In a little over 7 months, I’ll be turning 30 years old.

Ugh.

Honestly, the thought terrifies me. I’ve been avoiding it for almost three decades, but here we are. Funny how time works. But here’s the rub, I’ve burned the fuck out. You might ask yourself–what problems could a 29-year-old really have? I mean, really. Life is pretty easy.

Wrong.

Dude. I’m in graduate school full-time. I work two part-time jobs. I write 3-4 novels a year (have you ever tried writing one?!). Not to mention I have to find the time to market and promote those books, plus all the administrative work that comes with being an author. I freelance write on the side doing articles, ghostwriting projects, and more. I have five fucking pets–yeah, yeah, I know that one is my fault, but damn, it’s a lot of work. I just went through a divorce. I just started a new relationship (that’s a positive, but it does eat up time in my day). I am attempting to keep a social life alive. I go to church and Bible study weekly.

Basically, I’m saying life isn’t champagne and spa days.

Ya girl is busy.

And, truthfully, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love my life and I love what I do. It’s wonderful and I’m so happy in my life and with the people in it. But the facts are that I’m burned out. I need to rejuvenate. I need to reenergize and I need to do things I can look back on and say–hell, yeah.

Hence, a “30 Things To Do Before 30” list!

Before you start, yes I know I’m not going to die at 30 years old and can still have fun after I hit dirty thirty. However, I’m starting to settle down. I’ve found a wonderful man and I’m thinking of having a family one day. There are things I won’t do in the future and now is the time to do it. Plus, you only live once and I never want to say I wasted my youth.

Soooo, without further ado, here’s my list so far (subject to editing):

30 Things to Do Before 30

1) Do indoor skydiving because outdoor skydiving is for psychopaths with death wishes

2) Swim with dolphins and pet them on their cute little noses

3) Have sex in public and do other weird sex shit you can’t put on the Internet because your mother will read this

4) Take a cooking class just for fun, but mostly drink all the wine

5) Add another $5k to my investment accounts

6) Take a road-trip down the east coast and take a picture in each state with my dog

7) Get a new tattoo that has something to do with books

8) Start a romance book club locally for mostly drinking wine

9) Run a 5k officially or just tell people that you did

10) Pay someone else’s debt

11) Gamble at MGM Casino in National Harbor and win

12) Get headshots done for a new author photo

13) Go to Chincoteague Island and see the horses

14) Re-decorate bedroom and/or living room professionally

15) Do something to make someone feel special

16) Go on a museum day tour around Washington, D.C.–hello, Spy Museum, here I come!

17) Go skinny dipping in the middle of the night in someone else’s pool

18) Be someone different for a night

19) Go to the zoo and/or aquarium in another state

20) Have a picnic on Theodore Roosevelt Island with the dogs in the middle of the summer

21) Go line dancing at a country bar

22) Join a cornhole league

23) Kiss in the pouring rain just like in the movies

24) Splurge on something expensive for myself just because

25) Take a fancy trip somewhere and go to a fancy dinner

26) Invest in better friendships with people who matter

27) Start a new relationship

28) Sign a new book deal

29) Write a new book

30) Reconnect with the Greek side of my family