Trip to Seville? Ph.D.? Working on the bucket list

When I graduated from college, I set three goals for myself to achieve by the time I was 30: buy a house, travel to Europe and finish the coursework for a Ph.D. program (I was trying to be realistic). I only met one of those goals.

So on my 31st birthday, I just reworked my objectives a bit, putting off those goals of a trip to Europe and the Ph.D. program until I was 40. My 30s was all about babies, not overseas travel or furthering my education formally. Having kids has broadened my perspective and enriched my life, but it didn't lend itself to my narrowly worded intentions.

Well, I'm 41 now. While I think a trip to Costa Rica with the kiddos might happen before that trip to Europe, I still dream about English manor houses, Italian villas, German castles, Spanish tapas bars and French cafés. I'm also seriously considering starting a Ph.D. program in a few years. I guess my original goals set when I was 21 are still the same, just delayed by, uh, a few years.

I'm not even going to bother graphing my success rate (20's=1 goal, 30's=0 goals, 40's=?), but if I do think my initial objectives were well thought out. I haven't been to Europe yet, but I have traveled domestically and to Central America. I haven't even started a Ph.D. yet, but I did get a master's and a graduate certificate. I've also read quite a bit about education as my children have started school, providing me with a broader perspective.

See ya in Seville!

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