What I hope the next 25 holds for me.

Turning 25 recently has got me thinking (I mean, I am half way to 50, so that is weird). It really feels like I am starting a new, completely adult chapter of my life. Within the next year alone I will graduate from my MBA program, start a new career, and move somewhere new. AKA, a ton of changes are coming my way!

And since I believe sharing goals are the best way to achieve them, here are 10 of mine for my next quarter century:

1. Live internationally It is no secret that I love to travel, but now I want to take things to a whole new level. I want to live in Europe because…weekends in Paris sound pretty nice. I see myself in a Scandinavian country, like Denmark or Sweden, but I guess a lot of it will depend on where I can get a job. If you know of any leads, LMK.
2. Climb Kilimanjaro As the tallest mountain in Africa and the 4th highest peak in the world, Mt. Kilimanjaro is pretty impressive. While climbing this volcano, you are exposed to five climates – an awesome way to experience one of the world’s most diverse landscapes. I would love to do this to celebrate completing my MBA, but finances might be tight with student loans about to hit. If not now, definitely before 30.
3. Build something Maybe a table from reclaimed wood, an enclosed porch my cat can access, or even my own company (Tess Meyer, CEO … I like the ring of that). The possibilities are endless, but I want to get better at using my hands and the resources around me to experience this type of fulfillment.
4. Marriage and babies At some point I want to get married (heads up: I’ll probably elope) and have some babies. But not, like, any time soon. Definitely a dog in the next few years though!
5. Surround myself with plants I love greenery, so when I get settled in a place of my own, I want plants everywhere. Big, little, hanging, and potted – they are all welcome!
6. Travel to South America I have never been to this continent, so a trip needs to be planned! The furthest south I have been is Costa Rica, and that was 10 years ago! I especially want to visit Chile, Peru (hello, Machu Picchu!), and Brazil.
7. Host a dinner party While this doesn’t excite me as much as my other goals, I am excited for a challenge. Cooking has never been a big interest of mine (what is fun about grocery shopping, doing 17 things at once, and then cleaning all day and night?!), but I love surrounding myself with good friends. I’ll just have to start small with potlucks and then graduate to full fledged “Come hungry!” dinner parties. A more fun variation of this is learning a few signature cocktail recipes!
8. Practice yoga While I have practiced yoga for all of my adult life, the majority of my practice has been inconsistent. Once I am back to a steady income, I want to start going twice a week, and vary my practice between Vinyasa, Bikram, and aerial.
9. See the Great Barrier Reef and the Antarctic Glaciers I fear that if we don’t start making some big environmental changes, both of these natural wonders will disappear, and after seeing the beauty of Alaska’s glaciers, I want more.
10. Continue learning I want to be a life-long learner, so just because my MBA program will end, doesn’t mean my education will. I want to learn piano, become fluent in Spanish (maybe I should consider Spain instead of Denmark?), and continue to read at least one book a month.

Some lofty goals, but all completely achievable over the next 25 years (well, #4 will require some collaboration). Of course, my goals will likely change over the next quarter century of my life, but these are the things that are important to me now, and with some luck I will be able to hit them and more.

-TM

What are your long-term goals? Let us know below.