Did I finish my "30 Before 30?"

4 years ago I created a list of 30 things I wanted to try and accomplish before I was 30 and I've tried to update you on how that has gone as each year has passed. 

Well, it finally happened and I turned 30. Did I accomplish my 30 things? Well, 21 out of 30 is pretty good, I think. Here's a complete run down of how I did on the whole list:

1. Graduate from the Portland State School Counseling graduate program
I did it! After two years of working part time, going to classes in the evenings, writing papers, reading, reading, reading, six months of clinical practice and then 9 months of stressful internships, and I did it! Graduated in June 2015.  I met some amazing people who are now doing amazing work at schools. Go team!

2. Sell a piece of my artwork

Nope. Didn't happen. Though I have given a lot away...

3. Go on a trip with my sister

Well, Chicky got married and moved to Idaho so that trip had to be canceled.

I DID, however, get to go on an amazing trip to Victoria BC with my girlfriend over the summer! It was so much fun! We walked around downtown, met up with some of her friends to go to the Butchart Gardens, and ate delicious food together (poutine, anyone?!).

4. Read the unabridged version of "Les Miserables"

Nope. I didn't even really try. It's still on the same page I left it at in 2013. I'm sorry, Victor Hugo. I'm just having a really hard time getting through Hugo's thoughts on the history of convents and religion in France. GET TO THE BARRICADES ALREADY. 

5. Move out of my parents' house

BOOM. DONE. And I'm keeping up a good list of all my firsts IN MY NEW HOUSE.

First time using my new toaster IN MY NEW HOUSE.

First pictures hung on the walls IN MY NEW HOUSE.

My first floor rug IN MY NEW HOUSE.

And Missy's first day... IN MY NEW HOUSE.

6. Decorate a room the way that I really want to
In 2013 I moved from my childhood room into what used to be my mom's craft room before my parents built the art sudio addition to the house. And I got to paint it and decorate it the way I wanted. And now I'm moving into a HOUSE and I get to decorate ALL OF IT.

7. Make something for my future home

I made a cute plate for my house! But it didn't turn out as nicely as I'd hoped... the writing was a littly wonky. But it was cute!

8. Shoot a gun (that one actually scares me...)

I put it off and put it off. I've had multiple people offer to take me to a shooting range but I just couldn't bring myself to do. Maybe this will turn into a bucket list type thing. 

9. Get a "real" job
Around about the time I went to Korea summer 2015, I was starting to feel a little worried about what I would be doing in the fall. I had done SO. MANY. INTERVIEWS. So many. And I had gotten so many phone calls and emails saying no, no, no. I got a couple of phone calls that were like, "It was down to you and another person, and we went with the person with more experience."

Then, in August, when I was in Santa Clara for my grandmother's unexpected funeral (rest in peace, Graham Cracker), I got a phone call while at the wake at my Aunt's house from a job in Newberg. We played a little phone tag and I got the interview set up. Then I got ANOTHER phone call from another school in Newberg asking if I wanted to schedule an interview for a little bit after my interview at the other school since I was in town.

Back to back interviews and both went well. I got tours of the schools showing me where my office would be, etc. As I as going into my second interview I got called off from work which turned out to be a blessing because I got a phone call from the district asking me to come interview with the superintendent (and the principal of the school from my first interview of the day). At that interview I was offered my pick of either position and while I felt like I knew which one right there, I told them I would sleep on it and call them in the morning.

Thus I became the school counselor at Mabel Rush Elementary in Newberg! Every day is an adventure. There have been many tears and lots of self-doubt, but I have been told by my principal I am doing well so I'm going to trust her judgement and continue working hard to create a better and more prevention focused program this year.

10. Learn a new skill
I learned several new skills in 2014. On a professional level, I learned how to do a whole bunch of things about what I will do as a school counselor. On a more personal level, I also learned some yoga. That was amazing. I was really surprised at how much I liked my yoga class and how good it felt. I have a hard time with meditation activities, and I feel like the yoga really helped me to focus on clearing my mind. I need to start doing it at home on my own. Great stress reducer.

11. Paint a piece of furniture

I painted my old little cube trunk (it used to have teddy bears printed all over it and I painted it pink!). But I can't find any of the pictures I took of the process. 

12. Have a theme party (perhaps "Nightmare Before Christmas"?)

I had a Halloween party at my new house this year! My friend Madi (she is a counselor at one of the local middle schools) and I cohosted. It was fun!

13. Make and send holiday cards
In 2013 I made and sent cute holiday cards... and took no pictures!!

14. Organize a recipe binder of things I can cook well

Nope. Still working on this one.

15. Take sister photos
Thanks to a JC Penney Groupon, Jesi and I got some adorable sister pictures summer of 2013.

Us holding the picture of when we first met. I'm the one with bangs in both pictures. ;)

16. Get a family portrait

Nope.

17. Cosplay

Nope.

18. Watch "Gone With the Wind" in one sitting

Nope.

19. Practice my language skills (Spanish? Korean?)
Well, I am definitely practicing. I have a fair amount of Spanish speaking families and I try really hard to go out of my way to speak with them in Spanish when I see them (same with my Spanish speaking students). I have been told I have a wonderful accent (why, thank you), but I still have a lot to learn! I really really REALLY want to do some more active practice. I'm hoping to find an imersion program (preferably involving travel, of course) where I can attack this language. I think I might have found something that also gives me graduate credit (which my district will pay for!) and I also have several friends at school interested in going, too! All right!!

20. Put fun color in my hair
I BECAME JEM!!! I had pink hair summer 2015. I was going to wait until I had a job but when July rolled around and I was frustrated with not getting hired, I decided to color my hair so it would be pink for the two weeks in Korea. It was amazing and I felt like a fairy princess. And then I did it again this last summer. I made it a bet with my kinders so I could have it on the last day of school. Love love love having pink hair. :)

21. Create a filing system for important documents

Yes! I have a nice binder/folder system for my important documents! Does that mean everything makes it into there? Nope. But it's set up and ready to function!

22. Take a fun class
During Spring term 2014, I took a couple of classes to do something fun for myself: yoga and watercolor. I liked the yoga, but the watercolor class was just annoying. It was mostly studio time. She didn't teach squat. If I'm going to take a class on something, I expect lesson plans and actual teaching of techniques or something. I was pissed. But, I got some time to do my own projects (which sucked because I don't know how to paint with watercolors, hence taking the class).

23. Learn to sing Korean karaoke
I decided to say yes to this one, though it is half-hearted. When I wrote this goal, I meant that I would be comfortable reading the Korean alphabet enough that I could sing Korean songs at a noraebang. Well, I'm not quite there yet.

BUT!

Mindy and I DID manage to sings a song in Korean when we went to the noraebang in Korea (mostly) AND we were able to figure out the  remote to work the basics of the karaoke machine at the noraebang.

In other news, I recently went with some friends to a Korean noraebang place in Beaverton that had the SAME GIANT REMOTES. And they had a sticker on the table with the translations! Look! It's so awesome!!

24. Bake GOOD cookies (all by myself!!)
I taught myself how to bake French macarons in 2014! I can't make a chocolate chip cookie to save my life, but I can make macarons. Very happy with that skill. I'm still trying to perfect the best filling for them, but I pretty much got the meringues down.



25. Write a letter to my future self

Nope. I should do that.

26. Go back to Korea (hopefully with a job there, but I'll settle for a vacation)
I went on a two week vacation to Korea last summer! It was AWESOME!!! I'm on the edge of deciding if I want to go back and work there (kind of feeling the vibe for western Europe), but that kind of depends on where I'm at in the next few years.

27. Tour Portland Shanghai Tunnels

Nope. I still want to do that!

28. Go to New York
I totally went to New York summer 2013!! It was SUCH A BLAST!! I saw five shows in one week, visited a million things, and generally drank my weight in water every day to keep up with how much we were sweating, it was so freaking hot. Check it out!

I'm in Times Square! In glasses because city air does not agree with my contacts.

29. Buy a car
My parents bought me a car for graduation in December 2014. His name is Fish and he is amazing.


30. Learn a new song on the piano
Christmas 2013! The piece was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be, but it's really pretty so I'm totally counting this one as done. Here's a video of it synchronized with dancing Christmas light. Just to be clear, I'm not actually the one playing it in this.