If you’ve been following along with my blog since the beginning then you know that I come up with a list of goals to tackle each year. The first year, 365 til 30 my goals included driving across the USA, learning French, learning how to tango, going camping, spending a week at Tassajara, Learning how to cook, volunteering, getting a French bulldog & publishing my writing. I was pretty damn successful that year in accomplishing my goals. To the point of obsession actually. Accomplishing those goals before turning 30 was all I could think about for 365 days. Brian was very happy when that year was over. HA. Over the last few years I have continued to create a list of goals…doing so helps me focus on the things I want from my life…a framework if you will.
365 til…33!
Travel
Every year you can pretty much guarantee that one of my goals will be travel related. I am a travel nut! Seriously, why can’t I just travel the world and get paid for it? (Is anybody listening? I’m totally available if you want to pay me to travel) During 365 til 30 my travel goal was to drive across the country (check!)…during 365 til 31 my travel goal was an overseas trip (Brian and I went to Hong Kong and trekked Nepal!)…365 til 32 my travel goal was again an overseas trip but this time for our honeymoon (we took a month off and went to Vietnam and Bali) This year my travel goal is much simpler, all I want to do is take a road trip with Brian. I love road trippin’ with that man. Actually, it was on our first road trip together that I knew I loved him. We were only a month into dating when I asked him if he wanted to take a road trip to Santa Fe with me to visit my friend Chantal. He must have thought I was crazy. Who would want to sign up for that many hours in a car with a person you’ve only been dating a month? The answer to that question is ME! And him I guess Brian as well because he said yes. Luckily, it was a total success. This year I’m thinking a road trip from LA to Seattle. My ideal stops along the way would be….Big Sur, San Francisco, Ashland, Eugene, Portland, Olympia & Seattle.
Learn
This year I am dying to learn more about photography. For a girl who appreciates a beautiful photograph, it is a crying shame I can’t shoot one as well as I’d like to. Especially when it comes to this blog, I would love to post higher quality photographs. Well, I guess I do sometimes but sadly they are not shot by me and instead by my photographer husband. With that said, I will be signing my ass up for a photography class as well as making Brian teach me all his tricks. He even has an extra Canon Rebel camera waiting for me. Winning!
Writing
You can also pretty much guarantee that one of my goals each year will also have to do with writing. This year it is travel related. I want to publish my various travel (road trip, Hong Kong, Nepal, Vietnam & Bali) essays. Wish me luck!
Health
I want to go vegetarian for a month. Ever since my gallbladder surgery a few months ago I have had the hardest time with my digestion. It’s been driving me crazy! I’ve decided that meat might be the culprit. This coming from an Irish gal who loves a good steak. Sigh. I thought what better time to test out vegetarianism then now! Oy…I’m scared. Any vegetarians out there want to offer some advice?
Home
Decorating our new home has been on hold for a bit now…between shelling out money for our wedding and honeymoon we have been neglecting our home. The space totally deserves more! I plan on decorating with the help of pinterest and my very talented interior designer mother. So here we go…one room at a time.
find me elsewhere:
instagram @kate365 / facebook / twitter
365til30.com 
Travel is always one of my goals each year as well. We’ve been on a bit of a hiatus now that we’ve added a little one to the family… but hopefully we will be back in full swing soon.
Road trips Are our favorite type of travel and we’ve done the entire pacific coast a few times. When you start planning feel free to hit me up for some ideas. It’s one of my favorite destinations!
Your road trip posts and photos are always inspiring!! I will most definitely be hitting you up for ideas when we start planning!!!! Thank you for that sweet offer!
I LOVE this “Is anybody listening? I’m totally available if you want to pay me to travel.” Umm sign me up too, please!
On the photography front … dive in! I find the more pictures I take the more I get comfortable with my equipment, understanding lighting and getting shots I like. I started with a Canon T2i and want to get the Mark 5D or 6D (upgrade!).
MIT launched an open course for photography (MIT OpenCourseWare http://bit.ly/1qmV4jX) and I LOVE Skillshare classes (http://www.skillshare.com/schools/photography). If you want to go that route – there’s so many great resources out there! Excited to see you take on this goal with your great eye and aesthetic! Frank photos to the max!
I always love your comments. They are always SO thoughtful!! Thank you for the photography ideas!!!! They are great!! I am totally going to look into both. Frank photos to the max LOL. You know me too well:)
Don’t forget to ask Brian to teach you about the green light in the camera that lets you know when your pictures are in focus. One whole year I spent struggling with blurry photos until Mr. Baker made a casual remark alluding to this magical feature, and lo! Gamechanger. Your road trip sounds dreamy, I’ll send you all my best Oregon recommendations. And also, I’ve got oodles of plant-based recipes for you!! This is gonna be a great year. xo
HA. The all knowing green light!! HAHA. I would love your Oregon recommendations and you’re plant based recipes! Thanks lady. This is going to be a great year for us:) xo
You already know about San Simeon, Tomales and Sausalito- so my further recommendations are: Cape Mendocino, Founders’ Grove (Redwoods), Bandon Beach, Tillamook, Astoria, Portland, Vancouver (WA), Kalaloch, Quillits, Cape Flattery/Neah Bay and Sequim.
Being able to take one’s own photos is truly essential to self-satisfaction. Go for it!
oooooooh very good recommendations! Thank you! I always love your ideas. Thanks for your positive words about my photography goal. I’m excited!
Quilits is nice, but I meant to say Quinault- in the thick of the Olympic Peninsula- it has a grand old lodge, and a sumptuous rain forest trail.
I’ve actually done the LA to Seattle trip 3 times! Let me know if you want any advice 🙂 Gorgeous drive. The Pacific Northwest is just absolutely breathtaking. Please try to visit the San Juan Islands if you can when you hit Seattle!
three times!! You’re a pro! I’m totally going to come to you for advice. Thanks for the offer. I will definitely put San Juan islands on the list! 🙂
Haha, while I moved from LA to Seattle at one point. And then we still had a bunch of friends in SoCal we wanted to see. And there’s just so much to do between the two places… and yet, somehow I still didn’t get to see everything I wanted to! The US really needs to get it’s act together with vacation time 🙂
Isn’t that the truth?? Why can’t we just travel half the year? It’s totally unfair! 🙂
Brian and I have been talking about that SAME road trip for years! Maybe we will get it done too. I’ve heard that later Spring through early Fall is the best time… so we better hurry up, or just wait a year! …and you better believe I’ve got some good vegetarian ideas/recipes. Also low fat fish, like sole, will be easy to digest for you. 🙂
Let’s all take the trip together!! HA! I’m shooting for spring…I don’t think we could pull it together by fall! Although I’m sure the leaves are pretty that time of year:) YES…I want your favorite vegetarian recipes lady!
Hey, good luck with the photos, just take Los and then take a lot more, works for me! 🙂
Ha! I like that advice! Bound to get at least one good one right?? 🙂
Well they say practice makes perfect….
I love your 365 til,,, series! I think I might have to start my own little project like this before I turn the big 3-0 in a few years.
I love the travel ideas, and I just bought a big fancy camera that I am trying to learn how to use too. Perhaps I might need to find some professional advice as well 🙂
As for vegetarianism and gallbladder issues….I have been a vegetarian for four years now and that’s why the doctors were scratching their heads over my emergency surgery earlier this year! I gave up meat because I was having issues digesting it so maybe that should have been a big warning sign all those years ago…
I honestly haven’t missed meat at all, and that was from an Aussie/Danish girl who loved nothing more than a big steak with a pat of butter melting slowly on top. When I made the decision to quit meat I went cold turkey, but that’s just the way I am.
Perhaps a better way might be to try going flexitarian for a month and having 4 non-meat days and 3 meat days? (Sorry, once a dietitian, always a dietitian…).
Good luck with all of your goals Kate! I can’t wait to hear all about your road trip and read more of your travel writing – you have a gift!
Hello, Amy!! What a fabulous comment to receive. SO glad you like the series. It’s fun to have goals, right? I end up feeling a bit lost if I don’t have them. I guess the type A in me needs them:)
I am so excited to hear more about your life as a vegetarian. Your blog has so many good meals! Can’t wait to go through them. It really does seem like the best way to feed your body. I am excited to see how I feel after the month!
How are you recovering from your gallbladder surgery? Have you had any issues?
xo
Thanks for the sweet compliment Kate! Blushing right now.
I have recovered really well. I have never felt better so I think I must have been having problems long before I knew what was causing them. I have noticed that when I have a few glasses of wine they hit me harder than they used to, but that might be because I’m definitely not 21 anymore 😉
I’ll have to share some more savoury recipes soon then 🙂 I seem to be on a cake kick at the moment!