40/40…

Weeks before my 40th birthday, my husband and I were talking about what I wanted to do to celebrate. I had no idea but I knew I didn’t want a party. As I thought about it, I saw a hashtag or a Pinterest image about 30 before 30 and I was inspired. 40/40 came to mind. 40 adventures to remember this 40th year. When I told my husband, his eyes got big and the look on his face was like what the what and heck no and who does this lady think she is?!?! I was like hold up, an adventure could be going to a new restaurant or trying a new food or going on a new hiking trail. Our planned vacations will mark off several adventures in one big adventure. I have somewhat of a list because we have planned destinations but some adventures will happen organically and some by accident.

Since meeting my husband, I have started thinking about my days more like adventures. It helps make the hard parts more manageable, the meaningful parts more memorable and changes the Groundhog Day effect of my days to less mundane. So, my adventures don’t always have to be epic I just have to be willing to look at things like signing our boys up for baseball or taking an online class as an adventure.

Now, not everyday is an adventure. Sometimes, they are just another thing on my calendar of wants, needs and have to’s when all I really want to do is sit and watch tv. There are times I feel the weight of the world and think does any of this really matter and there are times when I’m not inspired or over inspired and I’m stuck in my own tracks. This is something that I want to do to help me stay closer to being creative and making things and doing things. It’s so easy to stay where we are and not grow and I know that even though I’m 40 I still have a lot more room to grow!

So, my 40/40 adventure has begun.

1. To be up in the clouds on the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower.

I’ve been to Chicago too many times to count and I’ve never gone to the top of the Sears Tower (I know it’s Willis Tower, old habits die hard!) So, I choose to do something that I’ve always wanted to do, like since childhood, go to the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower to start this journey.

When we got to the tower we were told that there was a three hour wait to get to the Skydeck. So, there was a lot of debate. Wait, come back tomorrow or try another time. I kept going through my options because ultimately it was my choice but that sinking feeling of if I don’t do this now it won’t happen at all and there goes my 40 adventures, kept me standing there thinking. Thankfully, we were waiting for a friend to come join us and during our wait the line started to lessen and another friend reminded me of my “get out and go” saying to nudge me to go.

The decision was made and I was going to the top. Now, everyone else had to decide if they were going. One person had dropped out because they weren’t feeling well, most of the rest were scared of heights and one person was good to go. Finally, in the end three of us went to the top.

Our wait was maybe 45 minuets to the top and when the doors opened and I saw one of my favorite cities below me, I was happy that my first adventure was happening. A little side note: by the time we returned to the lobby they were no longer taking people up because it was too cloudy. So, we got it done just in time!

The view was amazing and the Ledge was a cool experience. Even though I wasn’t scared to do it my knees were weak and my heart beat a little faster while standing on the balcony. It’s probably the closest death defying adventure I will have!

2. See you on the flip side of the Rockies.

Colorado National Monument in Fruita, Colorado near Grand Junction. I have always wanted to go to Grand Junction because it’s the major city on the other side of the Rockies and I am curious of it’s charm. We picked it as an over night destination and found a hotel in the downtown area. Unfortunately, we were behind and had to choose between exploring the city or go to the national monument. I think we choose wisely.

The national monument has monoliths, plateaus and canyons all of red rocks. Balanced Rock being one of it’s most famous sights, which is unreal. It’s an iconic picture of the west. And the home of our first hike of the trip.

3. Hoodoos, hoodoos, hoodoos!!!!!

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. OMG! This is one of the coolest places I have seen and pictures do not do this place justice. We had just a few hours to spend here and man did we wish we had more. We walked part of the rim trail and a little ways down into the canyon and it wasn’t enough. This place is incredible and intriguing. We need to go back!

4. I still haven’t found what I’m looking for….

Joshua Tree National Park. Seeing this park and it’s trees has been on my list, since U2 named an album after them. I knew it was in the dessert and I knew that there were the Joshua Trees but I didn’t know about the boulders. Which I know sounds so dumb because I knew we would see some type of rock formations but I didn’t know that it was stacks on stacks of boulders.