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40 by 40

40 by 40 About Me The Journey

40 by 40 – Check, Check

January 27, 2021

35. Have a skin check at a dermatologist

My skin, for lack of a better term, is pasty. I come from the side of the family that burns when they are bold enough to even think about the sun. My sister bronzes from head to toe in the sun while I hide under any hat, umbrella, tree or cabana that will have me.

Even though I’ve always been pretty cautious, I’ve also managed to get a few epically terrible sunburns in my time. We’re talking blisters, peeling, aloe vera gel and washcloths soaked in apple cider vinegar bad.

I always figured that maybe my pastiness/sunburn history might mean that I had some sun damage and after I noticed a new mole on my right hip last summer, I decided it was dermatologist time. Thankfully, the mole was just a “hey, you’re getting older” thing, but my dermatologist suggested I should come back for a full skin check in a few months. I practically yelled, “Yes! That’s on my 40 by 40 list,” but it didn’t scare her away, so I scheduled.

So, if you haven’t had a skin check at a dermatologist, here’s how it goes:

  1. You get nekkie
  2. You put on a gown (my derm needs big girl gowns, I was freezing)
  3. Derm comes in and shines a light on all your parts that could possibly be suspicious while someone else with an iPad notes those things
  4. You’re done!

So that’s how it goes! All in all, I was at the office about 15 minutes. She didn’t find anything to be concerned about, told me whoever put my sunscreen on me growing up did a great job (thanks, Mom!) and to keep up with my daily sunscreen wearing.

As I get closer to 40, it’s always good to have a reminder to take care of myself. What are you doing to make sure you’re taken care of?

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40 by 40 The Journey

40 by 40 – A New Bed and an Old Year

December 27, 2020

6. Get a new mattress and bed

They say that we spend a third of our lives in bed…and I like to think I’m above average in that respect. My room in my little sanctuary. There’s no tv, just lots of books and comfy clothes and pillows. But there was one thing I was still dreaming of…the perfect bed.

In April 2019, I took a long-awaited trip to Washington DC (remember traveling, everyone?!) and I loved spending my days roaming around the city. I also fell in love with the daily afternoon nap I took back at my hotel. I loved it so much that I emailed the hotel once I was home to find out what kind of mattress they use. And then I thought about it…for a year and a half.

This fall, I finally clicked “Complete purchase” on the mattress I thought about constantly along with a new platform bed. I had to wait almost three months for all of the components to arrive AND I dislocated a rib (do no recommend) assembling it, but I have to say, checking this 40 by 40 item off was totally worth it.

What a freaking year. Simultaneously flying and creeping by, 2020 brought us challenges we could have never imagined. Every year, I make a “Vision Board” for the upcoming 12 months and 2020’s went out the window pretty darn fast. I used to make vision boards by going through dozens of accumulated magazines and cutting out words, phrases and photos that spoke to what I wanted for the year.

These days, I’ve taken the Vision Board digital and create a new one each year on Pinterest. I’ll likely add additional pins to my 2021 Vision Board over the next few days and then I’ll be ready to bring on the new year.

What about you? Do you vision board? Set words to guide your year? Tell me what you’re hoping for in 2021!

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40 by 40 The Journey

40 by 40 – A Twofer

November 17, 2020

Though there are a few things on my 40 by 40 list that 2020 is preventing me from accomplishing (of course), I’ve still been seeking out ways to check things off.

20. Sit on the board of a non-profit organization

It doesn’t take much for my competitive side to emerge. I come from a family where sports and board games were played by the book and there was always a winner. So when a co-worker suggested I run for a Board of Directors position for the Missouri Travel Alliance, I was all in. Once my boss approved me running and I applied, I realized I might actually have to…campaign? Now that is out of my comfort zone.

I wrote a heartfelt email to members about what tourism and the organization mean to me. The same co-worker who had suggested I run laughed as I cringed with each send. The words were authentic but it still felt so awkward. Then something lovely happened…very kind replies started rolling in from people I have respected for a long time. So I had a nice little cry and waited for the results to come in.

My first Board of Directors meeting is tomorrow.

33. Adopt a Zoo Animal

One of my “happy places” has always been the St. Louis Zoo. There are pictures of me there as a baby, chilling in my stroller wearing a bonnet while my parents wheeled me around to greet the animals. Nearly every time we went to visit my Nana, we ended up at the Zoo…riding the train, clapping at the sea lion feeding and marveling at everything from the tiniest monkey to the biggest elephant.

The St. Louis is one of the most incredible zoos in the country and it’s free to go. One of the ways they support their mission is through the Zoo Parents Program. As a kid, my sister and I both had “adopted” animals that ranged from penguins to bald eagles to giraffes. You got cool fact sheets and even an invitation to the Zoo Parents Picnic each fall! At some point, I guess we got too “cool” to be Zoo Parents (what idiots we were!) and the tradition ended.

So when I was making my 40 by 40 list, I wanted to bring back something from my childhood that brought me joy, and adopting a zoo animal seemed like a great way to do that. I had my mind set on a North American River Otter, my favorite animal, as the perfect adoption. But once I started looking at the list, I decided that adopting an endangered animal might make more of a difference…and that list was long too.

Then I clicked on the Big Cat Country list and there it was…the cheetah. Have you all read Untamed by Glennon Doyle because you should. In the prologue, Glennon and her family visit a zoo and watch the “Cheetah Run,” which ends up not being all that exciting and a little sad. And it leads into many more beautiful chapters about questioning your cages and your wildness and just…go read it.

So, I am now a proud Zoo Parent once again of a badass cheetah. And yes, I shelled out enough for the fancy fact sheet.

That’s two more off the 40 by 40 list! I have a couple more in the works and am excited to document those. Until then, what zoo animal would you adopt and why?

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40 by 40

40 by 40 – Reread As I Lay Dying

October 21, 2020

23. Reread As I Lay Dying

I have always been a reader. From my start as a lover of Boxcar Children and Babysitters Club up until now, when I’ll read just about anything. Once I got to high school, my reading options opened up to a new world of literary offerings. We read A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 8th grade and Great Expectations in freshman year. I devoured them all and when I started 11th grade, my AP English teacher, Mr. Bancroft, promised more exciting offerings, and he was right! Until…

As I Lay Dying.

This was the book Mr. Bancroft was most enthusiastic about and I loathed the most. I loved the themes of power and corruption in All the King’s Men and the opulence and symbolism of The Great Gatsby. But Faulkner’s tale of the Bundren family threw me off in terms of style in structure in a way that made me complain to friends and think about it years later.

When I was writing my 40 by 40 list, I decided that giving this book another chance would see how far I’ve come in my reading taste. So I jumped back into the world of Darl, Cash, Dewey Dell and the rest of the crew. And y’all, it’s pretty great. The distinct voices of each family member and the desperation of the situation combined to create a stream of consciousness shrouded in death. Has it jumped onto my all-time favorites list? No. Do I now get why Mr. Bancroft was so jazzed on it? Yes.

At the end of it all, I’m glad I gave As I Lay Dying another chance. We all grow and change and it makes me think about what other things I should give another go. For now, it’s another item checked off the 40 by 40 list!

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40 by 40

40 by 40 – LOTR Marathon

September 1, 2020

32. Lord of the Rings Extended Editions marathon

One of my favorite posts I’ve done was writing my 40 by 40 List of things I wanted to accomplish my January 2023. This past weekend, I checked my first one off the list, have a Lord of the Rings Extended Editions marathon.

While this was likely one of the easiest tasks on my list, it was still a lengthy (over 11 hours!) undertaking. The boyfriend and I stocked up with snacks, donned our comfy clothes and settled in for this epic marathon.

It had been many years since I had fully watched any of the Lord of the Rings movies and each of them brought back their own set of memories.

I can remember watching Fellowship of the Ring for the first time at my friend Jaclyn’s house, pausing every few minutes for Jenn and Riki to explain something to us or fill in gaps in our knowledge. I’m still awed by the beauty of Galadriel’s narration at the beginning of the film and I think we could all use a getaway to Rivendell right now. It’s the one of the trilogy I’ve seen the least, so I loved being immersed back in the lighter times of the series.

The Two Towers is still the most incredible experience I’ve ever had in a movie theater. It was a midnight showing and the collective audience reaction (hello, Legolas flipping through the air onto a horse) has stayed with me. I saw it in the theater SEVEN times because I kept finding people who I would insist needed to see it and then would invite them to come to see it with me again. It’s my very favorite of the three films and the wonder still finds me each time I watch.

Whew. The Return of the King is looooong. With about three different climaxes, it’s like being on a roller coaster that you’re not sure will ever end. Still, the strong themes that weave through all three movies are all tied up nicely and the mouth deleted scene is still one of my favorites (so gross). And yes, I cry at the ending every single time.

We started at breakfast time and wrapped up well after dark, and then my first 40 by 40 list item was complete. I would like to thank the academy, Robert, my snack pile, La Croix sparkling water, Peter Jackson and fuzzy blankets.

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40 by 40 About Me The Journey

We’re on the Road…to 40

May 30, 2020

I truly cannot believe over two years have passed since the last post here. Thinking about it, sometimes it seems like yesterday and in other ways, it feels like an eternity. The world we live in is so incredibly different but also faces so many of the same struggles that have plagued it for centuries.

There are many things I want to write about and a commitment I’ve made recently is to write more…here, in one of my many random notebooks or anywhere that’s available when thoughts strike. I’ve never claimed to be a prolific writer, but it feels nice to get thoughts out of my head and captured somewhere.

Somehow, I’m also getting closer and closer to turning 40 (something about how we get older every day?), and I recently decided during a fantastic webcast by Kim Becking that a great way to push myself would be a new list…you know I freaking love a list. Kim’s mention of her 50 by 50 list had me instantly thinking of things I’d like to accomplish over the next two and a half or so years I have before turning 40.

Many ideas came to me pretty quickly, and I also pulled out my Life List to see what I could include on the 40 by 40 list. The thing is, it’s really hard to think of 40 things! I also kept the travel items on the list to a minimum because it’s so unclear right now how much travel will be possible in the near future. After consulting some of my friends and thinking for over a week, I finally had a full list of 40 things that I want to accomplish by January 2023. I’ll be documenting a lot of those things here and any twists and turns along the way. Not much else to do but share the list!

40 By 40 List

  1. Write 40 Thank You letters to people who have made a big difference in my life.
  2. Do another 5K (Completed 12.4.2022)
  3. Go back to Zion National Park (Completed October 2022)
  4. Redo my front yard (Completed 6.14.2022)
  5. Reread Harry Potter (Completed May 2022)
  6. Get a new mattress and bed (Completed 11.29.2020)
  7. Hip Thrust 250 pounds
  8. Sleep under the stars (Completed 10.29.22)
  9. Write a short story
  10. Host a Winter Solstice get-together (Completed 12.21.2022)
  11. Finish organizing my home office
  12. Do Yoga every day for a week (Completed November 2022)
  13. Get a tattoo (Completed July 12, 2022)
  14. Visit Elephant Rocks State Park (Completed 11.2021)
  15. Work with a financial planner (Completed 3.2022)
  16. Make pasta from scratch (Completed 11.2021)
  17. Post on MakingMegan at least once a month (Completed 1.2023)
  18. Walk or bike the entire MKT Trail
  19. Make Bert Alyea’s Gingerbread Men at Christmas (Completed 12.23.22)
  20. Sit on the board of a non-profit organization (Completed 10.28.2020)
  21. Organize my books
  22. Complete an embroidery project (Completed 1.2023)
  23. Go to Amish Country with Julie
  24. Spend a long weekend at The Elms (Completed August 2022)
  25. Relearn Spanish (I’m already using Duolingo!)
  26. Visit the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha (Completed May 14, 2022)
  27. Learn a new card game (Completed November 2022)
  28. Reread As I Lay Dying (Completed 10.12.2020)
  29. Watch Casablanca (Completed 11.2021)
  30. Volunteer at the Raptor Rehabilitation Project
  31. Eat vegan for a week (Completed 1.2023)
  32. Lord of the Rings Extended Editions marathon (Completed 8.30.2020)
  33. Adopt a zoo animal (Completed 11.16.2020)
  34. Buy a bike (Completed Summer 2020)
  35. Have a skin check at a dermatologist (Completed 2.12.2021)
  36. Reconnect with someone I lost touch with
  37. Clean out all the things still at my mom’s house (Completed July 2022)
  38. Try acupuncture, cryotherapy or floating (or all three!) (Completed 9.16 & 9.17.2021)
  39. Make a 40 accomplishments list and post (Completed 1.2023)
  40. Create a 50 by 50 list (Completed 1.2023)

So there it is. I’m so excited to get started on checking things off my list and to enjoy the process of each of them. I hope you’ll come along with me and maybe even make a list of your own? Let’s do amazing things together.

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