In October this year I will be turning 30, and that
prospect scares the hell out of me. I think there are a number of reasons – 30
feels so old to me but I still feel like I’m 16 – I literally feel like I’ve
been put in some sort of weird time machine and my body has moved forward but
my mind is moving backwards. I don’t know how to be a proper adult! I also
struggle with the idea of being 30 because of how my life has worked out so
far. I’ve spent my teens and twenties fighting illness and feel so far behind a
lot of my friends with regards to life milestones – I feel like I need more
time to catch up! When I was younger, I would always imagine what my life would
look like at different ages. At 30, I imagined I would have a good job, be
living in my own house, probably be married and be starting a family. But none
of that has happened, which I think makes the idea of turning 30 even more
difficult.
Because I’ve been finding the lead-up to this next
milestone so hard, I decided I needed to do something about it. Moping around
and feeling sad about getting older isn’t going to change anything, so I need
to learn to accept how things are and make the most of what I do have and what
I can do. I came across the idea of a 30 before 30 list a while ago and,
although I found them a bit cheesy, they also intrigued me. But I always put
off making one because I assumed they needed to include amazing adventures that
I just wasn’t going to be able to achieve. Swimming with dolphins, travelling to
Australia, holidaying in the Maldives – these are the kind of dreams I have on
my Bucket List, and maybe one day I will achieve them, but I didn’t see the
point in putting them on a 30 before 30 list – I simply wouldn’t be able to do
them in time and would end up feeling like a failure.
Despite originally discounting the idea, for some
reason I kept coming back to it. The more I thought about it, the more I
realised that I didn’t have to copy all the other lists out there if I didn’t
want to. I could change the idea to suit my needs – so that’s what I’ve done.
Instead of calling it my 30 before 30 list, I’m calling it my 30 Around
30 list. This takes the pressure off me having to try and cram everything in
before I turn 30 in October and, instead, I can really focus on enjoying the
things on my list by doing them before and after my birthday. I’ve also
decided to make it a realistic list (for me). I still have my Bucket List
(which I really need to update on my blog!) that includes my bigger dreams of
travelling the world, getting married, having a baby etc. But for my 30 Around
30 list, I wanted it to only include
things that I feel are achievable in the next year or so. Basically, I actually
want to be able to complete my list!
So I thought I would share my list with you today, and
then give you updates on how I’m getting on with it as time goes on. One,
because it will be a nice way of recording the things I do to mark my 30th
and a way to check in with myself to make sure I’m actually doing it. And
two, because maybe it will give you some ideas of how you could make a list
like this work for you. So here are my 30 Things I want to do around the age of
turning 30.
1.
Go
to Disneyland Paris
I’m a massive
Disney fan (you probably know this by now!) We went to Disneyland Paris quite a
few years ago and I absolutely loved it. I desperately want to visit
Disneyworld in Florida, but for a number of reasons it’s just too difficult at
the moment. So we have actually booked a trip to Disneyland Paris for September
instead. Expect lots of posts and videos!
2.
See
a West End Show
I’ve only seen
a couple of shows in the West End before – Phantom of the Opera and Wicked –
and thought they were amazing. I just love the whole experience of going to
London, having a meal and seeing a musical. I’m not sure which specific show I
would like to see at the moment – there are so many on my list!
3.
Get
a meaningful tattoo
I have been
contemplating getting a tattoo for years but other things have always got in
the way. There’s never been a specific design that I’ve wanted, but in the last
few years I have really wanted to get something to remember the Grandparents I
have lost. I think I’m finally at a point where I know that I want something
meaningful, so I’m starting to investigate the best tattooist to make an
appointment with.
4.
Get
a job/create a job I love and that fits around my health
This is always
going to be a difficult goal for me, mainly because of all my health problems.
Working of any kind is never going to be easy or straightforward. A lot of my
time is taken up with hospital visits, tests or just being unwell, so finding
work that allows for all of that feels almost impossible. Which is why I have
also added ‘create a job.’ If I could use my journalism degree to move my blog
and YouTube channel forwards, and perhaps do some freelance work, then I think
it might be possible to make it work around my health. It’s going to be a lot
of experimenting and flexibility, but it’s something I’m thinking about.
5.
Visit
Scotland
There are so
many places I would love to visit, but I’ve always thought how strange it is to
travel abroad when you haven’t even been to the countries in the UK! And I’ve
never managed to go to Scotland. I know it’s quite a big place, but I think
Edinburgh is top of my list right now.
6.
Go
up to London for something that isn’t medical related
I travel up to
London a fair bit these days, but for the majority of the time it is for a
hospital appointment or some medical tests. Because these things are often
incredibly draining, I find myself getting to Waterloo, taking a tube, bus or
taxi to the hospital, having the appointment and then heading home. I see
London out of my taxi window, but never get to experience the fun bits.
7.
Start
doing my yearly Project Life albums
I bought my
first Project Life album quite a few years ago, but it’s still sitting empty in
my craft drawers. I also take a lot of photos, either on my phone or digital
cameras, and they just end up sitting on my computer never being looked at
again. So I would really like to start printing my photos out and making yearly
albums with Project Life. It will give me the opportunity to be creative, and
will also give something tangible for me (and my family) to look back on.
8.
Have
a meal at The Ivy, London
I remember
when I was younger – I would hear about celebrities going out to The Ivy for
lunch or dinner and thinking how classy it must be. Fast-forward a number of
years, and I’ve started seeing lovely photos and videos of bloggers and
YouTubers going to the same place, enjoying the flowers outside the door. It’s
made me want to visit even more!
9.
Have
a spa break at Champneys
I’m a big
lover of a spa – there’s nothing better than taking a few hours (or days) to
just relax and get pampered, leaving you feeling rejuvenated and ready to carry
on with your life. A few years ago my Mum and I enjoyed a Champneys spa break
at Forest Mere, and I am desperate to go back for a few days again.
10. Have afternoon tea somewhere fancy
If
you’ve been following me for a while, you will probably know that I do love a
good afternoon tea. I’ve been to quite a few different places, but there are so
many more places I’d like to try. I think half the fun of it is deciding where
to go next!
11. Go to The Cotswold’s
Like
I said earlier when I was talking about Scotland, there are so many places in
the U.K. that I’ve never visited and have only seen in photos. And The
Cotswold’s is one of them. Every photo or video I’ve seen from people’s trips
there just look so beautiful. I really need to find a lovely little Airbnb so I
can have a chilled out week exploring the countryside.
12. Go back to Helmsley
A
lot of people reading this will probably never have heard of Helmsley, but it
holds a special place in my heart. It’s a small market town in North Yorkshire
where my Grandparents (my Dad’s parents) used to live. I remember so many happy
holidays up there, exploring the moors, going into York and finding farm shops
with yummy cafés. When my Grandpa died, my Grandma moved down South to be
closer to her family, and we haven’t been back since. I really miss it and
would love to go back.
13. Go back to Felixstowe
Like
Helmsley, Felixstowe also has a special place in my heart. It’s wear my Mum’s
parents used to live when I was little and where I lived for the first couple
of years of my life. However, my Grandparents moved to live near us when my
Grandad had his first mini-stroke and, again, we haven’t been back there since.
I have so many happy memories of playing on the beaches, going to the pitch and
put with my Grandad and buying souvenirs on the high street. I know it will be
different now, all these years later, but still, I would like to see it.
14. Go to The Lake District
This
is another place I’ve never been to but heard (and seen) so many lovely things
about. I remember a friend posting some photos of her holiday in the Lake
District and I just couldn’t get over how beautiful it was. I would love to see
it in person one day.
15. Visit Longleat
I
actually went to Longleat Safari Park a few years ago around Christmas and
loved seeing the animals. But we soon ran out of time after taking quite a
while to get round the car safari, so I would love to go back and see more of
the park. Perhaps even stay at the Center Parcs nearby and make a proper
holiday out of it.
16. See a ballet
I
remember seeing a couple of ballets when I was a lot younger – Coppélia with my
dance school and I think Cinderella with a friend. I also did ballet myself,
from around the age of 3 until my health started to go downhill at the age of 15.
I really enjoyed both doing it and seeing others perform, and would love to go
again now that I’m much older. I’m not sure which ballet I’d like to see at the
moment, so if anyone has any recommendations I would love to hear them.
17. Get my business cards printed
This
one is pretty self-explanatory really! For months I have been saying that I
need to get some business cards made up for my blog and YouTube channel, so
that when I go to events or when someone asks me about my blog I can just hand
them a card. But for some reason I still haven’t got round to it, despite
knowing where I want to get them from. So hopefully this should be quite an
easy one, and will also show my commitment to continuing with my blogging and
freelance work.
18. Complete my Limited Edition Disney
Classics and Pixar DVD collection
If
you’ve followed me on Instagram or YouTube for a while, you will probably have
seen that I collect the Disney Classics and Pixar DVDs with limited edition
sleeves. I’ve collected most of the more common ones, but still have quite a
few of the more unusual films to pick up. So I’m excited to continue adding to
my collection – all the shiny cases look so pretty together!
19. Go to Sussex to visit Sarah and Charlie
When
I was putting this list together I asked for ideas from some of my friends. One
person suggested having a couple of points for seeing friends I don’t see very
often or haven’t met in person yet. It was really tricky trying to whittle down
all the friends I would love to see, but I thought that just because I put a
couple on my list, it doesn’t mean I can’t still see others. So the first
person I want to make an effort to see at some point is my friend Sarah, who
now lives in Sussex, and her little boy Charlie. We get to see each other now
and again when she comes back to see her parents, but I thought I would make
this something a bit different and actually go to visit her. It’s not the
easiest as I can’t drive that distance on my own, so I need help from my
parents, but it is do-able.
20. Meet up with Becca H and celebrate our
30th birthdays
Another
friend I’ve been trying to meet up with for literally years is my friend Becca.
We ‘met’ through an M.E. charity for young people when we were about 15 and
have been talking ever since. However, the only time we’ve ever met in person
was completely by accident, when we bumped into each other while I was shopping
with a friend in Chichester (years ago). As our birthdays are in the same
month, we’ve said that this year, we really need to do something to celebrate
us both turning 30. I suggested meeting up at Chewton Glen, so we’ll see what
we can organise.
21. Visit an animal shelter with a donation
of toys/food/treats for the animals
You’ll
probably know by the name of my blog and my Instagram photos that I’m a big
animal lover. This idea was actually something suggested by another friend and
I thought it was a lovely thing to put on my list, as I didn’t want everything
on this list to just revolve around me. I’m not sure which animal
shelter/charity I want to donate to at the moment – I’d like it to be somewhere
I can actually visit with my donations, so I need to do a bit of research.
22. Get the train up Snowdon
I’ve
always loved the idea of climbing a mountain, but because of my health problems
and the fact that I use a wheelchair to get any further than a few steps, I
never thought it would be possible. But then a friend told me about the Snowdon Mountain Railway,
which goes right to the summit if you travel at the right time of year.
Finally, I can actually ‘climb’ a mountain! I’m hoping this goal might appeal
to my Dad, as he’s really into trains, so hopefully I can drag him and my Mum
along to help!
23. Treat myself to a designer handbag
I’m
probably more of a shoes girl than a handbag girl, but that doesn’t stop me
loving a pretty bag. I’m always lusting after the expensive bags if we ever go
into a department store, so I decided to add treating myself to one to my list.
It’s unlikely to be a really expensive designer handbag – one because I can’t
afford to spend thousands of pounds on a bag, and two because if I did spend
that amount, I would be too scared to actually use the bag! So my thoughts are
something mid-range. More expensive than I would usually spend on a bag, but
not completely out of reach either. I’ve seen some lovely bags from Kate Spade
that I’ve been eyeing up, so they could be an option.
24. Graduate from university
This
is another pretty explanatory goal, but one I’ve been wanting to do ever since
I understood what university was. My earliest memory of discussing university
was when my Dad would tell me stories of his university days. Apparently at the
age of about 5 or 6, I told him I didn’t want to go to university because I
didn’t like curry (in some of his stories he had mentioned that he went out for
a curry with his course friends!) Once he’d reassured me that I didn’t have to
eat curry at Uni I felt a lot happier and more interested in getting a degree
(and I do now like curry!) Fast-forward to now – it’s taken me three attempts
at three different universities, over the course of ten years, but I’m finally
coming to the end of my journalism degree. I still feel anxious that something
will go wrong again and I won’t finish, but the closer I get, the more possible
it seems.
25. See the sun rise or set over the sea
I
think this is a pretty standard bucket list goal, but that doesn’t bother me.
There’s nothing more beautiful than seeing a golden yellow and orange sky over
the sea – whether that’s in the UK or somewhere a little bit warmer, I’m not
too fussy! But I just want to actually make the effort to sit still, wait
around a little longer (or wake up a bit earlier) and enjoy one of the world’s
most picturesque sights.
26. Do something to raise money for charity
I’ve done
quite a lot of fundraising over the years – I’ve organised a live music night,
done a disabled climb over The O2, baked cakes for coffee mornings and been
sponsored to wear funky socks and share them on social media. I have a few
different charities I like to support, which include EDS UK, Mind and Beat so I’m currently thinking of what I can do next to raise some more money to
support them. If anyone has any ideas of things I could do that are suitable
for a disabled person I would be interested to hear your suggestions.
27. Have something I’ve written published in
a magazine or newspaper
I was debating
whether to put this on my list, as it’s something I’ve already done a few times
(I’ve had articles in Happiful magazine, our local magazine and a hospital
magazine) but I thought there was nothing wrong with wanting to do the same
thing again. After all, journalism is what I hope to do with my life, so
setting myself a goal of getting something else published seemed like a good
idea!
28. Go on a cruise
Up until
recently, going on a cruise has never appealed to me. I didn’t like the thought
of being stuck on a boat for weeks on end and was terrified that I’d spend the
whole trip being sick (I had an awful experience on a ferry once, which has
really put me off boats!) But I didn’t actually know that much about cruise
liners until I saw a programme recently on ITV about a cruise (and also saw
some YouTube videos of the Disney Cruise Liner!) It made me realise just how
huge the ships were, how much stuff there is to do on them (they are literally
like a whole village) and how good they would be for someone like me who wants
to see the world but doesn’t find travelling the easiest. The fact I could get
on a boat and not really have to move much unless I felt able to get off when
it stopped and have a look around sounds pretty perfect.
29. Go on a date
When I was
making this list, the same kind of dreams kept coming up in my head – I want to
get married, I want to have a family, I want to buy my own house… But all of
these goals just seemed so out of reach compared to where I am at the moment.
So I had a think about what the first step towards those things would be, and
taking the initial step of actually going on a date sounded like a good idea.
I’m actually considering joining up with a dating agency to achieve this, as
I’m not having any luck with the likes of Tinder or trying to meet someone in
person. So wish me luck!
30. Complete 30 random acts of kindness
My last goal
is slightly vague, as I didn’t want to specify what I want the random acts of
kindness to actually be. I do try to do little surprises for people anyway, but
I liked the idea of doing 30 for my 30 years.
And that
brings us to the end of my 30 Around 30 list! I think I’ve got a good range of
goals to work towards – some fun, some kind and some just plain scary! But I
think it’s important to challenge yourself a bit and do things that scare you
from time to time. You never know what you’ll end up getting out of them. I
would be really interested to hear your thoughts on my take on the 30 Before 30
List, and if you have any suggestions or recommendations for any of my goals. As
I said, I will try and keep you updated on how I’m getting on with my list
through blog posts, so keep an eye out for future posts. And if you don’t see
one for a while, give me a poke and ask me why!
Have you done a list like this at all? What
goals would be on your list?
