You should have a list of fun things to do on your birthday for every single year, but turning the BIG 3-0 is a milestone for a lot of people. It’s a time when most have settled down into a career, marriage, and maybe even have a child or two. Before that you need to fine tune and complete your 30 Before 30 Bucket List. Whether you want to travel solo, go skydiving, or just learn a new skill, I have got the best bucket list ideas to do before 30.
The Best 30 Before 30 Bucket List Ideas
1. Travel Solo
If you’re waiting for the perfect travel companion—don’t! Every year thousands of people safely travel solo to their dream destinations and make huge checkmarks off their travel bucket list.
Traveling solo can be great for a bunch of reasons. First, it allows you to move at your own pace and see all the things that you want to see without having to wait on someone else. Additionally, it gives you the opportunity to meet new people and make friends from all over the world. Finally, solo travel can help you to learn more about yourself. With no one else to rely on, you’ll be forced to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. As a result, you may return home feeling more confident and independent.
Sometimes not wanting to travel solo isn’t about having a companion, but about fear. It could be related to the embarrassment of just going somewhere public alone or believing that other destinations are unsafe. If this is the case these article can help:
Overcoming Anxiety to Live Your Dream: 8 Tips to Facing Your Fears
Eating Out Alone: Tips for Dining Solo at a Restaurant
2. Learn How to Make Your Signature Cocktail
Become your own mixologist by concocting the perfect cocktail that reflects you personal taste. The best part about this 30 Before 30 Bucket List idea is that you will have to do a lot of sampling before coming up with your own perfect harmony of flavors. Practice makes perfect!
A great place to start is by thinking about your favorite flavors. Do you like citrusy drinks? Spicy cocktails? Sweet and fruity beverages? But, if you’re not the best at creating drinkable concoctions, you can check these 10 tips on how to make a great cocktail. Or base your drink off one of the Great Classic Cocktails.
After many trials and errors, my signature cocktail creation was a Lemon-Basil Fizz made with prosecco, coconut rum, raspberries, basil and lemon sorbet!
3. Get Settled Into Your Career
It can be tough to figure out what you want to do with your life, but before the end of your thirties you may want to consider focusing your energy on building up a successful career. Not only can it be a fulfilling achievement, but it will also give you time to build a stable financial foundation and save up for your future.
If you don’t know how what direction to take your career read Coursera’s article How to Choose a Career If you decide to go the blogging route read our article: Become a Blogger: How to Start a Successful Blog in 6 Easy Steps
4. Face a Fear
It’s natural to feel a little scared when faced with something new or challenging—after all, our brain is hardwired to protect us from danger. However, it’s important to remember that sometimes the only way to achieve our goals is to push through our fears and take a leap of faith. If we let our fears hold us back, we’ll never really know what we’re capable of achieving.
To push your comfort zone to the ultimate limit get some crazy ideas, from our adventure bucket list.
5. Buy a House
You’ll never forget the feeling of buying your first home—I certainly haven’t, it’s one of the proudest moments! Buying a house is a bucket list goal for many people. To begin this dream, start saving money ( our article 75+ Simple Ways to Save Money for Your Bucket List can help) for a down payment and then get your house hunt going. For help you can check out websites like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Trulia.
6. Donate Blood
Most people are familiar with blood donation, but many people don’t realize why donating blood is so important. Every day, patients in hospitals across the country receive transfusions of donated blood—this gift helps to save lives.
For a little inspiration you can read about my experience of Giving Blood and also get more information for teen donors on the Red Cross website.
7. Get a Meaningful Tattoo
Putting permanent ink on your body shouldn’t be done on a whim—it’s important to choose a design that has meaning to you and that you won’t regret it five years down the road. But, it is also a great way to show your personality and make a statement.
Don’t know what tattoo to get? Pinterest has plenty of cool ideas, but if you are a traveler like me check out these 27 Beautiful Tattoos That Tell Their Own Travel Stories for inspiration.
If you’re not committed to a forever tattoo just yet, then check out Etsy’s temporary tattoos to test one out, (I personally LOVE WearFINK’s simple mountain range.
8. Go On an Epic Getaway With Your BFFs
Going on a trip with your best friends is not only fun, but one of the most incredible ways to bond. You’ll get to create special memories together, share new experiences and have a great time in each other’s company as you check off your travel bucket list.
9. Host a Dinner Party
Whether you’re hosting a casual get together or a more formal affair, there nothing like a dinner party to bring people together. Though there are a few things to keep in mind to make your experience a success.
First, consider your guest list carefully—you’ll want to invite people who will get along and have common interests. Second, plan your menu well in advance so you are not stressed out on the day of the party. And third, don’t forget the table setting details.
10. Learn a New Language
You can learn a new skill at any age, so why not learn a new language before you turn 30? It can be a fun and interactive experience for the whole family. Maybe you can learn the language of a dream destination where you hope to go on a vacation someday? Or the language connected to your family heritage? One of the great things about learning a new language is that it can open up new opportunities for you.
Rosetta Stone and Duolingo are two great programs to get you started.
11. Create a Financial Plan
Becoming financially stable is probably something most people are striving for, and it is best to start when you are younger. Start by creating a financial plan that includes savings and investing goals, but strategies for dealing with debt. You may also want to consider taking out life insurance or creating a will.
Legal Zoom is highly rated for doing wills and living trusts or will, and our article 75+ Simple Ways to Save Money can give you some great financial tips!
12. Volunteer Your Time
Like the old adage says, it’s better to give than to receive. Walking dogs at the shelter, reading to children at the library, giving blood or spending an afternoon feeding families at the soup kitchen? Determine what’s close to your heart and then make a decision to make a difference today.
Don’t know where to start? Visit VolunteerMatch who has opportunities in many major cities or check the United Way website.
13. Run a Marathon (or a Half Marathon)
Preparing and completing a 26-mile marathon takes a lot of training, time and determination. Aside from a standard marathon, there are also fun themed ones like the Walt Disney World Marathon (you can wear a costume!) or the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon. Some local organizations also hold marathons for a cause (like California’s Big Sur International Marathon), so you can join one to support them.
To find some marathons near you, see race-find.com.
14. Learn to Meditate
Meditation is an age-old practice that has many benefits, like easing anxiety, improving sleep quality and overall well-being. In its simplest form, meditation is the act of focusing your attention on a single point of reference, such as your breath.
Don’t know where to start? These articles will help:
- How to Meditate by Lions Roar
- How to Meditate When You Have No Idea Where to Start by Self
Or, take the Mindfulness and Meditation MasterClass by Jon Kabat-Zinn
15. Prioritize Your Health
As an advocate for your own health, it is important to prioritize your wellness in order to maintain your quality of life. Eating healthy, being active, taking vitamins, and reducing stress are just a few things you can do to start your healthy lifestyle journey. If you smoke or drink, you might want to consider asking for help quitting first, as these will affect your health.
16. Fine Tune Your Style
Just like many things on this 30 Before 30 Bucket List, figuring out your personal fashion style can seem daunting at first. But once you take the time to find out what looks good on you and what you feel comfortable wearing, it’ll all start to fall into place. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Take a look at your closet and make a note of the items that you wear most often. What do they have in common? Do they tend to be casual or dressy? Comfortable or structured? Bright or muted?
- Pay attention to the fashion trends that appeal to you. What do you like and why?
- Don’t be afraid to experiment! Trying new things is part of the fun of fashion. So go ahead and try that bold color or edgy silhouette that you’ve been eyeing. The worst that can happen is that it doesn’t work out—and then you’ll know for sure not to wear it again.
17. Take a Road Trip
There’s just something about hitting the open road that’s really freeing. Maybe it’s the sense of adventure or the feeling of independence. Or maybe it’s simply the opportunity to unplug from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
You road trip might take some planning to work out the perfect route, or just pack up your bags, take time off work and hit the road with choosing your destinations on the fly. It doesn’t even have to be a long trip, it could just be for a day or two, but make sure you have plenty of entertainment along the way.
18. Live in Another Country
When you live in a different country you get to experience a new culture and an entirely different way of life. You may want to choose a country by where you could secure an overseas job or one that is a part of your family’s history. Or one that you just fall in love with (it would be Portugal for me!)
19. See a Broadway Show
Seeing live theater is one of the most breath-taking activities you can participate in, so getting tickets to see one of the best Broadway musical shows will be a night you won’t forget. It will be easy to get swept up in the elaborate sets, the costumes, and the music.
20. Fly First Class
Just imagine yourself on a long flight in the lap of luxury, with your legs stretched out and a glass of bubbly in your hand before takeoff. While flying first class is by no means cheap, the convenience and comfort it offers will ensure that you are well-rested and looking forward to the journey ahead once you arrive at your destination.
21. Read The Top Classics
A good classic book will take you off to a place you’ve never been or even a time different from your own. That’s the thing about books—they let you travel somewhere without moving your feet.
For a list of must-read classics, see our list of the Best Classic Books to Read. Lucky for you, many of them are free (or close to free) on Kindle, so this list will be cheap to complete.
22. Learn to Love Your Body!
With seeing beautiful models in the pages of magazines and the seemingly perfect bodies of celebrities, it’s easy to be insecure about our bodies. But, it’s important to remember that your body is a temple, and we are all uniquely beautiful. Learn to love it and treat it well not because you want it to be perfect, but because you want to be healthy for many years to come.
23. Treat Yourself to an Extravagant Item
Whether it is the latest Louis Vuitton bag or Hermes scarf, it’s not uncommon to feel like you deserve a little something special for a milestone birthday, achieving a big accomplishment, or just because. As long as you can afford it, and hopefully you will be able to by the age of thirty, there’s nothing wrong with splurging on a little something that will make you feel good.
24. Become Wine Literate
A restaurant wine list can be a daunting thing to look at if you’re not familiar with all of the different types of wines available, or what you even like. However, with a little bit of knowledge you can easily navigate it to find a varietal that is perfect for your meal (and possibly impress your dining companions too!).
There’s plenty of books to read to further your wine education, like Wine Simple, or you could tour a few wineries that include a wine tasting at the end (they’re a wealth of information). With just a little bit of effort, you’ll be ordering wine like a pro in no time.
25. Learn Self Defense
Learning self-defense is not just about being able to defend yourself, it also instills a sense of confidence and empowerment. It’s a bonus that self-defense classes can also provide a much-needed outlet for stress and anxiety.
26. Visit a New Country
Traveling to a new place within your home country is great, but traveling to a different country brings the whole experience up a notch. Plus, getting to experience new things is a big plus!
Being in a different country helps you become more open-minded about your cultural differences. It also opens you to unique adventures and attractions, like having edible bugs in Thailand, staying in a Bedouin camp in Jordan’s Wadi Rum Desert or hiking the classic Inca trail to Machu Picchu.
27. Adopt a Pet
There are so many incredible benefits to adopting a pet . They’ll enrich your life in numerous ways, from helping you to destress to getting you more active to being a loyal companion. And in turn, you’ll give an innocent animal a loving home they absolutely deserve. Just make sure your ready for the long-term commitment!
There are so many fur babies out there just waiting to be adopted by you and your partner. You can start your search at Petfinder.
28. Go Skydiving
Why not add something that takes you way out of your comfort zone to your list of 30 Before 30 Bucket List ideas, like skydiving?
Yes, it can be a thrilling (and frightening) experience, especially if it’s your first time. But once you’re out of the plane, you will feel a rush of adrenaline as you freefall through the air. And once the parachute deploys, the view from above is simply breathtaking and rewarding.
29. Attend a Cool Music Festival
Whether it’s Coachella, Tomorrowland or another fun music event, there’s just something about being surrounded by great tunes and good vibes that makes the experience truly special. So, snag some tickets, make a plan and grab your group of best friends for a fun event.
30. Plan the Ultimate 30th Birthday Party
As anyone who has ever planned a birthday party knows, there are a lot of factors to consider. Who will you invite? What kind of cake do you want? What activities do they want to do? But with a little planning and creativity, you can easily create an epic birthday party that your friends will be talking about for years to come. You could plan a treasure hunt, a karaoke party, or even a movie marathon. For more ideas see your Things to Do on Your Birthday Bucket List.
From big adventures like skydiving to simple pleasure like reading a classic book in a hammock, there’s no wrong way to approach your 30 Before 30 Bucket List, and I hope these ideas will help.
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