Saturday 31 August 2013

25 for 25

A wise woman recently told me, 

“We only have 10 years to be in our twenties.” 

To which I replied “Actually love, you only have nine left and I’m almost down to six.” 
#TooMuchOfARealist

But the fact remains – we only have 10 years to be in our twenties. And so, my fellow twenty-somethings, LIVE IT. Be Young, be Wild, be Free. Just not as young, wild and free as Miley. 

So far my twenties has been Fun. University, travelling, new jobs, moving to the second greatest part of the greatest city in the world (sorry East. Croydon for the win - always) and meeting some bffs. But I have a long list of things that I plan to do At Some Point, and there's no time like the present/your twenty-fifth year, right? So here it is, 25 tasks to complete before I hit 25 - boring tasks I should do to actually deal with my life, useful tasks and Fun tasks (nothing too big, dramatic or travel related - if its that important I'll do it anyway). 




My 25 for 25:

1. Get my self-hosted blog up and running (If anyone knows how to do this then give me a shout).

2. Do some actual exercise. The return to the 'burbs means no more walking to work. Maybe it's time to dust of the trainers and join some colleagues running a 10k? Or maybs I'll learn to rollerskate instead. Or go climbing again. 

3. Go solo to dinner.

4. Go solo to the cinema (in my opinion the ultimate act of confidence/having no mates).

5. Learn to use chopsticks. 

6. Learn to play the Ukulele – it’s been sitting on the top of my wardrobe gathering dust for over a year. I learned to play the first few lines of Stand by Me – thank you Youtube. But it’s time to find an actual teacher - give me a shout if that's you, payment in cake.

7. Turn up at a train station, get the first train outta town (I’m not well moneyed enough to make it the airport).

8. Get a passport to venture to The North. Maybe even Scotland (although technically that’s not really the north is it – its Scotland).

9. Scrap the junk food. Less sugar, less processed foods & more veg.

10. Dream big.

11. Start making the dream a reality.

12. Read a quality newspaper cover to cover (not just the cartoons and captions under the photos) – even the non-essential/irrelevant to my life sports and business sections.

13.   Conquer the roast dinner and invite some faves over to partake of the feast.

14.   Make peace with the parentals – buy them dinner or something.

15.   Manage my money – not sticking to a budget is the same as not having one.

16.   Identify my biggest fears. Then punch fear in the face. 

17.   Clear out my clothes - if I haven’t worn it in 2 years 18 months  a year it has to go.

18.   Go to a summer festival - dust off the wellies and embrace life in a field. 

19.   Extreme sports here I come – who wants to come hangliding?

20.   Walk in the rain. Get completely soaked. Enjoy every minute of it.

21.   Take a photo a day for a month.

22.   Discover my favourite wine. No, this does not mean drinking my way through Oddbins. I’m going wine tasting, like a sophisticated adult. You're welcome to join me.

23.   Stop pretending I can have a well informed conversation about the Middle East and actually take time to piece together all the random things I know and then find out more. 

24. Yet to be determined.

25. Completely dependant on the other 24. 

So there we go. My 25 for 25. Some boring, some useful, some fun and some Grown Up.

We have only have 10 years to be in our twenties y'all.

Friday 23 August 2013

Today is my one hundred and eleventh minus 87 birthday!!

Ok, I have speech to make - remember in LOTR* when Bilbo has his 111th birthday party with the most amazing/perilous fireworks ever? Remember how he gets everyone together, tells them "I don't know half of you as well as I should like, and like less than half of you half as well as you deserve," before promptly disappearing? Well, this is my birthday speech (don't panic I have no plans to disappear at the end of it...yet).

"Today is my twenty-fourth birthday - one year till I hit the big Two Five. So long early-twenties, it was Fun! Hello mid-twenty something. I have things to do. Most of which I have put off for far too long. And so this year is a 25 for 25 year - twenty-five tasks to complete before I reach 25.

Boring tasks I should do to actual deal with my life (sort out finances), useful tasks (learn how to use chopsticks), fun tasks (who wants to come paragliding?) and anything else that sounds interesting. 

Here's where I need your help -

What should I include as one of the 25?

Best ideas on a postcard/comment at the end of the post/email/carrier pigeon please.

Of course, all 25 tasks will be chronicled and placed on the world wide web for your amusement. In one week I will post the list - and then let the tasks begin. 

Thank's team."




*that's Lord of The Rings for those of you who have been under a rock for the last decade.