30 by 30

Some people make up a list of 30 things they want to accomplish before they turn 30. I don't think I ever made up such a list (at least not one that I've kept), so (beginning a few weeks ago) I made up a list of 30 things I've already done before turning 30.

In no particular order, I have:
1. Cried on my 10th birthday because I didn't want to be old & grown-up. (Since I've already cried over being old, I can celebrate the rest of my birthdays. :)
2. Been a president. (President of Tip-Top 4-H club and the Harper County 4-H Council)
3. Been a queen. (Harper County 4-H Fair Queen 1993)
4. Totaled my aunt's car. (On the way to get my picture taken by the local newspaper for the fair queen contest.)
5. Seen 1/2" of ice on Halloween in southern Kansas.
6. Driven tractors, combines, and wheat trucks.
7. Learned to drive a stick shift. (Though I don't plan to own a stick shift and avoid driving them--for the safety and comfort of others.)
8. Spent a week in inner-city Kansas City, twice, on mission trips. (1992, 1993)
9. Spent three weeks in Amsterdam on a mission trip, including outreach to the homeless and in the red-light district (January 1998).
10. Spent ten years in the same public school system (1981-1991).
11. Graduated high school as a home-schooled student (1994).
12. Graduated from Sterling College summa cum laude. (1998. BA in Language/Literature with a minor in Computer Science.)
13. Graduated from Emporia State University. (2000. Masters in Library Science.)
14. Helped start a library from scratch at a brand new college (PHC. 2000.)
15. Become the director of a library. (PHC. 2002.)
16. Hosted (with my family) exchanges from Paraguay and Japan.
17. Worked at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games in the archives department of the Atlanta Olympic Broadcast company.
18. Learned public speaking skills through 4-H and subsequent experiences.
19. Participated in several stage productions (mostly technical work) and numerous skits.
20. Learned to dance: Clogging(2002- ), some contra(2003- ) and swing (2001), and a little bit of ballroom(2001).
21. Traveled to Ireland for nine days (August 2005).
22. Rapelled. (2001-02)
23. Achieved in 4-H. (Won top awards at the county and regional level and competed at the state level.)
24. Won the junior high book-writing vote with my book "Jeanie." (Thanks, Mom!)
25. Learned to read music and played (past tense) the organ and trombone.
26. Known two of my great-grandmothers (both on my dad's side).
27. Known all four of my grandparents (though I only have one grandmother remaining).
28. Grown-up knowing all four aunts and uncles, and all eleven first cousins on my dad's side; my aunt and uncle, and both of my cousins on my mom's side; and several second cousins, great-aunts and great-uncles, and various other extended family.
29. Had genealogists on both sides of the family that have traced ancestory back to Germany, Ireland, England, and various other European countries. (Included in that ancestory is one who came over on the Mayflower.)
30. Learned how to figure the degree of relationship between cousins, such as, my grandmother received a sympathy card from a lady who is my third cousin twice removed.