each year i like to take stock of how i am progressing toward accomplishing the things on my 40before40 list. i’m a little later than usual in posting this year’s update, but here it is anyway.

from july 2019 to now i have managed to cross 2 things off my list and have chipped away at some ongoing ones:

• grow my own peppers. i didn’t write a full post about this, but in the spring compost fairy delivered pepper plants to all of their residential subscribers that had been donated by one of their community partners. jeremy potted it and we put it out back and so far it has grown 4 peppers! i have no idea if that is normal or if we should have gotten more, but i am pleased that the plant [his name is pip] is still around and that we’ve even gotten that much. i would love a few more, but i am exercising as much patience as i can.
• finish maya angelou’s autobiographical series. i read the final two books as well as mom & me & mom and really loved learning more about her life. i still can’t get over how much she did and the adventures she had, and i am grateful we have these records of it.

• visit one new country each year. in december 2019 jeremy and i went to barcelona, and in january 2020 jen, lauren, and i went to cancún for a weekend getaway. i’m not sure what international travel is going to look like for the foreseeable future, but i’m grateful for the trips i have managed to take.

• visit one new destination in the u.s. each year. in september 2019 alex, jeremy, and i flew out to tacoma to see kat, marking my first visit to the pacific northwest. in december 2020 i met chrystal and pat in the florida keys for a few days of rest and relaxation. in january 2020 i went to visit chrystal in cleveland. and in august 2020 i went to gatlinburg.

• visit one new national park each year. i added this one in last year. while we were in washington state last year kat took us to mt rainier national park, and my recent visit to gatlinburg was so i could hike in great smoky mountains national park.

• run one 5k and one 10k each year. i only managed the st jude 5k in december 2019. for 2020 i did the rylee’s run virtual 5k and am signed up for the cooper-young virtual 4-miler and a virtual 5k and 10k for st jude.
• raise $5,000 as a st jude hero. with this year’s fundraising totals so far i am right around $4,500, so i might increase this one.

• cross the 1,200 mile mark on the nike run club app. i am currently at 1,030 miles and barring any unforeseen circumstances should make it to 1,200 with time to spare.

as always the list grows and changes with each passing month as my interest and goals switch up and as life happens. i do my best to update the 40before40 page every few months so that it reflects my ever-changing whims.

do you have any upcoming goals?

xx