Just Thauna

thoughts, musings, rants and other stuff

birthday

50 for 50

Well the big 5-0 is here. I’m a bit freaked out about it. Not so much in an age way, but in a “how the hell did this happen?” way.

Seriously, how did this happen. Fifty! I still think of myself as about 28 or 32, maybe even 35. Thirty-five was a big year. Life changing. Speaking of which I can’t believe 35 was 15 years ago.

My children have grown up. My grandbaby is growing up…she’s 5 and in kindergarten. Smart and sassy and it seems like she was just a baby last week.

When I turned 49 last year I had a huge sense of “better do it now” and spent a good portion of the year pondering what I really wanted to do with my life. By July I had quit my job to go full-time in my Web design business. That decision is going into the one of the best decisions ever column.

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I’m embracing the 5-0 now. It’s a new chapter. A wonderful chapter that is completely mine to write. My kids are grown. I’m free and single and only need to make myself happy. Yes some days that feels like “oh God I’m all alone.” But what an adventure I can have.

I saw a 35 things before I’m 35 list the other day and thought wow I missed the boat on that one.

I decided to write a list of 50 things I want to do during my 50th year. Some are already planned and some I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I hope I can get to 50.

 

Thauna’s Awesome List of 50 Things for an Awesome 50th Year

  1. Take the kids to Disneyland for Christmas
  2. Stay at a Disneyland Hotel
  3. Paint a wall a bright color
  4. hire a cleaning service
  5. Go to Italy for a couple of months for a working vacation
  6. Finish War & Peace
  7. Meet my income goal for 2015
  8. Hang art in the family room
  9. Create some vinyl word art for the dining room
  10. Create some vinyl word art for my office
  11. Paint and refurbish my old, vintage dresser
  12. Organize the garage
  13. Donate a lot of stuff from the garage
  14. Rework my work space
  15. Decorate my office
  16. Learn the 1000 most frequency used Italian words
  17. Describe my work and business in Italian
  18. Small Italian conversations
  19. Find or start an Italian meetup for my level
  20. Finish a quilt
  21. Organize my bookshelf 
  22. Donate half of my closet – in process
  23. Paint the powder room
  24. Paint the laundry room
  25. Put together a puzzle
  26. Read one classic from my list (besides W&P)
  27. Take one class or workshop a month
  28. Blog projects monthly (quarterly)
  29. Launch an online eCourse 
  30. Create a WP theme for photographers
  31. Create 1 Ready to Rock design a month
  32. Take JaNiyah on a movie/dinner date alone
  33. Go to Antelope Island
  34. Write my mission statement
  35. Paint a wall in my bedroom
  36. Practice Italian everyday
  37. Start walking
  38. Make a vision board for 2015
  39. See Cinderella in the theater with the girls
  40. Make pasta and fresh sauce for friends
  41. Have a dinner party
  42. Go on a 3 day weekend by myself
  43. Buy a fancy perfume
  44. Visit one of Utah’s National parks
  45. Go to Jackson Hole…see the Tetons
  46. Drive a portion of the Pacific Coast Highway
  47. Go to the movies more than once this year
  48. Try 4 new restaurants
  49. Go to the aquarium
  50. Go to the zoo

Whew! I’ll come back and cross off the ones I accomplish.

Cheers to a year that is  happy, healthy and full of fun and adventure.