I’ve mentioned my love of Gretchen Rubin’s Happier podcast before, but I’m back to talk about it again. In an episode at the end of December, the ‘Try This at Home’ tip was to create an 18 for 2018 list. A few weeks later they did a deep dive into the 18 for 2018 idea and shared some of the lists that had been sent in by readers. I already have a 30 for 30s list, so at first I wasn’t going to join in, but in the end, I couldn’t resist.
So here’s my list of 18 things I want to do in 2018. Some of the items are from my 30 for 30 list, a couple are from my fall project to-do list, some are inspired by items on other people’s list, and some are new ideas. I’m really excited about everything on the list and I think it’s all doable by the end of the year. I haven’t completely crossed anything off yet, but I’m up to date on the 2 monthly goals so far.
2 | Wildlife World Zoo
Last weekend we went to the zoo to celebrate my friend Michelle’s birthday. The weather was amazing, so it was the perfect day to be outside enjoying the animals. Since our last visit, the zoo added 3 young white rhinos. They’re part of the zoo’s new rhino facility and conservation effort. My grandpa loved rhinos and collected rhino figures, so they always remind me of him.
Of course, the best part is always feeding the giraffes. It’s only 50 cents! Well, it’s only 50 cents if you only feed them one small handful…let’s not talk about how many quarters we actually spend on pellets…
3 | Godless
Adam and I just finished watching Netflix’s limited-series Godless and we both really enjoyed it. I was expecting the story to be more about the town of women and less the usual western plot, but I still found it really entertaining. Michelle Dockery’s character Alice was a total badass, but Mary Agnes (played by Merritt Wever aka Elizabeth in New Girl) was my favorite. She wasn’t taking any shit from anyone and I loved it.
4 | First Comes Love
One of my goals for 2018 is to read 18 books (it’s also on my 18 for 2018 list). I finished my 2nd book last week so I’m still on pace for the year. I read First Comes Love by Emily Giffin and I didn’t love it. I’ve read almost all of her other books and I’m a huge fan, but this one just fell a little flat for me. I liked the idea behind the book – how a family is affected by a tragedy, but I just found the main characters to be completely unlikable.
I was expecting the sisters to grow and evolve by the end of the book, but they didn’t. Meredith was still a total bitch and Josie was still a self-absorbed mess. There wasn’t really a resolution at the end, but I feel like that’s kind of true for a lot of her books. I guess this time I just bothered me more than before.
5 | Nashville
Adam and I are headed to Nashville in April for a long weekend. Neither of us have ever been before, so we’re both really excited. We’re planning to fly into Louisville, KY and stay the first night there. Then we’re going to drive to Mammoth Caves National Park and explore for the afternoon before driving to Nashville. So we’ll then have 2 full days in Nashville before flying home. If anyone has any must see or must eat suggestions for Nashville (or dinner in Louisville), please let me know!
Do you have any fun plans for the weekend? We’re going to a Phoenix Suns game tomorrow and we have tickets for Hamilton on Sunday! I can’t wait!!!
Oh - I was reading through your posts and saw all the books you plan to read - number of ! You make me feel guilty Lol - My Kindle is calling to me to read, read. Oh - weekend plans? Soak up our lovely last of summer sunshine here in Australia - Autumn is just around the corner!
ReplyDelete18 is just my goal...we'll see if I actually get there! Last year I only read 10 books, so I'll definitely have to step up my reading this year. Hope you had a wonderful weekend enjoying the sunshine!
DeleteI'm a Gretchen Rubin fan too, and I love your list! It looks like you've got a good variety of things to accomplish this year. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteYay another Gretchen Rubin fan! I really feel like my list is doable, so hopefully I'll have everything crossed off at the end of the year!
DeleteI hope you enjoyed Hamilton! I can't wait until the tour comes here. You're going to love Nashville too. We also visited Louisville and the caves on our way. I also haven't been a big fan of Emily Giffin's latest books. It's been a really long time since she's written one I actually did like. Time to find a new author for me ;) Love the idea of the 18 for 2018 list too.
ReplyDeleteHamilton was amazing! I'm going to be singing the songs for the next month! Glad to hear you feel the same way about Emily Giffin's latests books and it's not just me!
DeleteI love your list! That is such a neat idea. Have fun in Nashville. It sounds like such a fun town to visit!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that writing this list and putting it out there will encourage me to actually complete those tasks. Replace the living room baseboard has been on my to-do list for like 6 years!
DeleteWhat a great idea! I must do a list like this; it's a fab way to stay on track with smaller goals.
ReplyDeleteYes! It's so much easier for me to stay on task if I have a list.
DeleteI love the idea of an 18 for 2018 list! I need to do that...who the heck cares that it's already basically March :) I haven't been to Nashville in years, but it is a wonderful city with so much great food and music
ReplyDeleteYou should do one! You still have plenty of time left in the year!
DeleteI have not seen the Netflix series "Godless." Quite frankly, it I thought it wouldn't be something I'd enjoy, but your brief review makes me want to check it out.
ReplyDeleteYou should check it out! It's SO good!
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