I am turning the big 2-6 this Sunday. What the what – how the heck did that happen?

Looking back on the past few years, I realized that each was filled with one major event/accomplishment/life “hallmark moment” if you will:

21: Drank legally. And saw Justin Timberlake in concert. But not at the same time – I was too busy screaming “I LOVE YOU JT!” to be thinking about drinking beer. However, after the concert…I just might have gone out to college parties wearing the JT shirt I bought at the concert. Don’t judge.

I also vaguely remember an “I love Justin Timberlako” Polariod picture being hung on the wall at Don Lorenzo’s. Wasn’t my fault that my birthday always seemed to fall on Margarita Night.

22: Graduated SBU. One of the best moments of my life as well as one of the saddest. Don’t get me started, I am starting to tear up already! I also then went on to get my first “big-girl” job on the SBU Admissions Team and enroll in SBU grad school. Not that I wasn’t ready to let go or anything.

23: Completed my master’s degree! And also learned how to survive in Olean, NY by myself.

24: Matt proposed and I moved down to DC! My first real move, our first apartment, my first taste of the world outside of the Buffalo and Bona bubble.

25: Did this little small thing called getting PLAN A WEDDING AND GET MARRIED. Whew – I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

I seemed to have set quite the standard for yearly accomplishments. I started feeling pretty proud of myself when it dawned on me: what the heck am I going to do THIS year? I don’t have the time (or desire) to get another degree, haven’t unpacked all the boxes from my move to DC and kinda sorta made a vow with this guy Matt that I would be faithful to him and not go around marrying a million other guys.

Therefore, I decided to make a list of all of the little things that are constantly swirling around the “to-do” list in my crazy head.

I could have easily written a list of 100 things I want to do/see/accomplish. But seeing as I tend to have a problem with over estimating (over estimating the amount of groceries we need, amount of frozen yogurt I can eat without feeling sick, amount of library books I can check out and read within a two-week period, amount of money I charge on my LOFT card, and so on) I think it’s best if I stick with 26. Oh, and one more for good luck, of course.

27 things for my 26th year:

1. Go meatless for an entire week, and at then least one to two days a week after that.
2. Get a sewing machine and learn how to sew!
3. Organize the den/ kitchen cupboards (small tasks that seem huge when I actually stop and think about how much time and energy that actually entails. Eeek.)
4. Run a 1/2 marathon.
5. Take classes for Photoshop and website design.
6. Learn how to knit/crochet! Preferably from the master, Mama.
7. Resuscitate my Italian language (right now all I can remember is “ciao” (obviously), “mangia,” “dov’e” (where is…) and “basta!” (enough! – what I constantly had to tell the Italian men at the market or my favorite gelato man in Italy, when they kept piling on the food for me!)
8. Go to an Italian heritage place in DC – there is one where they give free Italian lessons, have Italian appreciation nights and basically worship the art of making a cannoli like I do.
9. Write letters to my family in Italy.
10. Build this blog to get to the point where I could actually sell ad space. This may be very far-fetched, but let’s see what happens.
11. Make the move into DC! Although this will most likely mean more rent $$$ and less space, Matt and I really want to have an authentic city life for a little bit. Not that living 10 minutes outside of the city (or spending the entire work week smack dab in the heart of it) doesn’t count.
12. Take a mother/daughter trip somewhere with my mom. And no, AM, the market doesn’t count.
13. Start an Etsy shop to make and sell all of the decorations I made for our wedding, plus some! You all would buy everything, right?
14. Volunteer again. I would love to volunteer at a local nursing home or kids’ center, or even become a Big Sister in the Boys & Girls Club.
15. Host a party at our apartment where I can finally break out my beloved punch bowl!
16. Make bagels and english muffins from scratch.
17. Make graham crackers from scratch.
18. Make pasta from scratch. (I’m sensing a trend here…)
19. Paint at least three big pieces of art. And in between those, start carrying around my sketchbook again.
20. Learn to let go of the things that eventually lead to massive amounts of clutter. Let’s face it – if I haven’t made a scrapbook of the trips we took and moments we shared since 2008, it ain’t ever going to happen.
21. Buy a metal stamping set and begin to metal stamp jewelry, spoons, keychains, pendants, etc. (That I can THEN sell on my Etsy shop! Look at my goals working together already.)
22. Make our own wine, Joe & Janice Minnuto style!
23. Clear out my Gmail inbox! And unsubscribe from all LOFT emails. I think this would really benefit my lifestyle and wallet.
24. Make a really fancy adult dinner, like a whole roasted herb chicken and potato au gratin or something – even if it is just for the two of us.
25. Send a birthday card to all of my friends and family that actually arrives before or on their birthday!
26. Chop my hair really, really short.
27. Visit all of my best friends all over the country. And then convince them to come and visit us, too. :)

Okay, so after listing all of these things, I still have a million more things to add. I better start on my 28 things for my 27th year….ew, 27! I am going to be so OLD next year! Guess 26 isn’t that bad. :)