a career.

Sometimes the early twenties can feel a lot like being that lanky kid from school who hit their growth spurt before everyone else. Your arms are hairy, you’ve got that terrible eighties whisp-stache and you’re about a foot taller than everyone else in your class.   Okay, I lied. I’ve almost always been about average and on the lighter side of hairy, but I understand not quite fitting in. I’m ready to move past working an hourly job and begin working toward a career. While I know some people are able to jump straight from college into these types of opportunities, the large majority of us experience some growing pains in this aspect of life.

Adult bills tend to catch up on us a lot faster than our adult paychecks. I’d better get a real career soon before I’ve got a wife, kid and mortgage. I’m ready for that monotonous day-in and day-out penance to hurry up and begin so it can end before I’m too old and decrepit. 

3.    I’d like to visit Europe.

If money was a moot point, I would see the world and get lost in it. My bushy beard would hide my carefree smile as I travelled from country to country while honing my terrible American accented version of whatever native tongue I try to speak. I’d stay in hostels, take a million photos that will never make it onto my facebook and just get exposed to the vast world that I’ve only seen in pictures!

The twenties are meant for exploring. Our youth should be fun! Before I turn thirty I want to create some memories that I can embellish on and impress and inspire my one-day kids.

 
4. I want to go to the Olympics.

Rather than mentioning Europe and the Olympics, I should just ask to be rich, shouldn’t I? Yes, a great many goals come with being rich, but that’s life we live in. It’s a shame that the lovers of sports and common men and women who fill the streets and fields to play these games can’t afford to go watch them live when they grow up. While I would love to do this, it’s not something I expect to do before thirty. That’s okay though, not all goals are attained. Sometimes it’s just fun to dream big.

Instead, I’ll settle for a close-knit group of friends gathered around the TV and stuffing our faces with a less than athletic assortment of *Ahem* dietary foods. 

5.   I want to learn to be happy with what life gives me.

Now don’t take this to mean that I don’t have dreams and ambitions, but I know that there will be things that I will want and desire, but I know that’s not always possible. So rather than waste all five of goals for before I turn thirty on selfish desires, I’d like to step back and work on being appreciative for the things I do have. I’m a selfish, idiotic, mid-twenties fool who wants it all, but I have a feeling if I actually got everything that my black little heart wants, I’d just find myself wanting a new set of unattainable goals.

If I ever end up getting it all, I think I’d like to make a few other people’s goals come true instead of just mine. Sometimes making something possible for another can be more enjoyable than doing so for personal gain.

So there you have it! My five things I’d like to achieve before I turn thirty. They’ll probably partially change before the day ends, but that’s okay. I’m young, or young at heart at least, and I’ve got time to make a few more mistakes before old age comes back to bite me.

Thanks,

Roger Bellini