House of Prince

40 Things I’ve Done

By Kim Tracy Prince on September 29th, 2011

Today is the last day of my 30′s. Since my friends have been turning 40 for years, you’d think I’d be prepared for this. Parties and presents and “happy birthday’s” are a distraction, and they are wonderful, because when I sit down and think about it, the idea of turning 40 scares and exhilarates me.

And then midnight will come, and it will be over. I’ll be the same person. My life will be exactly the same. So what’s the big deal?

The future is the future, just like it always was. And while I have goals for the future, I’m not ready to articulate them just yet. On this last day, how about a celebration of some things I have accomplished, in no conceivable order?

40 Things I’ve Done Before Turning 40

1. Perfected a killer Nancy Kerrigan impression
2. Climbed a rock wall
3. Figured out what escrow is
4. Attended my 10-year college reunion
5. Rode a horse
6. Caught a wave in the Pacific Ocean without dying
7. Visited London
8. Got a kiss on the cheek from Courtney Love, and another on the lips from Neil Gaiman
9. Sunbathed on a topless beach (not topless)
10. Ate octopus
11. Read “David Copperfield”
12. Finally went on a weekend trip with the friends I’ve loved since age 14
13. Remodeled a kitchen
14. Drove across the United States
15. Won an award for Creativity and a $50 savings bond for an essay I wrote in 2nd grade
16. Stood in the middle of Grand Central station and stared at the beautiful ceiling
17. Sailed among the British Virgin Islands…for 10 days
18. Grew two humans inside my body
19. Produced dozens of episodes of actual television
20. Hugged Emily Saliers
21. Appeared in an award-winning short documentary film
22. Developed a reality series and actually pitched it
23. Won money in Vegas on a nickel slot machine
24. Spoke on a panel at a workshop
25. Won the 1-mile Turkey Trot in junior high
26. Successfully enjoyed myself at a house party at which two guys I was dating simultaneously (but didn’t know about each other) were both in attendance
27. Collected thousands of diapers for needy families in Los Angeles
28. Married for love
29. Made a delicious strawberry cake for my son’s 3rd birthday
30. Dug 5 gallons of steamer clams out of the sand in Baja, Mexico
31. Learned how to build a campfire
32. Saw the bio-luminescence in the waves at Point Mugu
33. Served as bridesmaid in 6 weddings
34. Got a near-perfect score on the Latin Achievement Test
35. Learned what a true friend is…and what it’s not
36.  Gave my children a good relationship with my extended family, from 3,000 miles away
37. Adopted a dog and 2 cats from the animal shelter
38. Became a writer who works at home
39. Learned how to salvage and protect digital files…the hard way…several times
40. Kissed a girl