In just 2 days time, I will be turning 35.
You have no idea (Well, unless you're a similar age or above yourself I guess...) how bizarre that feels to say.
I often see people in their 20s talking about the approach to turning 30 and how far away it still is for them, well I hate to be the bearer of bad news - but it's not as far away as you think you know! Infact, I would SWEAR blind that I only turned 21 a few years ago...
Time flies past at a pretty scary speed, and to think that 21st birthday party of mine (the one where I got way too drunk after having Stella Artois races with my Uncle and cousins, beating them all and promptly throwing up on my boyfriend's shoe and falling head first into a bush...) was now 14 years ago is CRAZY!
And the thing is...you know how, when you're in your 20s, you think that something will just happen and you'll suddenly start to feel like a grown up when you're in your 30s...that you'll be more mature somehow, that your thoughts and mind will change and you'll just know more, be wiser and so on....that you will somehow FEEL your age?
Well....you won't!
It just doesn't happen.
I feel no different now than I did when I was 21. My head is just the same, and just as immature, and just as clueless.
Infact it scares me a bit to think back to being a child, and always assuming that my parents were completely clued up on life and always had all the answers coz they were GROWN UPS...because they didn't really, just like I don't now. Terrifying.
Anyway...back to the point of my post...
Turning 35 can either be a bit depressing because its halfway to 40, or it can be exciting because I'm halfway to 40 (they say that's when life begins, after all!) - so I opted for the latter.
And because 40 really does feel like a proper BONA FIDE ADULT age (I'm aware that all of the 40-somethings will be shaking their heads at me now and thinking that they still feel 21 in their heads too!) - I feel the need to spend the rest of my 30s doing all of the things that I always think "I'd love to do that....one day".
Because let's face it...what is "one day"?! When is that exactly?! If I carry on saying "I'll do that one day" forever, then the day will never come and I'm so not ok with that.
THESE are the "one days"...I'm living them, and if there are things I want to do "one day" then I need to be doing them....
So...these next 5 years are going to be made up of all of those "one day" things I want to do.
I've put together a list of 40 Things To Do Before I Turn 40 and I am determined to cross them all off!
I started this list 6 months ago, and I am pleased to have already ticked off some...
I have kept it to things that I can reasonably achieve, no plans to tour the world and visit 20 countries because in reality I wouldn't be able to afford that....this list is full of achievable things...and I plan and hope to achieve every single one of them.
40 Things Before I Turn 40
1) Get To A Dress Size I Feel Comfortable With (2 sizes down so far since starting the list, about 2 or 3 sizes to go)
2) Go to an 80's concert (If Jason Donovan is there, bonus!)
3) Watch "The Book Of Mormon" at the theatre
4) Watch "Wicked" in the West End
5) Go To Disneyland Paris with the Kids for Halloween
6) Visit New York City
7) Go On A Royal Caribbean Cruise With The Kids (Cruise booked since starting the list!)
8) Go On A Disney Cruise
9) Go To Italy and eat proper Italian pasta (Italy is one of our stops on the cruise!)
10) Learn to drive
11) Go to Ireland
12) Get married and have my dream wedding
13) Have a fourth child
14) Buy our own home
15) Get a small tattoo (probably the kids names)
16) Get something (Anything!) published in print
17) Move even closer to the sea
18) Win a blog award!!!
19) Do a degree or qualification in writing/journalism or possibly teaching
20) Get veneers
21) See Madonna in concert
22) Learn to play Piano
23) Own a pet and learn to love it (I'm so not an animal person but I want to change that!)
24) Swim with or touch a dolphin
25) Cuddle (or at least stroke) a monkey
26) Eat at a Michelin starred restaurant
27) Have a whole night away on my own somewhere (Spa or retreat maybe?!)
28) Go on our a tour of Buckingham palace
29) Join an amateur dramatics group/be in a play
30) Be a bloggers keynote speaker at an event
31) Try past life regression
32) Take a cookery class
32) Take a photography course
33) Investigate my blood line/genealogy and research my family tree
34) Write a book
35) Dye my hair an unnatural colour and get a dramatic hair cut
36) Do a make up and/or hairdressing course
37) Overcome a fear
38) Learn to manage my anxiety and panic attacks more
39) Go to Lapland with the kids
40) Have a big party to celebrate my 40th!!
So there we have it! Now let's start crossing things off!
What would be on your own list?! I'd love to hear your ideas!
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