I’m almost a week late in announcing my birthday on my blog, so I can see that you’ve been busy! It was busy, but in the best possible way.
Last Saturday was a very special day for me for two reasons.
Firstly, I watched one of my best friends get married and it was an amazing day filled with love and excitement.
The second one was my 29th birthday.
For most people, turning 29 is not a special birthday or a momentous event. It’s an odd number and an odd year, but I feel like it’s meaningful because it’s my last year in my 20s. I still can’t believe I’ll be 30 next year. I remember suddenly feeling much younger at 30, even though 30 looked so old. Being in your 30s is cool. Yeah, they might have a few extra laugh lines, but they’re well put together. A 30-year-old doesn’t care what other people think about him because he has spent a full 30 years becoming the person he wants to be. (In any case, this is how I see a 30 year old!)
So far, my 20s have been everything I hoped for and more. I always imagined that my 20s would be the year I discovered what I wanted to do with my life, and I feel like I was right on target.
10 years ago I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but blogging became an unexpected career that opened so many doors for me and made my life what it is today. It introduced me to some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met and allowed me to travel all over the world. Blogging has also given me the opportunity to work for myself, buy a home, and have the flexibility to support my family. I can’t even imagine what my life would be like without this blog!
I don’t like jinxing, but if you had told me when I was 19 that things would be this way, I would have been very happy. However, there are some things I want to do before I turn 30, so I feel like now is a good time to make sure I do them.
I’m expecting my second baby in the next few days, so I’m going to make big plans like hitchhiking around the world, learning new languages, and starting to invest in my future there is no. As much as I want to do a lot of things, this year is going to be the year I keep things simple. I’d love to have things like “travel to Japan” or “hike to Everest Base Camp” on my list, but let’s be honest: With two little boys, that’s never going to happen. Maybe they’ll be on my “40 before 40” list…
So this isn’t a traditional 30-to-30 list or a bucket list, it’s two of the last things I want to do before I turn 30.
Last year I learned to lasso a cow and I was so happy!
#1. Focus on one thing at a time
I have a terrible habit of overcommitting myself and saying yes to everything. I want to do everything, go to every place, have every experience, meet every person, work on every project, and basically do everything!
Sometimes this works, but more often than not, you end up overcommitting, which leaves you stressed, confused, and confused.
If getting older has taught me anything, it’s that it’s better to do one thing well than 10 things badly. So this year, I would like to focus on one thing at a time. I’m not going to multitask or try to do it all. This may be difficult…
#2. Have professional photos taken
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has had their photo taken, hated it, and hid it in the hopes that no one would ever see it again. Then, a few years later, I found that old photo and thought, “What?” I looked great! Look how young and thin and happy and young I look!’
I don’t like having my photo taken. I hated all the photography at the time, but 10 years later I love it, so I’m doing this for my future self. This is so that when you turn 40, you look back at yourself and admire how young you were at 29!
I’m sure I’ll be using Flytographer again when I’m traveling abroad because I love the candid, relaxed photos it always seems to take. Much nicer than anything overly styled or posed.
Cute photos from the Flightographer experience in Budapest
#3. Take a photo every single day
(and don’t take them too seriously!)
We all talk about how “time flies” and repeating this can make you seem even older. Time passes by so quickly, so I want to remember every moment. I’m going to try to be more intentional about taking pictures of the casual moments of everyday life. It’s easy to take millions of photos of holidays and special occasions, but the little moments are worth remembering too!
I often stop taking photos because my settings aren’t perfect. Maybe I wasn’t wearing makeup, or the house was a mess, or George was naked in the background trying to color the dog with crayons. But I’m sure these are the photos you’ll love the most when you grow up!
#4. Read 12 books
I don’t know when or why I stopped reading books, but I gradually replaced them with box sets. This needs to change! I love reading and I want to read at least 12 books this year. If you have any great book recommendations, please let us know!
(I know 12 books in a year is not a lot for some people, but for me it often takes me months to read a book, so this is great!)
#5. Do a half marathon
To be honest, I don’t like exercise. But what I love is the post-workout adrenaline rush and the smug satisfaction I get after a good run. I like being able to eat whatever I want and feel good wearing skinny jeans.
I recently canceled my membership because I don’t have the opportunity to go to the gym anymore, so I need some motivation to train at home and go for a run a few times a week. I’m planning on signing up for a half marathon once I get back on my feet after giving birth, because I know the only thing that makes my heart pound on the pavement is the fear of running a half marathon.
Capturing everyday moments with my son
#6. Decorate my home with travel photos
We finished renovating our house almost a year ago, but haven’t really started decorating yet. I asked Sam to paint the entire house white so it would be a giant blank canvas for the photos he took during his travels. But many of those photos are still waiting to be printed, so in reality our house is just a cold, blank wall!
#7. Take an epic road trip with my boys
You might be surprised that there aren’t more travel plans on this list. As tempting as it is to start planning so many epic adventures, you never know what traveling with two kids will be like.
But one thing I really want to do is take a 2-3 week road trip around Wales with Sam, George, our new baby and our dog Louis. It would be great to rent a campervan and travel slowly, with plenty of time to explore and relax in each location. I think this is a great way to travel with young kids, and it’s something Sam and I have talked about for years.
#8. Take a yoga course
I love yoga, but since I left London I haven’t found a class that I enjoy. Yoga classes are usually purchased in 12-week increments, but since I travel a lot, I end up missing most of the classes and don’t pay for them. However, since I won’t be traveling much this year, I’m going to take this opportunity to start practicing yoga again.
I always tell myself, “Do something today that you’ll be grateful for in the future,” and I think yoga is one of those things. Have you ever met a 50 year old who has been practicing yoga for 20 years?
Two words: smoking hot.
that’s all.
This is a yoga retreat I did in Fuerteventura. I like it very much. I’m seriously considering doing it again:
Yoga and detox retreat at Azure Fit in the Canary Islands
#9. Plan our wedding
Sam and I have been engaged for a full year and we still haven’t finalized our wedding plans. Sure, we’ve been pretty busy with house renovations and having a baby, but this “long engagement” has been going on a little too long. It’s time to start planning. I’m hoping to at least have something booked and planned by the end of this year.
#10. Ride in a hot air balloon
You wouldn’t believe how many hot air balloon rides I’ve had over the years. However, since I was pregnant for most of this period (pregnancies have to stop!), I couldn’t go because pregnant women can’t get insurance for balloon rides. To be honest, I’ve never had the opportunity to ride in a hot air balloon, but every pregnancy brings more opportunities. Typical. But this year is that kind of year. Ride in a hot air balloon!
It’s done. Since this article was mostly written by me, it shows up on blogs a lot and I’m like, “Damn, I haven’t done it yet, and about 80,000 people are reading what I’m promising to do.” , I think, “I have to do it.” Do it now! ‘ Is there anything else you think should be put there?