30 Things To Do...

Next year is a big year for me for many reasons.

One of the big things is my 30th birthday in September.

Now hear me out before you roll your eyes.  I can imagine those of you, particularly those who have already passed this landmark, sighing as you read that.  This is not a moan about turning 30 or getting older.

Birthday's aren't a big thing for me, never have been.  Most years it's just another day in the month and not something that I make a big deal about.

Next year feels different.

It's the end of my twenties and I have mixed feelings about that.  As decades go this was one was decidedly mixed.  There have been lows where I've made some massive fuckups (pardon the language) and incredible highs like meeting the love of my life.

I have regrets about things that I haven't done, and like many people, have looked back and wondered "what if...".  Not that that's a complaint about where my life if because I'm a very happy man.  But I've played things safe in a lot of cases and missed out on a lot of experiences I could have had and didn't.

So I've decided to do something about it: I've written a bucket list.

Yes, that clichéd thing most people do at some point I have also done.  And like most people claim, I'm going to do it all before I'm 30!  I've tried (and in some places, failed) to be realistic but also tried to be a little more adventurous than I'd normally be.

So on to the grand unveiling:

1. Get married
2. Pass my driving test
3. Start and finish a novel
4. Make an entire meal from scratch, sauces, bread and all
5. Get another tattoo
6. Take a holiday off of the island!
7. Get photos of all of my nearest and dearest
8. Run a 10k
9. Get to a weight and body shape that I’m comfortable with
10. Enter a short story competition
11. Submit an article to a magazine
12. Write at least 2 blog entries per month
13. Get drunk on a bottle of 100% agave tequila to see if you really don’t get a hangover
14. Read the “100 novels to read before you die”
15. Start a new hobby
16. Join a badminton club
17. Sing karaoke
18. Take a positive step forward in my career
19. Write a one act play
20. Paint something
21. Walk some of the West Highland Way (gotta be realistic!)
22. Walk up Ben Nevis (Scotland), Snowdon (Wales), Scafell Pike (England) and Slieve Donard (Northern Ireland)
23. Dye my hair
24. Sort out pensions & life insurance for us both
25. Start a savings account
26. Cultivate a bonsai tree!
27. Make a croquembouche
28. Be more adventurous
29. Take more risks
30. Be happy

And the one at #1 get's a blog post all to itself...more on that later!

I plan to periodically update on how I'm doing...wish me luck!