TGG's 30 Before 30: UPDATE!

TGG's 30 Before 30: UPDATE!

Monday, June 20, 2016

So this post was actually going to be a Summer Bucket List of sorts in the style of Cupcakes and Cashmere (maybe let me know if you'd still like to see one of these?) but whilst rooting through the archives of the blog, I stumbled on my 30 Before 30 list that I made almost three long years ago, and I thought it might be fun to take a look at my progress and see how I'm muddling along! It IS my twenty-eighth birthday next month so, if nothing else, it might give me a kick up the arse to get on and have some adventures, right?

1. Learn how to make a (really good!) roast dinner. Yeah... About that one... I did assist/half-make an Easter roast dinner for a group of friends back in March which was pretty freaking delicious, if I say so myself, but I'm not sure this counts. I WILL NAIL THIS ONE. 

2. Visit Italy, specifically Rome, and try REAL pizza and gelato. 

3. Go on, or plan, at least one, life-changing 'big trip'. 

4. Land a well-paid job on my career path. Done! I've had a career in publishing since 2012, and I'm now in a really good place in my career, and hopefully looking at progressing soon. TICKED OFF THE LIST.

5. Continue to learn to love myself. This one is just forever ongoing, right?

6. Learn Italian. Hmm. Well. For a long time I was progressing on Duolingo, but then my attention span kind of put paid to that idea. Maybe I'll start again!

7. Buy a 'SAD' lightbox to help me through winter. Totally done and it totally helps! You can read all of my thoughts about my Lumie light in this post.

8. Go and see Kings of Leon again. If they'd ever TOUR again...

9. Visit New York again.  Funnily enough, I did this about 10 months after I first wrote this list! It was an amazing trip that I vlogged (thank goodness) and still look back on nostalgically, even now. 

10. Work internationally. 

11. Take more photographs, practice, get better. Ongoing, but I definitely count where I am as progress!

12. Start a diary/journal. 

13. Give back to my parents. In the sense that I wrote this, my parents now know that I'm secure, I have a career and am financially independent and can take care of myself, which is a relief to both them and myself. PLUS I can now buy them fun things and take them nice places.

14. Build my savings account... This also is still SUPER in progress, but I have a savings account that I contribute to monthly!

15.  ... But also buy an 'investment' designer bag for myself. Pahahaha.

16. Visit Australia/New Zealand. 

17. Write a short story. 

18. Make a home. Our home, whilst not 'perfect', is ours and I love it more than anything. It took us some time to get started, but we now have furniture that is ours, and a really cosy little place that feels just like 'us' in the world.

19. Pitch my first story/feature. To anyone. 

20. Aim to be the healthiest I've ever been & complete a walk/run for a charity. Working on this one suuuuper hard at the moment! It's my goal to make 28 my healthiest age yet.

21. Send letters, postcards, thoughtful messages and 'just because' packages to my family and friends. Yes and no - I'd say I'm a lot more thoughtful now, but I still haven't mastered my mum's level of care package/surprise awesomeness. I did have a fun postcard back-and-forth tradition with one of my closest friends though for a little while!

22. Create new traditions. Whilst this is ongoing, we do have some concrete traditions and things we do that are just 'ours' that we look forward to doing together. I'm sure the list will only grow.

23. Own a pet. WE HAVE A FISH. His name is Marty, he's ace.

24. Grow my library. Does having an almost-full double-width bookcase count? It counts, right?

25. Inspire someone. 

26. Make YouTubes!! Depending on how you look at this one - I love my channel, make videos semi-regularly and have been an active 'YouTuber' since 2014!

27. Finish all the books on this list. 

28. Meet a personal hero. 

29. Go hiking and fishing in the Lake District.

30. Practice more peace, love, and stillness. Stay in the now. Yoga with Adrienne has helped me make SO much progress where this goal is concerned. It's a work in progress but my anxiety is definitely 1000 times better.

Nine down, a couple ongoing and a roundabout twenty to go... I'm feeling pretty confident! Do you guys have a list of goals you'd like to achieve?