I started working on my 50 by 50 List long before I turned 40. As last fall rolled around, I was over halfway there, and the ideas just kept on coming. I was able to dream a little bigger because I will have all ten years this time instead of just the rogue three and a half I gave myself for the 40 by 40. There’s lots of travel involved and all sorts of other fun things that I can’t wait to make happen. Without further delay, here it is!

50 by 50 List

1. Finish visiting all 50 states (I’m at 41 right now)
2. Go to Cardinals Spring Training
3. See the Northern Lights
4. Learn to play pickleball
5. Dye my hair purple
6. Write a will
7. Cheer on runners at the NYC Marathon
8. Pick a cookbook and cook through it
9. See another total solar eclipse
10. Attend NCAA Basketball Tournament Games
11. Make an authentic Banh Mi sandwich
12. Make mole sauce from scratch
13. Visit Glacier National Park
14. Have a mammogram
15. Attend a concert at Red Rocks
16. Do a “No-buy” month
17. Hold a baby otter
18. Redo my back deck
19. Get more tattoos
20. Make a 100 favorite songs list
21. Do a social media detox
22. See The Chicks live
23. Try 50 new kinds of cheese
24. Learn how to make Nana’s potato salad
25. Do a river cruise
26. Go on a safari
27. Reread Lord of the Rings
28. Take a pottery class
29. See a show at the Ryman
30. Learn to change a tire
31. Audition for a play
32. Drinking Spanish wine in Spain
33. Successfully make meringues or a pavlova
34. Repierce my ears…again
35. Get CPR recertified
36. Watch all of the Oscar Best Picture Winners
37. Get certified as a PMP
38. Finish STS Marketing College
39. Try writing poetry
40. Go whitewater rafting again
41. Try acupuncture
42. Attend a taping of Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
43. Go to the Summer Olympics
44. Visit European Holiday Markets
45. Write 50 Thank Yous to people who have changed my life
46. Read 500 more books
47. Get up with the sun for a week
48. Go on a pilgrimage
49. Make a 50 Accomplishments list
50. Make a 60 by 60 list

There it is, folks! I’m so excited to jump into these and write about them along the way. Let’s get going!

My birthday was during the week last week and my coworkers showered me with happy birthdays and a cubicle full of black balloons. I also celebrated with friends and family at a party last weekend. I truly felt so loved and am so excited to enter my forties.

So now here we are, on the road to 50! That means it’s time to wrap up the last few things I accomplished on my 40 by 40 list since last month.

17. Post on Making Megan at least once a month

I did that. There’s not a ton to add here, but it was fun to write regularly, relive the things on my list I had accomplished recently, and get feedback from readers.

22. Complete an embroidery project

This was so much fun! I bought this adorable kit from a seller on Etsy and it came with everything I needed, including the pattern stenciled on the fabric for me. Was mine as cute as the one shown? Of course not! But I had a lot of fun learning and watching videos to learn the stitches and seeing everything come together. I’ll definitely try some more patterns to up my skills!

31. Eat vegan for the week

Y’all. Not for the faint of heart or the lover of meats. I am very glad I tried this out because I found a few new recipes that I loved and will be in the normal rotation and it was also a big challenge for me! I did get to break in my new air fryer with veggies and tofu, so that was a great addition to the week. To know me is to know I love cheese, and that is what I missed the most.

39. Make a 40 accomplishments list: done and coming soon!

40. Make a 50 by 50 list: done and coming soon!

I gotta say, I am really freaking proud of all I was able to get done in just a few short years in the middle of a pandemic. Here’s a quick look at what didn’t get done.

1. Write 40 thank you notes to people who have made a big difference in my life: this one is in progress, and that’s ok!

7. Hip thrust 250 pounds: I’ll get there someday but not yet, and that’s ok!

9. Write a short story: I started this one a few times but couldn’t get the words out, and that’s ok!

11. Finish organizing my home office: It’s still kind of a junk room, and that’s ok!

18. Walk or bike the entire MKT Trail: I left this until winter for some reason and it didn’t get done, and that’s ok!

21. Organize my books: Hahahahaha, this one makes me laugh, and that’s ok!

23. Go to Amish country with Julie: We had a date planned and then there was a family emergency, and that’s ok!

25. Relearn Spanish: I’ve made huge progress with Duolingo but I’m not where I want to be yet, and that’s ok!

30. Volunteer at the Raptor Rehabilitation Project: I tried to sign up multiple times and they never answered, and that’s ok!

36. Reconnect with someone I lost touch with: I couldn’t think of anyone I actually wanted to reconnect with, and that’s ok!

Ok, that’s 30/40 complete. Considering the timing and whatnot, I’ll take it! I’m so proud of myself for trying new things, going to new places, and setting goals to meet. I’m so excited to share my 40 accomplishments and 50 by 50 lists in the next couple of weeks, and I’m also thrilled to have the whole ten years to get them done! I hope you’ll come along with me and make your own lists…I will cheer you on every step of the way.

2. Do Another 5K

Thank GOODNESS I didn’t say RUN another 5k because damn. I definitely did a little jogging and a lot of walking, but I finished! I did the Hot Chocolate Run in St. Louis and had the best time despite the cold and the physical activity. Like I enjoyed it so much I would totally do it again. The atmosphere was so fun and positive, people were so kind and encouraging, and, of course, you got hot chocolate at the end. Who wants to go with me in 2023?!

10. Host a Winter Solstice Get Together

This started out as the much more formal “have a dinner party” but last year for Winter Solstice, I thought it would be fun to do a little get-together to celebrate the shortest day of the year and have cozy time with friends. It was so freaking nice. I bought a bunch of flameless candles for our light and made stovetop potpourri and soup and winter spice cake. My sister was home for Christmas so she got to meet some of the friends I’m always telling her about. I loved it so much.

19. Make Bert Alyea’s Gingerbread Men at Christmas

When I was growing up, our neighbor from the house down in the woods, Mrs. Alyea, would bring my sister and me two gingerbread men each. They were incredibly delicious and a treat we always looked forward to during the holidays. When she passed away, we found out her gingerbread men had quite the reputation because they were handing out the recipe at her memorial service! This was finally the year I was ready to tackle them. My mixer’s motor is still mad about the thick dough but they turn out amazing! It was so incredible to bite into one of those cookies and taste a wonderful memory from childhood. I’m going to make them again for sure.

I think that’s a pretty darn productive December for the 40 by 40 list! I also have my 40 Accomplishments list and my 50 by 50 List ready to go, but we’ll save those for separate posts. See you in 2023!

8. Sleep Under the Stars

One of my favorite places in the Columbia area is Cooper’s Landing. It’s right on the Missouri River and hosts food trucks and musicians. It’s also home to the best sunsets in mid-Missouri. Cooper’s also has glamping tents.

If you know me, you know I’m an indoorsy gal. Have I camped? Yes. Is it my jam? It is not. so the idea of glamping in one of my favorite places seemed like the perfect way to check this off the list. It ended up being a fabulous evening of music, a fire I built myself (thanks, Girl Scouts!), forgotten marshmallows (no s’mores for me), a shockingly comfortable bed, and the sound of rain hitting the roof of the tent as I drifted off. So, while I can’t say I did a roughing-it campout and the stars were hidden behind the clouds, it still definitely met the task. If you’re a bit indoorsy like me, check out the glamping at Cooper’s…I’ll even meet you there for sunset.

12. Do Yoga Every Day for a Week

In addition to being indoorsy, I’m also not what you would call a super flexible lady. I’ve always been intrigued by yoga and the combination of strength and flexibility it takes to do it well. So for a full week, I did a different short yoga session. I tried first thing in the morning. I tried right after work. I tried right before bed. And y’all…I’m not good at yoga. I didn’t expect to be good but whew! There’s for sure a reason they call it a practice. I’m glad I stuck with it and there may come a time when I give it another try, but I want it to be something I look forward to before I really fold it into my routine. But I did it. Namaste.

27. Learn a New Card Game

We played a lot of cards growing up. My dad’s cousin taught me the basics of Black Jack when I was about three. That along with poker, war, spit (speed), gin rummy and more was always a fun way to be together. At my first job, we played a game called Egyptian Rat Screw to pass the time and in college, my suitemate Kelly taught us how to play Nerts. Since then, I haven’t really learned a new card game.

One of the first cold afternoons of the fall, I spent a few hours online learning to play…spades. I like the simplicity of the game mixed with a bit of strategy to earn you and your teammate the most points per hand. After reading some basic rules and watching a bunch of videos on YouTube, I played countless online games of spades and had a blast. I’m certainly not an expert, but I love learning something new and had a great time learning the rules and the strategies.

With those three complete, I’m really getting things checked off! Like I said, there are going to be a few that just don’t get done for various reasons. But! I also have another one getting checked off this weekend (I’m going to finish that 5K I barely trained for dangit) and have actually already finished tasks 39 and 40, but I will be sharing those closer to my actual 40th.

Above all, thanks for reading and get out there and make your own lists!

A few years back I took myself (my favorite travel companion) on a trip to explore Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks and the Grand Canyon in Arizona. My 11-day trip was outstanding and I started with about 24 hours at Zion National Park. It was one of the single most beautiful places I’ve ever been. At the end of my trip, I wished I’d been able to spend more time exploring and vowed to return, so I made sure it was on the 40 by 40 list.

I was finally ready to schedule my return trip while I was planning for my 2022 travel. My first trip to Zion was in April, so I decided to switch it up to an October visit this time around. I was not disappointed. The weather was nice and warm during the day and fall crisp at night.

Additionally, there’s only one place to stay within Zion itself, so I stayed at a cute inn called the Bumbleberry in the adjoining town of Springdale. It’s absolutely the way I would go again. The rooms were great, people were so kind, I was right by a park shuttle stop and I was also within walking distance of shops, restaurants, the grocery store and an ice cream shop (don’t ask me how I know that last one).

Despite some rental car difficulties and other minor issues, I had the most wonderful time. I slept in each day and still managed to get in all the hiking and scenic routes I hoped to check off my list. My favorite trail was the Riverside Walk, an easy hike back into the canyons ending where the famous Narrows Trail starts. The trail meanders along the Virgin River and I love me a trail that sits next to a moving body of water.

I also liked the fall trip for the smaller crowds and the slowly changing fall colors. If you haven’t been to Zion, I cannot recommend it enough. I’m not usually a repeat visitor to places and I’m already wanting to go back.

This trip brings me to 19 of 40 tasks complete! I have a lot of things in the works and just a few months to go…let’s do this!

As of this blog, I’ll have 19/40 of the things on the list completed, which is fantastic! But that still leaves over half to go, which feels daunting. So here’s an update on what’s still to go and a couple of little changes I made because I can…because it’s my list.

My last travel-related item on the list is traveling back to Zion National Park. Located just a couple of hours from Las Vegas in Utah, it is one of the most stunning places I’ve ever been. This first time I visited, I was only able to stay about a day and a half, but when I return in mid-October I’ll be able to get lots more exploring and hiking done. I’m also so excited to see what the park looks like in the fall.

During my planning marathon, my biggest focus was to plan out the build-up to my remaining tasks that are physical in nature…doing another 5K and hip thrusting 250 pounds. Both of these will require additional training and planning, so my handy-dandy calendar and a few apps will help guide the way. I also found a very fun-looking 5K in early December, so that’s my target for getting back up to speed…well, to Megan speed anyway (she does not run fast).

I also made a couple of small changes to items on my list. My desire to buy a bike and ride to Katfish Katy’s felt like it could be downgraded to just buying my damn bike because a.) Katfish Katy’s is closed and b.) I also have a full bike or walk of the MKT trail on my list. I also changed hosting a game night to holding a Winter Solstice party. Frankly, it just sounds like more fun and it accomplishes the same goal of having awesome people I love spending time in my home.

It’s both exciting and scary to be heading closer and closer to 40. I’ve knocked some of those fears aside by already starting to pull together my 50 by 50 list (that concept just seems bananas to me), and I can’t wait to share it with you once it’s ready. Until then, I shall be consulting my calendar and plowing ahead. Let’s go!

13. Get A Tattoo

I have wanted to get a tattoo forever, but I never knew what I wanted, where I wanted it, etc., and the permanence scared me. But I was finally ready. Despite lots of waffling over placement, font, and words, my bestie Jenn reminded me that the song lyric I’d been wanting forever was the way to go and that the rest would come. She was correct.

Another thing I wanted from my tattoo experience was to have it done by a woman who works at a woman-owned shop and I thought it would be fun to do it on a visit to Dallas to see my sister. I found the amazing Alden Mills and decided she was who I wanted to go with. I managed to snag an appointment in July and from there I got to stew in my anxiety until it was time to get inked.

Alden was incredible. I told her I was feeling indecisive about the font and she jammed out something perfect in about five minutes. The tattoo itself also took about that long and I haven’t regretted it for one moment since. And yes what they say is true…now I want more.

24. Spend a Long Weekend at The Elms

A place I had always heard about was The Elms in Excelsior Springs. The hotel is over 100 years old and is known for its outstanding spa and for being haunted. Perfect.

I took the scenic route over to Excelsior Springs and enjoyed a long weekend that included a haunted tour, a morning at the spa, some great food, and lots of relaxation and napping. It’s always fun to visit somewhere you’ve always heard about and even better to have it exceed your expectations. I’ll definitely be back!

26. Visit the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha

This final item allowed me to not only check an item off my 40 by 40 list, but it also meant I got to color in a new state on the map! Somehow, I’d never made it to Nebraska, so I was extra excited about this one. I planned out a long weekend that allowed me to get in not only the zoo but to do a little more exploring as well.

During my time in Omaha, I had some incredible food and got to visit Ted & Wally’s Ice Cream (on the recommendation of Sara), and it was perfection. I also got to see Wicked again after seeing it in New York in 2009. It was even more moving than I remember and feels all the more prescient now.

My day at the zoo was a full one! I got there as the gates were opened and was immediately impressed. The zoo is constructed in such a way that you don’t miss anything, which I love, and the exhibits were so well done. While nothing can live up to my very favorite St. Louis Zoo, the Henry Doorly Zoo was definitely worth the trip. Overall, Omaha was a fantastic trip and I’d love to go back.

So there are the travel-related 40 by 40 items I’ve checked off over the past few months. We’re heading into the home stretch and I hope you’ll keep coming along for the ride.

4. Redo My Front Yard

This was one of the tasks I was most excited about when I put it on my list. Aside from the occasional seasonal flowers, I hadn’t changed anything in my front yard since I moved into my house over eight years ago. Mostly because I didn’t want to have it landscaped and then accidentally kill everything.

Then last spring, the horrible tree in my front yard had the good sense to blow over in a storm. The only downside to this development was that the afternoon sun now had clearance to blaze through my living room windows. So, it was finally time to track down someone to spruce up my front yard.

After plenty of research, I decided on Mill Creek Landscaping, and it was a fantastic decision. When Julie came out to see my current yard, we chatted for a few minutes and I told her I needed something low maintenance and that I’d like the beds extended around the walkway up to my front door. Within a few days, she had drawn up a plan that was absolutely PERFECT. Lots of variety, lots of purple and lots of easy plants. It makes the front of my house look so much more inviting and I loved working with them.

5. Reread Harry Potter

Not too much to say about checking off this task, but it is always lovely to return to this world and feel the embrace of characters you love. It’s imperfect, parts of it haven’t aged well, and it’s devastating to learn the author is rather awful, but I hope it still brings good to the people who need it.

34. Buy a Bike

So this is an item I changed on my list. The task was originally to buy a bike and ride it to Katfish Katy’s. Bad news. Katfish Katy’s is closed. That info combined with the fact that I have an adventure planned to walk or bike the entire MKT Trail meant that I decided to cull this item back to simply buying a bike.

When I was a kid, we rode our bikes all over the place. Our neighborhood was full of hills and a park you could tear through on your bike to get to the other side. But to be honest, I hadn’t ridden a bike (except for a spin bike a few times) since my first year of college. But after my friend Sara raved about her new bike, I knew it was time to go shopping.

I headed down to CycleX and within about 30 minutes, I was leaving with a shiny new bike and helmet. I can freely admit that I haven’t ridden it as much as I would like, but I do love knowing I can hop on it anytime and cruise around my neighborhood again.

37. Clean Out All the Things Still at My Mom’s House

Now, this was a fun one! For many years my mom has been asking me to come clean out the many possessions I still had boxed up in her basement. I promised her it would get done because I had it on this list, so I took an afternoon off work and we got to it!

My mom had already pulled together the 20 or so boxes still at her house. When we opened the first, we were greeted with all of my school papers. All of them. From preschool to high school. That box definitely took the longest to sort through but was likely also the source of some of our most hilarious finds, including an essay I wrote about my sister when she was five.

Other notable discoveries in our day included: my snow globe collection, my rock collection, middle school notes from friends, the boa I wore on my 21st birthday and so much more. I was definitely in a ruthless mood, so I managed to pare things down to one file box and one box of books to leave at Mom’s (she has better temperature control) and one box of photos and one box of randomness coming back to my house. It was a blast to go through everything and I know Mom is happy to have it out of her house. Check it off the list!

Those are my recent “On the Home Front” tasks from my 40 by 40 list. Next month, I’ll catch you up on my travel-related accomplishments.

-Have I talked about Evil Queen candles on here yet? Probably. But they deserve another mention. The candles are so deliciously good. Stolen Hoodie is my all-time, year-round favorite and her seasonal collections never miss.

-We all know I’ve become addicted to TikTok, but I finally gave in and bought the one skincare product I saw in post after post…the Cosrx Snail Mucin. Y’all. It’s so good. It makes my skin feel hydrated without getting extra oily and I’ve had much less acne. Thanks, snails!

-Do you like getting in bed and pretty much immediately falling asleep? Samesies. Want to make it happen? Of course you do. Enter Dr. Teal’s Sleep Spray. Not only does it smell freaking amazing it also really does help you relax and drift off into restful sleep.

–Viking River Cruises kept coming across my mind, so I looked them up. And then I had them send me brochures. And now I wanna go.

-Sometimes (not always) Starbucks (but not all Starbucks) has an almond croissant. It is flaky and perfect and totally worth hunting around to find.

Let’s keep summering along and I’ll be back soon to do lots of 40 by 40 updates!

At last, I have finally started really using my library again. If you know me at all, you know one of my favorite things is a long roam through a bookstore. However, that has resulted in many many (many) books in my house. I’ve had a library card forever, so I started using Libby to check out books from my local library that I knew I would likely be good with just one read.

Speaking of books, after I discovered Libby, I also discovered the Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny. If you love a cozy mystery and smart detectives, it’s time to pick these up. I have yet to figure out whodunit before Gamache and the characters are just so lovely.

Baseball is back! I’m so excited to watch my Cardinals for another season. Knowing it’s the last season for Pujols, Molina and (likely) Wainwright means I’m going to try to get to as many games as I can this year. Here’s hoping for something magical!

I’ve decided it’s going to be a summer of popsicles. I love me some ice cream, but being able to just snag a popsicle out of the freezer for a refreshing, fruity treat is right up my alley this summer. My absolute favorites are any of the Outshine fruit bars. Join in popsicle summer, won’t you?

I’m still big-time into the online newsletters I’ve subscribed to in the past year or so. If you sign up for nothing else, sign up for Sam Irby’s newsletter. Her recaps of Judge Mathis (a show I have never watched and don’t plan to start) are complete perfection. I’ve never read one and not laughed out loud at least once.

That’s it for now! What are you excited about this summer?