50 Dreams The Week I Turn 50!

Not so long I stumbled across a little something that struck a chord with me.  A challenge?  A call?  Boiled down…simply an idea to start building a list of dreams.  To take some time and create an unedited list of anything you want out of your life.  I started.  I stopped.  I worried.  Was it silly to create a list now as I crept closer and closer to 50?  Um no.  I think because I AM celebrating my 50th birthday -THIS WEEK – while at home riding out a worldwide pandemic (instead of in the French Rivera as we’d planned) it’s more important than ever to look for the positive and maybe even dream some new dreams.

As I started I realized I was way overthinking this and had to give myself some rules. It went like this.  No ideas are too big, none are too small and I decided it’s okay to include a couple of the biggies I’ve already accomplished – you know because it makes me feel GOOD to have some things already crossed off!

So here we go, a peek inside the crazy the week of my 50th birthday. Feeling grateful, looking for the bright side and starting this week by simply dreaming  FIFTY big old dreams…

1. Snap a jaw dropping picture of the Grand Canyon.
2. Take a river cruise through Europe.
3. Live some where far, far away for an entire month. (At least once)
4. Plan another family trip to Disney. (you are never too old for Disney)
5. Check off at least 3 more Caribbean islands with my Hubby.  Hmmm: St Lucia, Antiqua and Grand Cayman sound like a good start.
6. Take a couples trip to Vegas.  Maybe Zip Line across Freemont street, you know,  just because we can.
7. Eat at a Gordon Ramsay restaurant. Hmm, but which one?
8. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower with one of my BFFs.  Celebrate all the little things and dreams coming true.
9. Add a Lock to the Pont des Arts Bridge in Paris with the love of my life.
10. Walk the streets of Santorini.
11. Make a call from a London phone booth.
12. Sail on a private yacht off the coast of the French Rivera.
13. Throw a coin in the Trevi fountain.
14. Take a gondola ride in Venice.
15. Get lost in the confusing streets of Lake Como.
16. Jump off a waterfall.  Is it jump off or jump in?
17. Introduce Yoga into my life.
18. Learn to use chopsticks properly. I’m an embarrassment.
19. Master a pasta salad people talk about.  Please feel free to leave me your recipe!
20. Take a Goat Yoga Class.
21. Create that dream closet. Edit my wardrobe  and get rid of that stuff I’m never going to wear again.
22. Schedule a real date night once a month for a year.
23. Organize our family recipes.
24. Celebrate our 25th anniversary – this September!
25. Celebrate our 50th anniversary.
26. Let go of a floating lantern and all the hurt that goes with it.
27. Pay for a strangers restaurant bill.
28. Name a star.
29. Build our dream house.
30. Support our daughters through University.
31. Make more time for reading and spend less time on my phone.
32.  Watch a sunset from our own condo in Turks and Caicos.  (no dream is too big, right?).
33. Spend less time worrying and more time in the moment.
34. Have coffee or lunch with a girlfriend at least twice a month.  Why is it so hard to make time for me?
35. Re-connect with some people I’ve lost touch with.
36. Have family photos done.
37. Buy more fresh flowers for the kitchen…just because I want to.
38. Fix up the gardens around the pool.
39. Shop more often at the local farmers markets.
40. Walk alpacas.  Because why not?
41. Go apple picking.
42. Have a date night at the Drive In!
43. Get published in a travel magazine.  Done and done!
44. Learn to say “no”.  Working on it.  Sigh.
45. Find some new great blogs to read, comment and support.
46. Re-do my office.
47. Protect and cherish our family cottaging tradition.
48. Master a less embarrassing game of golf.  Having all the cute outfits is fun but a decent swing would be nice too.
49. Take an indulgent multi-generational trip with my parents, my kids, my sister…all the fam.  Embrace the crazy and all the memories that are bound to come with it.
50. …..

And number 50?  I’m leaving this one blank.   Soon, so SOON and I’m going to celebrate these little moments and every damn thing that follows.  I’m going to keep dreaming, planning and adding to this list.  I may have turned 50 this week but when it comes to knocking dreams off my list?  I’m just getting started….