30 before 30

I’ve heard of this concept for years and never really gave it any thought. I have a bucket list with many many (probably unrealistic) things I want to achieve throughout my life scrawled in various journals (I’ve linked my favourite one here) and ingrained in my mind.

But this week I was just scrolling on social media (what else is there to do during lockdown?) and came across Hannah Witton’s YouTube video ‘Reacting to my 30 before 30‘. Basically, she had written this list a few years ago about the 30 things she wanted to achieve before she turned 30 years old, and had unearthed it as she now embarks on her final year of her twenties. It was a funny video to watch, as many of the things on her list were unrealistic and were heavily impacted by other life events. So it got me thinking, what would be my realistic 30 before 30?

For context, I’m 24, so despite the pandemic and not being able to do much right now, I’ve still got a good few years left to achieve these goals.

1. Live abroad. I attempted this in 2020 and it didn’t last long enough so I want to do it again, properly this time! I’m thinking Singapore, Bali, Chiang Mai, Brisbane, Rome, Istanbul…..
2. Go on a city break with my little sister
3. Volunteer abroad. Again, I’ve done this before with the most incredible company ever but would love to volunteer somewhere a bit more remote, maybe Fiji or somewhere in sub-Saharan Africa?
4. Go on a wine-tasting tour
5. Visit 50 countries (total, currently on 24) – this might be a bit of a push given the current world crisis. I’m also more interested in really seeing the countries I visit, so if that takes longer, I’d rather do it properly.
6. Learn to surf
7. Start paying into a pension
8. Buy my first house
9. Have a fancy dinner party in said house
10. Have a stable career which I love (finally on track for this, yay!)
11. Go wild camping, something I haven’t done in about 10 years!
12. Explore more of the UK. There are so many places which I’ve realised I want to visit, as staycations became more popular and accessible during last year’s summer restrictions.
13. Try some weird foods, like oysters
14. Do a long walk, run, or bike ride for charity (let’s face it I shall not be running)
15. Send my friends postcards while I’m on holiday 🙂
16. Go to a casino (and don’t waste a load of money)
17. Go to a cooking class. Something I loved when I went to Thailand, so I will incorporate this into my travels more!
18. See my nephews as much as possible and watch them grow up
19. Read more than 30 books in a year
20. Eat more plant-based meals
21. Treat my parents to a holiday/night away/fancy meal out/something nice to show how grateful I am for everything they do for me
22. Win at bowling at least once (it is possible, I have done in the past, but it’s a rare and prestigious occasion)
23. Visit the British Museum
24. Have a crazy reunion weekend with my best friends! #archsquad
25. Read all 6 Jane Austen novels
26. Pay for someone else’s order at a drive-thru
27. Be able to do a pull-up
28. Go on a cruise
29. Get into a good fitness routine and join the gym
30. Visit one of the wonders of the world, preferably the Great Pyramids of Giza

Ta-da! All done. I really hope these are realistic, although I can only imagine a couple of these being ticked off in 2021! I tried to steer away from the more cliché ‘get married and have babies’ because I don’t want to put that pressure on myself. To be honest I’m not bothered about any of that in the near future anyway, I just want to see as much of the world as possible, become financially stable, see more of my family and friends, and be happy 🙂

Maybe if this blog is still going in 5.5 years’ time I can revisit this and let you know how I did…

What are some of your 30 before 30?