Jessica Misener - Things to Do Before You’re 30: The Try-It-Out, Get-It-Done, Live-It-Up List

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For my parents.

I had my thirtieth birthday party at a trendy bar in Brooklyn. I wore a red dress and a smile. But just an hour before, Id been a nervous wreck. Turning thirty was a huge milestone, and unlike turning twenty-one, this birthday didnt come with an exciting rite of passage. It just felt scary. At dinner before the party, my anxiety swelled to a level that even the mac and cheese I was eating couldnt cure. I excused myself to the restroom and stared at myself in the mirror, bargaining. Maybe I could skip my own party, or just stay twenty-nine forever? Luckily, my friends made sure I got in the cab with them, and I ended up having an absolute blast.

Powering through my fears and throwing that party sums up the biggest lesson I wish I had learned before turning thirty: how to accept who I am, flaws and all.

In Things to Do Before Youre 30 Ive compiled more than 600 bucket-list items everyone should complete before celebrating their big three-oh. From smaller feats you can achieve in your day-to-day life to important life skills and must-see places around the world, Things to Do Before Youre 30 has everything you need to make the most of your twenties. Pick a small item or two to complete during the week, or plan an entire trip with a bucket-list activity in mind.

Now is the time to figure out being an adult, but it is also the time to live it the heck up. Push back against the boundaries of your own routine. Conquer a phobia, watch burly German men dance the polka at Oktoberfest, let go of old grudges between siblings. These are the years of you .

Something else to remember: your bucket list doesnt magically end after twenty-nine. You can bring your unfinished list items into your thirties, or even redo your favorite ones over and over. Turning thirty can feel like the period at the end of a really long sentence, but the truth is that its just a comma.

HASHTAG CHALLENGE: want to connect with the Things to Do Before Youre 30 community? Just post pictures of yourself tackling your list items to Instagram with the hashtag #ThingsBefore30, and check out pictures posted by others of their own bucket-list achievements.

Run barefoot through the cool summer grass waving sparklers.

Go to Coachella or another music festival.

After you turn thirty, your enthusiasm for music festivals will go way down.* Grab a bunch of your closest friends and embrace the chance to wear your craziest costumes, camp out or stay in a cabin, and put your responsibilities on hold for a week.

* that sound was a million thirty-somethings mumbling in agreement

Release a paper latern into the night sky at a latern festival.

Bring a gift, such as cookies or a candle, to your new neighbors.

Bringing a small gift to new neighbors can help them feel more at homeand those friendly relationships make all the difference when you are in need of a cup of sugar or someone to keep an eye on your plants when you are out of town.

Share a special song with someone.

Read Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

This spectacular, award-winning novel chronicles a young Nigerian immigrant womans journey in America. The main characters struggles with homesickness and identity will resonate deeply with the challenges you face during these uncertain years in adulthood.

Dance until you drop at a friends wedding.

Have your portrait taken.

Whether you get a professional photographer to style and snap you or just have a friend take some artsy candids for social media, youll capture a slice of your life that youll have forever.*

* plus, its a good excuse to splurge on a really nice outfit

Go to a taping of a popular game show.

Go vegan for a month.

Its not so bad: Oreos are vegan! A vegan diet, even in the short term, is a great way to detox your body, appreciate what goes into the food you eat, and possibly feel better than you ever have. Maybe youll even become vegan for life.

Swim in an infinity pool.

Rewatch your favorite childhood movies.

They stand the test of time, and you may notice new, hilarious things* as an adult that you totally missed as a kid.

* whoa, adult Simba and Nala were really, uh, getting to know each other well in that field...

Read aloud to your partner in bed, and vice versa.

Take your parents out to dinnerand pay.

Even if you can only afford burrito bowls at the nearest taqueria, theyll appreciate the gesture.

Visit a rose garden.

Literally stop to smell the roses.

Buy cute or funny greeting cards and mail them to your friends randomly.

I moved from New York to California by myself when I was thirty, and it not only scared the crap out of me in general, but made me intensely anxious about losing touch with people I used to talk to every day. One way I coped with being so far from my friends and family was developing a new love of snail mail . Id pick up cards whenever I was in one of those trendy home decor storesyou know what I meanand mail them out on a whim. Who doesnt love checking their mailbox and finding something other than yet another credit card offer and an electric bill? A book of stamps costs mere dollars, but making your friends day when they see a personal envelope awaiting them is priceless. Plus, its helped me maintain those relationships I was worried would fade with distance.