A couple years ago, I ranked the numbers from 30-39. No reason (except it was on this day, the day before my birthday). 36 was my top pick.
And now, my time of being 36 is at an end.
I thought it'd be fun to follow in the footsteps of people who do "36 things" to mark the passing of the year. 36 Things I Did for the First Time.
It is extremely difficult to think of 36 things I did for the first time while I was 36, this late in the game. If I really wanted to do this, I should've been keeping a list all year and then pare it down.
And you'd think this was a big year for me! but ...
1. Got married. No I was still 35 when that happened!
1. Started working for state government. My first day was on March 25, which, for those keeping track at home, was when I was still 35. So all the big life changes were still pre-36! But let's keep trying.
1. Completed a 12-month employment probation for the first time. (For those keeping track at home, this happened today, while I am still 36. No one at work is unaware of this, I have mentioned it like every day ever since the fed gov't fired its probationary employees)
2. I wasn't even sure I left the state this year, but then I remembered that we took a regular vehicle up some dirt ATV roads in Idaho and were never in any real danger of being stranded, but it was stressful for a bit. My parents are very capable though. So I almost died in Idaho for the first time? maybe?
3. I married a (wonderful) man who likes to go do stuff. So for the first time I went to places like: dragon boat festival,
4. Millcreek Arts Fest,
5. Taiwanese circus,
6. The gym at my condo complex,
7. The indoor pool at my condo complex,
8. Ren Fest.
9. This year also marked the first time I sent my husband on a weeks-long international trip alone, when we had been married for 2 weeks. I could cheat and talk about all the things I did "with my husband" as the first time I did them...but I shan't.
10. We did try a fair number of new restaurants/food trucks but I also feel like it's cheating to try to list them out as their own item.
11. Bought an e-bike.
12. Rode said e-bike to work. (once. but i'm going to try again now that it's spring)
13. Watched a k-drama that I got so obsessed with that I've watched it 2.5 times while being 36 and published fanfiction about it
14. Finished a knitting project and used it multiple times over the winter
15. Got a printer installed in my home for business purposes
16. Won an election with 100% of the vote (HOA board)
17. First hysteroscopic polypectomy.
18. Tried some new recipes for dinner and baked goods and I don't think it should count to list them out as separate lines, but some standouts are a delicious chocolate cream pie and Taiwanese shaved ice (which I did not have any part in making myself, but it was in my house).
19. First positive pregnancy test
20. First blighted ovum
21. Played the mobile group game Wavelength for the first time
22. while on games, I also joined my parents and nephews in becoming obsessed with what we call the Santa game.
23. First time taking the mife/miso medication combination since my body couldn't figure out on its own that it shouldn't be pregnant and I had to help it terminate
24. First time messing up at work so bad it affected 1K+ employees (and then doing it again...but probation is over now)
25. Didn't decorate for Christmas
26. This is the first year since I started getting Spotify Wrapped that Carly Rae Jepsen was not my top artist
27. Put all the fanfiction I read in 2024 in a spreadsheet so I could run analyses (pivot tables) on it. I don't know why I didn't do it before, it's fun as heck
28. Finished visiting all Salt Lake City library locations (the journey started a few years ago, but it was finished just last week)
29. Joined two new social media sites lol. Started using Bluesky
30. Finally gave in and got a Tumblr account of my own rather than continuing to stalk the people I'd "followed" for over a decade
31. oh also went to my first mid-autumn festival and potentially ate my first mooncake. Putting it with the other events at this point would mean renumbering all the way since 8 and that's not happening.
32. The car I own hit 150000 miles
33. Got uninvited from something I'd been attending for years just because I got married (not upset about it, it's just something that happened for the first time while 36. twice.)
34. First time becoming Singing Time leader, which means first time drawing a bunch of random stuff because I didn't have a printer for a long time (and it's for business purpose)
35. First wedding anniversary.
36. First time trying to make one of these birthday lists and IDK if this trend will continue next year. It's gonna be 37, my least favorite number in the 30's. sigh. However, I did just remember that means I'm in the prime of life again. yay?
