Last month, I covered what I’ve completed on my list that was close to home. For this month, I’m going to catch you up on tasks that took me out of CoMo to check off. Let’s go!
13. Get A Tattoo
I have wanted to get a tattoo forever, but I never knew what I wanted, where I wanted it, etc., and the permanence scared me. But I was finally ready. Despite lots of waffling over placement, font, and words, my bestie Jenn reminded me that the song lyric I’d been wanting forever was the way to go and that the rest would come. She was correct.
Another thing I wanted from my tattoo experience was to have it done by a woman who works at a woman-owned shop and I thought it would be fun to do it on a visit to Dallas to see my sister. I found the amazing Alden Mills and decided she was who I wanted to go with. I managed to snag an appointment in July and from there I got to stew in my anxiety until it was time to get inked.
Alden was incredible. I told her I was feeling indecisive about the font and she jammed out something perfect in about five minutes. The tattoo itself also took about that long and I haven’t regretted it for one moment since. And yes what they say is true…now I want more.
24. Spend a Long Weekend at The Elms
A place I had always heard about was The Elms in Excelsior Springs. The hotel is over 100 years old and is known for its outstanding spa and for being haunted. Perfect.
I took the scenic route over to Excelsior Springs and enjoyed a long weekend that included a haunted tour, a morning at the spa, some great food, and lots of relaxation and napping. It’s always fun to visit somewhere you’ve always heard about and even better to have it exceed your expectations. I’ll definitely be back!
26. Visit the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha
This final item allowed me to not only check an item off my 40 by 40 list, but it also meant I got to color in a new state on the map! Somehow, I’d never made it to Nebraska, so I was extra excited about this one. I planned out a long weekend that allowed me to get in not only the zoo but to do a little more exploring as well.
During my time in Omaha, I had some incredible food and got to visit Ted & Wally’s Ice Cream (on the recommendation of Sara), and it was perfection. I also got to see Wicked again after seeing it in New York in 2009. It was even more moving than I remember and feels all the more prescient now.
My day at the zoo was a full one! I got there as the gates were opened and was immediately impressed. The zoo is constructed in such a way that you don’t miss anything, which I love, and the exhibits were so well done. While nothing can live up to my very favorite St. Louis Zoo, the Henry Doorly Zoo was definitely worth the trip. Overall, Omaha was a fantastic trip and I’d love to go back.
So there are the travel-related 40 by 40 items I’ve checked off over the past few months. We’re heading into the home stretch and I hope you’ll keep coming along for the ride.
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