This list is originally from Babble.
This list is the best so far and you can see why from the title: "40 (Realistic) Things to do Before You Turn 40" - thank you Dresden Shumaker. She chose 40 unrealistic goals and realisticized them (hopefully create your own vocabulary is on there, too).
1. Travel to all seven continents
becomes Put my feet in the ocean

Wow, generic list. Way to up the ante from "travel abroad". On the other hand, I've put my feet in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas. So, pretty good so far!
2. Pay off all my debt becomes Continue to pay down my credit card every month
Well hmm. We can't really pay off the house in the next 98 days but we have paid off my student loans (HOLY SHIT) and two cars, and we thus far have been able to pay off the credit card each month. The longer I go without a job the harder this last one gets, though.
3. See a gynecologist, dermatologist, and primary care doctor
remains the same
These are good goals for me. I just went to an eye doctor last week and am going to the dentist next week, which I'm very ACK$%(*$)#*$ about because I'm pretty sure I'll need work done. I just hope I don't end up having to get my wisdom teeth out before I'm 40. :-(
4. Have teeth professionally whitened
becomes Have a cleaning at the dentist
See above and I'm definitely not having them professionally whitened - they are way too sensitive. I'll just wait until I get dentures and get them scary white and dye my hair to match.
5. Completely change my look
becomes Get a new haircut and maybe splurge for a fancy salon
Yes! Fancy hairz cut!
6. Swim with the sharks becomes Go to the aquarium
I have no interest in swimming with the sharks (!??!?) or the dolphins but I've been to the aquarium about a million times. I am always up for another trip but not sure this belongs on my list.
7. Try something new
remains the same, and she mentions wanting to try floating
One word: ZIPLINING
8. Have a heart-pumping adventure like skydiving or walking on glass
becomes Get a tattoo

Same word: ZIPLINING
9. Hold a tarantula becomes Go to the zoo
I think I would hold a tarantula. It would scare the shit out of me but in a good way! And again, I've been to the zoo a billion times but am always up for a trip.
10. Get married becomes Go on a date
Collin and I don't go on that many dates, true, but still not sure this belongs on my list.
11. Join the Peace Corps
becomes Volunteer locally
I wanted to join the Peace Corps when I was younger but turns out it's not enough to want to join. They actually want you to have useful skills. I know, weird. Luckily my business analyst skills are actually useful to nonprofits in this area so I've been doing that and loving it.
12. Make something creative with my hands
remains the same
I think I would like to design and embroider something in honor of 40 but I'll have to figure out what...
13. Replace coffee with green tea
becomes Drink tea in the afternoon
I don't know why all these lists want me to stop drinking coffee. But anyway, I don't drink it anymore except on special occasions and YOU CAN'T HAVE IT ALL OK LET ME HAVE MY OCCASIONAL LATTE FOR PETE'S SAKE
14. Run a marathon becomes Get myself a bike and gear (oh, and ride it)
No marathons. Maybe I should put "ride your bike" on my list though. That may be what it takes to get it out of the shed...
15. Go to a performance at the Met
becomes See a band
Ok, a stretch item for my list will be to find and buy tickets to see an opera. Opera season is usually not until late September so it's unlikely I'd be able to see an opera before 40. On the other hand, that does give me a little flexibility so I don't just have to see the first thing playing.
16. See a show on Broadway
becomes See The Lion King on tour when it comes to Philadelphia
I think buying tickets to see an opera would be enough. I've seen lots of musicals and other big production shows.
17. Get a Ph.D. is sidestepped, since she is currently going back to school
DONE
18. Invest in gold or the stock market
becomes Properly set up my son's savings
I would imagine retirement investments count, so this is done, too.
19. Go on a romantic picnic or road-trip
becomes Go on a solo drive — windows down, music playing
Done - although I'd like to go on another road trip with Collin before 40.
20. Drink an expensive bottle of alcohol
becomes Drink a glass of really nice wine
Done.
21. Become a CEO
remains the same
Well that sounds like more of a stretch assignment than I'm prepared for, but I would like to have started moving forward with my non-profit by 40.
22. Eat rare food
becomes Make more exotic food
"Rare food" is kind of a vague weird term and so is "exotic food" but I would like to go out for a nice dinner before 40. Or, you know, a few nice dinners. :-)
23. Be part of a flashmob or group event
becomes Eagerly sing Happy Birthday whenever I hear it begin
I'm going to let doing all that improv count as my middle ground between the two of these.
24. Go geocaching
remains the same
I never really thought about this but it sounds pretty fun actually.
25. Have a nude portrait taken
becomes Have a non-selfie, professional portrait taken
Well since I meant to have a professional portrait taken for my 30th birthday and never did, maybe I should do this for 40.
26. Create a font
remains the same
Haha - no thank you but thank you for all the nice fonts everyone!
27. Read 100 books
becomes Read 50 books
Ever since graduate school I try to be lenient with myself about reading. It really became unfun so now I try to only read when I want to and it helps.
28. Spend all day at a spa becomes Get a massage
Hmm, let's say half-day?!?
29. Have a professional makeup lesson
becomes Learn how to master smokey eyes from YouTube tutorials
No thanks! How about have a mani-pedi?
30. Go to Vegas and play the slots
becomes Buy a scratcher lottery ticket at the grocery store
Done both - won very little but had fun.
31. Buy luxury bedding becomes Buy a new duvet cover
I just recently bought a new quilt and sheets, so hooray! They're not "luxury" but it's kind of a luxury to be able to afford new sheets and a quilt so I'm counting it.
32. Hire a housekeeper
becomes Have a service come the week of my birthday to clean the house
Ooh, that's a good idea. Maybe I can hire them to come when I'm at the spa. Now THAT'S luxury.
33. Bake and eat only your own bread
becomes Learn how to make bread
... becomes one time I made bread in a sourdough class and that was fun.
34. Cook every dish from your favorite cookbook
becomes Cook my grandmother’s recipes
Every dish?! Are you kidding? Last week I organized all my recipes into a couple of 3-ring-binders and I'm counting that. Well done, Charity!
35. Hunt for truffles
becomes Buy some truffle oil and figure out what to do with it
... becomes throw away that truffle oil I bought 5 years ago because I'm clearly not going to use it.
36. Apply to be on a reality TV show
is something she actually already did!
But it's something I'll never do! By choice! But thanks for the idea!
37. Go to a drive-in movie
becomes Set up a backyard movie theater
Seems to be that going to a drive-in movie is easier than setting up a backyard movie theater. Although, do they still have drive-in movies? I just looked. Not very many. Luckily I went to a drive-in movie when I was a kid. That would be another fun thing to do sometime.
38. Attend a major gallery opening
becomes Go to an art museum
I've attended lots of special exhibits, like the Tim Burton exhibit at MoMA, where we had to buy a membership to get in since they were sold out. So I'll count that.
39. Name a star
becomes Stargaze or go to a planetarium
Oh I'd like to go to the Planetarium again! Although I've been a couple of times in the last few years at California Academy of Sciences, so not sure it needs to be included on the list.
40. Take part in an archaeological dig becomes Introduce my son to Indiana Jones movies
Luckily Raiders of the Lost Ark is in the AFI Top 100 so I plan on seeing it before 40 anyway.
****
Ok! I'm ready to make this list. Thanks for your input everyone. :-)
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