Yesterday, June 27th, was my twenty-ninth birthday. It was celebrated with a relaxing weekend away in the neighbouring Naramata wine bench and capped off with a delicious dinner at Bouchon’s Bistro last night. I wasn’t melancholy in any way as time brings me closer to my thirties.
In fact, as I reflect on life before thirty, I am looking forward to the next decade of my life with all the change on the horizon. But with the closing of my twenties I do have some important business to attend to….Here’s a list of 10 things I want to do before I turn 30 next year!
1.Find Ancestors in England: Know where you came from
I suppose now is as good of a time as any to (finally) tell you that fiancé and I are heading to the UK for our honeymoon. We are doing a tour from London to Edinburgh then to Dublin over the course of 15 days in September. I am really looking forward to it and we are both armed with some heavy duty family ties to Scotland (his side) and England (my side). My great uncle did some digging back in the day when copy scanners were terrible and the internet wasn’t a thing yet. The result was a comprehensive book of both our relatives as well as his dear friends’ – The Fawkes. I hope to put some of his hard work to use and seek out a few relatives buried in London and maybe even a castle or two.
2. Finish what you started: My book(s)
I have two novels on the go, one drastically different from the other. One is set in the Okanagan then other is set in Venice, Italy. One features vineyards and the other is a time travel book. I hope to spend my thirties having one or both published but before I can do that I have to sit down and finish them.
3. Get married already!
It feels like I have been planning this wedding for way too long. I want it to be done with so I can get on with other things (see #2) and life. It has been fun but as the big day approaches I find myself getting busier and life getting more chaotic with all the decisions that need to be made. I am so looking forward to the day when it is here and we can finally party the evening away.
4. Do what you love: SUP more
I discovered how much I love Stand Up Paddle boarding in Oahu last Christmas and I want to keep it going! I always say that I’ll head down to the local beach come summer and rent a SUP but I don’t make it a priority enough. The tourists arrive in the Okanagan and it can feel like they take over everything from restaurants to beaches. Basically, I need to make doing what I love a priority despite the busy nature of the city in summer. As I get older finding ways I actually enjoy moving and exercising is always something to celebrate.
5. Move for health: Keep running!
Our wedding, and in particular my wedding dress, has become a motivator to get me running. I hated it at first but now I love it. I have been using a running app which plots out my weekly intervals whooping my butt into shape. I am amazed how much my cardio has improved over 4 weeks with 3 runs per week. I want to keep it going even after I reach my fitness goals. Running has helped with my sleep, head aches and confidence. You need to celebrate those moments when you’ve conquered seemingly insurmountable goals.
6. Go on a solo trip
With marriage, everyone is now asking where that baby is at? Some family members even demanding a due date before we have walked down the aisle. One of the reasons I reluctantly admit I want a kid is so that I have a little travel companion to show the world to. But before we reach that I want to make sure I have done something I needed to do a long time ago…go on a solo adventure. I’ve never been to a place alone for more than a few days. It’s something I think every woman, and man, should do before they “settle down” or decide to start a family. Provence seems to be calling my name right now. I am hoping to end my twenties abroad because the future might look a little more crowded.
Related post: I turned 27 with Veuve Clicquot
7. Practice my French / Learn another language
I was fortunate enough to be enrolled in French immersion as a kid. I love my ability to speak French and it helps me immensely while traveling, even if I am not in France. Knowing a second language really can help you pick up other languages so much faster which was the case in Italy. I was able to understand a conversation and get the gist of everything without knowing how to form an Italian sentence. I love to speak French and really need to practice it with other people more. It’s an ability I do not want to lose and one that I am forever grateful for my parents forcing me to pick up.
Related Post: First Impressions of Paris From a Long-time Dreamer
8. Focus on growth
This website is always needing tweaking behind the scenes. I’ve recently listened to a podcast that recommends and explains how to help reach more readers but deleting 1/3 of your content. Sounds counterintuitive but many of my fellow blogging friends have recommended it. I’m giving it a go and here’s the link so you can too if you own a website!
9. Learn how to cook (better)
Cooking and baking are a passion of mine. One of my favourite evenings, when the hubby is out with friends, I put on music, make myself a tea (or vodka depending on my mood) and cook something new. Last week I made a delicious banana, cherry chocolate loaf that seemed to be a hit with family. One of the things I have always wanted to make is pasta, especially ravioli. There’s no time like the present!
Something I do need to start doing is to keep recipes written down. I’ll often create my own thing and I don’t share it or keep a record of it…something I could start doing for readers maybe?
10. Reflect, Accept, Be Grateful
As an entire decade of my life comes to a close I can honestly say I’ve done some stupid things as well as some great things, this website being one of them.Your twenties, it seems, are for learning to be yourself. I am grateful for who I am and the experiences I’ve had. My twenty-ninth year is going to be about celebrating my twenties for the good and bad lessons, how far I’ve come as a writer, a woman and a human meandering through life.