Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age. ~Victor Hugo
In 2024, I became acutely aware of my age and potential time left on this planet. Perhaps it was realizing how old I would be when my kids hit major milestones. Maybe it was something else. Whatever the driving force, it spurred me to really think about all the dreams that I once had, and I wondered if I still had time to do them.
That year, I put together this list and decided to try. I would give myself ten years to complete it. I turn fifty in 2036. The two years leading up to my fortieth birthday would be used to refine the processes and contemplate the goals that I have set forth. In 2026, this ambitious list will either succeed or fail, but at least I tried instead of wondering.
Assemble
The ‘A’ in the adventure is for assemble! If I’m building something from my design or instructions, it’ll fall under this category.
- Build a Harry Potter train layout for under the Christmas tree.
- Put together a dream desktop PC with a top-of-the-line GPU.
- Build a master-grade Gundam.
- Build a trebuchet for launching tennis ball-sized items.
- Repurpose my desk into a standing desk with a hidden ultrawide monitor.
- Build mechanical keyboards to use all my Lord of the Rings keycaps.
Design
The ‘D’ in adventure stands for design! Think of drawing or building something from scratch. This is the catch-all term for my artistic endeavors.
- Sketch as close to daily as possible.
- Complete one drawing or 2d art piece a month.
- Recreate and finish an old animation that I started in college.
- Create my dream video game.
Vocation
The ‘V’ in adventure is for vocation—a fancy word for my career and better myself for my job.
- Make the next military rank.
- Finish the associate degree that I started in the military.
- Rank up once more.
- Get a master’s degree in something meaningful to me.
- Seek at least one professional certification each year.
Entertainment
The ‘E’ in adventure is for entertainment! Board games, card games, and video games. Let’s have some fun in old age!
- Learn to play Warhammer Old World.
- Learn to play Warhammer Age of Sigmar.
- Play each suggested deck of cards in Dominion.
- Play at least one video game a year to completion.
- Mod Skyrim into the game I have always wanted to play.
Nutriment
The ‘N’ in adventure stands for nutrition! This is my section on building a better body and mind for the second half of my life.
- Reduce soda from daily consumption to less than once a month.
- Minimize my digital footprint to only what I need and use.
- Run one race a year.
- Score a 100 on a PT test.
- Participate in a GoRuck challenge.
- Light Event
- Medium Event
- Heavy Event
Transcribe
The ‘T’ in adventure is for transcribe! I struggle with proper grammar sometimes, and I’d like to improve it.
- Record the Japan trip in a book for preservation.
- Rewrite the old short story that I have always tried to expand on.
- Learn to write better by taking a course.
- Rewrite a great classic work of literature as if I were an apprentice.
Understand
The ‘U’ in adventure stands for understanding! I will focus on learning to expand my big brain and skill set, including physical skills or mental understanding.
- Learn passable German and Spanish.
- Attempt to learn archery; pick it up as a hobby if I like it.
- Learn to play golf.
- Decide in which direction to double down in learning AI.
- Learn to read and write Cirth from Lord of the Rings.
Read
The ‘R’ in adventure is for reading! Audiobooks count, too. There are a few books that I want to read in physical paper format, but this will track the outcome of those readings.
- Read or listen to one book a year.
- Read Lord of the Rings.
- Read or reread every Dirk Pitt adventure novel.
- Read to my kids as much as possible.
Extra
The ‘E’ in adventure stands for extra! If the item doesn’t fit in the other categories, it’ll fit here.
- Skydive (It’s a classic bucket list item).
- Travel once per year, which is non-work related.
- Travel outside the country at least once every five years.