The Bucket List! The Bucket List!
Some people that i know, over a certain age, seem to spend a large section of their time reflecting on all of the things that they wished that they could have done, but never actually got around to doing...therefore i am taking this time NOW to compile a list of things that i am going to try (try being the key word here) to complete. This was originally a 30 before 30, but as i am now over 30 and nowhere near achieving all of the activities on my list I decided to cheat a little and think of those things that I’d love to do before my time on this planet is through…points if you know where that particular line came from...
I have split them up into four categories: Health, Fitness and being active - Travel and Culture - Craft and Hobbies - Completely random and quite possibly silly
I thought that by splitting the list up into categories i would have a range of different experiences and the list would be more well-rounded. Well, that’s the idea anyway…it's not quite finished yet...but it's a work in progress and i'm okay with that.
I have split them up into four categories: Health, Fitness and being active - Travel and Culture - Craft and Hobbies - Completely random and quite possibly silly
I thought that by splitting the list up into categories i would have a range of different experiences and the list would be more well-rounded. Well, that’s the idea anyway…it's not quite finished yet...but it's a work in progress and i'm okay with that.
HEALTH, FITNESS and BEING ACTIVE
Health and Fitness
1. Develop a fitness regime and stick to it! So far, so good…I’ve been a member of a gym for over two years now, and also I have had a personal trainer sporadically, as well as regularly going to the climbing gym (although thats stopped now). I feel like I’m getting somewhere as that I’m almost there…I’ll stick to it a little longer... 2. Get a toned body :) Through my Personal Training sessions and going to the gym alone, i have developed the start of a toned body...now i need to hone it in and get it finished :) 3. Stop eating so much shit...or put nicely, quit the sugar! Ultimately i'd like live a life without the processed foods and quit sugar. Obviously i know that i need a little bit of sugar, but i mean to cut out the processed and shitty sugars. 4. Wear (and be comfortable wearing) an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot bikini! This song came out when i was a very small child and i loved it...one day i would like to be comfortable enough with myself that i am happy to wear one! 5. Extreme Sports 6. DONE!!! Learn how to snowboard. I have always wanted to do this...just never got round to it...which is a very bad excuse for not having done it! Now i have all the gear i love it and i am literally wishing away each Summer so that i can go and play in the snow :) 7. Cage dive with sharks somewhere exotic. I think i'd be massively scared of doing this, but i'd love to give it a go because it must be fantastic getting up close to anything that big. 8. Become a competent rock climber. I have been rock climbing quite a lot now, however, i freak out at the heights and lose my confidence...i want to overcome this. Rock climbing requires balance, strength and flexibility...none of which i currently have a firm grasp on...so we shall see how this ends... 9. DONE!!! Snowboarding in Japan on Hokkaido. I've read that Hokkaido is the best place for snowboarding in Japan. James and i went for Christmas 2017 into 2018. It was amazing, so much snow! 10. Do a bungee jump! I've wanted to do one for a very long time...just never had the guts to actually go through with it. I've come very, very close once, but i got super nervous and couldn't go through with it. Water Based Active 11. Perfect my surfing technique. Technically i can already do this...well sort of...i want to actually be able to stand up! At the moment i can get onto my hands and knees and that is where i usually fall off. I have made it from quite far out to the shore a few times and its quite scary! 12. Go swimming in every ocean. I've swum a lot, but this actually gives a bit of purpose or drive to actually getting out there and doing something when swimming! - Atlantic DONE! - Pacific DONE! - Indian DONE! - Arctic - Antarctic 13. DONE!!! Learn to Scuba Dive and get my PADI open water certificate. This is something that i have always wanted to do. I loved Manta Rays when I was younger and I guess it stems from wanting to swim with them! I got my PADI open water certificate in Cambodia in February 2013 and it was far less scary than i thought it would be! 14. Swim with Stingrays or Mantarays. When i was a teenager i thought that i wanted to be a Marine Biologist when i grew up because i wanted to study Rays...well that didn't happen but i still love rays, so i want to say that at some point in my life i have swum with them. 15-17. Learn three new water activities. I'm not too good with water sports, and being in Wellington, so close to the seaside, it seems silly to not try some new things. The things i want to try are: 15. Kite Surfing 16. Sailing 17. Underwater photography! Random 18. Be able to safely compete a yoga headstand. I am a bit half-arsed with my yoga lately, i want to get back into it and become a stretchier, healthier person who can rock out with the headstands! 19. Keep up with the Ballet. Eventually, when i get myself in gear, i will build my own Barre and do some ballet workouts at home. Running & Trekking 20. Complete a "Tough Mudder". I've wanted to do this for a while...they just look so much fun. In preparation, i completed a 'Tough Gal Challenge' with some ladies from work and it was brilliant fun. 21. Trek an active volcano. Technically i do this every time i go snowboarding on Mt. Ruapehu, however, i won't count this as it's not really climbing... I would love to go to a proper looking volcano (like the one in the Secret life of Walter Mitty) and do actual trekking upon it. 22. Run a Half Marathon (and not die). I have tried twice now to run the Wellington 'Round the Bays'...first the half marathon and then the 10km...both times i have not really run the race well...next time i race i will be better trained! lol 23. Hike to the Top of Mount Haleakala. It's in Maui, Hawaii and is at an elevation of 10,000 ft. I look at is as a more do-able version of Everest! 24. DONE!!! Trek the Annapurna Circuit 25. Trek the Everest Base Camp Two for one here :) There are two circuits that i'd love to trek in Nepal, both are said to be amazing: - The Annapurna Circuit is a loop of around 160-230 kilometers / 100-145 miles depending on where you start and finish. You rise to an altitude of 5,416m as you go over the Throng La Pass. - The Everest Base Camp is a trek to the South Base Camp in Nepal. It's the rudimentary campsites used by mountain climbers during their ascent and descent. You rise to an altitude of 5,364m. |
TRAVEL and CULTURE
Travel
1. See all 7 Wonders of the Modern World
2. Visit Easter Island. I have always loved adventure, and Easter Island looks like such an amazing place. Its off the coast of Chile, and only accessible by boat, and just seems like a really interesting place to visit. 3. See the sun rise over Bagan Buddhist temple complex. Burma is one of those countries that I have tried to get to but failed miserably each time. I’ve seen photos and it just looks like the most amazing place: Bagan is 118 miles south of Mandalay and 429 miles north of Yangon. The Ayeyarwady River drifts past on its northern and western sides and i really just want to go and see if its really as magical as it sounds. 4. DONE!!! Ride a KiwiRail Scenic Train ride :) My parents visited New Zealand in 2016 and we went on the Coastal Pacific Train from Christchurch to Picton. Its a really lovely journey with some stunning views. 5. See both the Northern and Southern Lights. The Northern Lights are in Norway, the Southern Lights are in New Zealand and until recently I didn’t realise that there were Southern Lights. 6. Set foot on every continent. Does this really need explaining? 7. Island hop around Greece for at least a month. I have planned a trip to Greece on about four occasions, however, for various reasons I’ve never actually been and done the island hopping. I really want to do it at some point. 8. Revisit New York. I was there in September 2006 and it was EPIC. Breakfast in Central Park, shopping in the amazing stores and just generally being tourists...I loved it and am eager to return and recapture it's magic on camera. 9. Backpack around Australia. I was always meant to get to Australia...however, i haven't managed to get there yet! I must see the following sights: Meet Quokka on Rottnest Island - Hike in the Blue Mountains - Travel to the Whitsundays - Feed a Wallaby - Visit Fraser Island - See Uluru at sunrise or sunset - Take in Bondi Beach - Go to a beachside Book-Swap - Visit Whitehaven Beach - Cuddle a Koala. 10. Revisit Paris. I’ve been to Paris with friends, lovers and with students. Now I'd love to go back on my own and just poodle around museums and sit in cafes with coffee and just relax. 11. Be a tourist in my Homeland. Visit the following places, and do the following things, in the UK/Ireland: Oxford - Stonehenge: dance in the middle - York: poodle around the walled city - Edinburgh - Dublin: Drink a pint (or half pint) of Guinness... preferably on St. Patricks Day - Belfast. 12. Go on a Cruise :) I've wanted to do a Cruise for a while, my parents go on them all the time and it just appeals to me that i could wake up in a different place each day. 13. Travel First Class. At some point i will do this. I want to know whether it's any different to flying Cattle Class! 14. Pompeii and Herculaneum. My parents visited a few years ago, whilst on a cruise and their photos were amazing. I want to go to see it for myself. 15. Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. A few years ago i did consider doing the 'Mongol Rally'; a 10,000 mile trip from London, England to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The idea never matured and i never went, but i'm still very keen on going to Mongolia and visiting Ulaanbaatar...bonus points for if it's doing the 'Mongol Rally'. Languages 16. Learn to speak Spanish. Every year throughout my teens and into adulthood i travelled to places like Mallorca and Menorca and spent the whole time frustrated that i couldn't understand anything! My parents still go and my mum took the time to learn Spanish a few years ago, she is brilliant at it now and i really want to join in on the fun. 17. Learn to speak French. I can already speak a little bit, but being able to ask for a camping plot for two people and a car, without electricity and with shower tokens does not really help me anywhere other than at a camp site... 18. Learn a random new language: Irish. So, i met an Irish bloke...seems as good of a language to try and learn that any others :) NOTE: I'm doing very badly so far! 19. 20. Culture, Festivals and Celebrations 21. Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I'm not a big one on massive parties, but having said that, all of the reports that i hear of Mardi Gras sound amazing...perhaps i'll take part in it when i do my road trip... 22. DONE!!! Celebrate Diwali in India. I spent Diwali 2012 in Agra. It was amazing :) Basically everyone gets fireworks and candles and throws them at each other...chaos... 23. Celebrate Holi in India. Holy seems like so much fun...everyone just covers each other in coloured dye...whats not to love? 24. DONE!!! Take part in Songkran (the world’s largest water fight) Thailand celebrates their New Year in April - i'm not sure if it's the same date each year - by throwing water all over each other. Seriously, everyone is involved, even the aged grannies. Random 25. Ride a Reindeer (sled) in Lapland. There just seems something quite romantic about a reindeer sled, especially around Christmas...maybe seeing a little fat man with a beard too... |
CRAFT, HOBBIES and BETTERING MYSELF
Music
1. Learn how to play the drums. James bought a drum kit...need i say more? I HAVE to be better than him... 2. Learn how to play Bass Guitar. I have a Bass guitar and i'm terrible, so i think i should probably do something about it because i really want to be that cool Bass babe. 3. Learn how to play guitar. I've bought myself a guitar and James has bought me a bass guitar…now i just need to learn how to play them. SO FAR i can manage a few passable songs…but nothing too impressive. 4. Learn how to play a Ukelele. I have had one sort of semi-lesson and i LOVED it :) I think the Uke is like a smaller, easier guitar! 5. Learn how to play a Violin/Fiddle. Did you know that the ONLY difference between a guitar and a fiddle is the type of music that you play on them?! A Violin is for classical and a Fiddle is for folky type sounds. I bought James one for a birthday present...so if he's going to learn i may aswell! Crafting 6. Open my very own Cafe and Craft shop. It's something that i have wanted to do forever. If i actually got myself together and sorted it out, i would be so very happy with myself! 7. Learn to sew well enough that i can make an item of clothing that doesn't look like i've made it myself. I must wear it out and take pictures. I've had a sewing machine for quite a while now… 8. DONE!!! Learn to knit and crochet...properly. Knit or Crochet something that isn't a hat or scarf. I can knit and crochet...but not really THAT well...i want to extend my knowledge and become amazing like my mum and my nanny :) Theres just something about a home-made jumper that makes me smile...plus i really want to make a noddy jumper!!! 9. Origami. Get better at origami! My work colleague bought me an 'Easy Origami Fold-a-day 2018' calendar...i'm getting there but very slowly! 10. Reading & Writing 11. Join a book club/Start a book club. I read A LOT of books...it makes sense to me to actually discuss and recommend books to people...Does goodreads.com count? 12. Read over 500 books :) This will probably change as i read more, but i think i should have an aim. I will set up a page to track this...hold that thought. 13. Finish my novel. This was started over five years ago and i am still working on it...it needs to be finished AND 14. Get my novel published. Even if i do it myself and no-one ever reads it...at least i can say that i've done it! 15. Education 16. Complete the Bachelor of Applied Science in Communication that i have just started. So far i am one paper in (Business Communication) and it's been fun. Next up is Writing for the Web. 17. 18. 19. Complete a Masters. I would like to complete an Ma in 'Education Instructional Design' or something similar... 20. Complete a PhD. I would like to complete a PhD in something to do with Education Theory. Random Stuff 21. DONE!!! Take my digital camera skills to the next level...take the camera off of auto. I did have a Canon G12, it was my baby...however, it didn't manage to last very long before dying a tragic death on ANZAC day 2014 at the football (lens issues)...thankfully i fully grasped how to use the manual settings before it died and have now bought a G16 so I can practice my mad skills. 22. Take a photo, every day for a year. I will then make it into an Instagram flip video (or whatever they're called). It could be really fun :) 23. Get myself in gear an make my own household and body products products, thus being much more friendly to the environment...by this i mean kitchen bench spray, cleaning powders and body products that i would normally spend lots of money on and accrue loads of plastic waste. 24. DONE!!! Play an X-Box game all the way through. I seem unable to do this with my games...usually i find a game that i like and it gets WAY too hard for me...even the kids games :( I have played lego Harry Potter and Lego Lord of the Rings all the way through. 25. DONE!!! Make my own Blog. This is clearly one that is in the process of being completed...only time will tell if i can keep it up :) |
COMPLETELY RANDOM and QUITE POSSIBLY SILLY
1. Chop down a tree with an axe. Don't know why, i just feel that my life will have been more fulfilled if i chop down a tree with an axe...it doesn't have to be a big tree...
2. Visit ALL of the Disney Parks in the World: - Florida DONE!!! - California - Paris DONE!!! - Tokyo - Hong Kong - Shanghai 3. Take part in a Flash Mob :) I don't really know why...it looks fun i guess…i’ve seen a lot of flash mobs on TV and I just think it would be a real laugh to try it out. 4. Take part in either the Rickshaw Run or the Monkey Run. Both are something that i think that i'd LOVE to try out...i mean what more could you want from an adventure holiday than driving or riding glorified motorbikes around a foreign country!? We're going to Sri Lanka over Christmas and hiring a Self-Drive Rickshaw...does that count? 5. DONE!!! Own a pair of Sorel boots. Due to a Japan snowboarding trip, i needed a pair of boots for the bits of the trip when i wasn't snowboarding...i did my research and apparently there are the best boots to buy for that snow...and now i really want a pair...and i found a pair, rather cheap, in Japan! Result. 6. Girly Holiday with my crazy nerds. I want to go somewhere nice like Melbourne or Sydney for a long weekend...does New Plymouth count? 7. DONE!!! Own a cat :) I have wanted a Cat for AGES now. A little baby to curl up and read with on my lap...A while ago i bought a little fluffy ginger kitten, i called her Agatha, the guy i was dating at the time also bought a kitten, Scribble. I now look after both of them and they are adorable, always falling asleep on my bed :) And clawing my face... 8. Slow dance in the rain. Romantic...possibly...it always looks amazingly romantic and fun in the movies... 9. DONE!!! Ride a camel in the desert. I went on a camel safari in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan in India and it was amazing. My camel (Bubaloo) was a character. 10. Learn Sign Language. Learning new languages was always on the cards, however, i thought that as well as the normal choices, i would also strive to learn New Zealand Sign Language. I think that it would be interesting to see how I get on! I had a 'taster session' at GirlGuides which went down very well, so i hope to continue. 11. DONE!!! Do something drastic with/to my hair. I had been in a hair-rut for a little while before i left England. Since then i have tried a Pixie cut, dyed my hair Pink then Plum and then Red and even shaved my head for charity. I even i got a perm at one point. I think all of these class as drastic. think that this one pretty much speaks for itself...I managed to dye it pink as i left England for India and then again once my hair had grown out a little :) Next i tried Plum and then Red...then i shaved my head...but that's a WHOLE different story! 12. Attend San Diego ComiCon in CosPlay. Do I need to say more? 13. Grow my hair loooooooong. I always used to have very long hair and now that it's not that long i do sort of miss it. 14. DONE!!! Go Skinny Dipping. LOL...i think that this was one teenage activity that i missed out on...i was more of a stay-at-home-and-read type of gal...not that there is ANYTHING wrong with that. I did manage a spot of skinny dipping in Cambodia in the dark amongst the phosphorescence. 15. Go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Do i really need to say more? 16. DONE!!! Learn to ride a motorbike. I passed my 'Learners' test in January 2015 and hopefully i will take my 'Restricted' test pretty soon. I'm feeling quite confident on the bike (I have a Suzuki TU250x) apart from in the wind...I'm not good in the wind. 17. Properly learn how to use chopsticks. 18. DONE!!! Find a plant that i cannot kill :( I seem to leave a trail of sick pot plants whenever i move out of a house or flat...i am very sad about this and want to actually have a plant that thrives by my hand. I currently have two houseplants (don't ask me what they are thought), they seem to be thriving. 19. Complete the entire Greys Anatomy collection. I have wanted to watch this for years...but i never really got around to it...now i will! 20. DONE!!! Get my nose pierced. I have wanted this done for AGES...i think that my right nose really needs a little hoop through it...currently i have a fairly large stud with a little pink gem in in. 21. DONE!!! Live in another country for at least a year (I'm in Wellington, New Zealand...and i'm not planning on leaving). I'm sort of excited to travel the world but i think you don't really get a feel for a place unless you've been there a while, living like a local. 22. 23. 24. 25. |
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