The big 3-0

Back in 1984 a man called Malcolm and a woman called Gaynor welcomed a baby girl in to the world. On that day they cuddled her and told her plans of how wonderful her life would be and what many adventures she would embark on, 29 years later, they are still waiting for that girl to pass her driving test!

As my birthday approached and I was being reminded that it was my last 20 birthday, I felt relatively calm. I feel quite old any way, I don't go out any more, I haven't drunk a drop of alcohol in four years due to the fear of having an 9 day hangover and I complain that the music on the radio is "just noise".

Yet, on Saturday, surrounded by my family, stuffing myself with my Mum's awesome bbq food a bit of a panic washed over me. I haven't actually done an awful lot with my life.

By the age of 22 I was married and had my first child. My wonderful husband and I have had another child since, obviously those are big events that I am immensely proud of and I never thought that I could love so much. My little family have given my all the happiness I will ever need so I am completely satisfied with that aspect of my life.

However, as I became a mother so young, I have also not had the time to do other care-free things that my friends have been able to do.

So I have made the inevitable "things to do" list. I actually got the idea from a friend, Andy, who is an amazing writer. He made a 30 before 30 list, I'm just totally copying him but the choices are my own. There are certain things that I would love to do but they are too difficult or expensive to do in the next year, the list is made up of things that are easily accessible (and cheap!)

Here it is...

1. Quit smoking
2. Pass my driving test
3. Join a dance class
4. Get over my fear of dogs
5. Take a photo of something at 8pm every day for a year
6. Solve a Rubik's cube
7. Go skinny dipping
8. No chocolate for a week
9. Watch the sun rise and set in the same place
10. 10 random acts of kindness
11. Beat Luke at Monopoly
12. Let my friends know I love them
13. Learn to surf
14. Volunteer in a soup kitchen/Samaritans
15. Learn how to cook rice
16. Watch all the Harry Potter movies in one sitting
17. Learn 6,7,8 times tables
18.Get a tattoo done without knowing what it is going to look like
19. Write and post 10 letters
20. Do the Glamorgan coast walk- Porthcawl to Barry Island
21. Go Horseback riding
22. Go dancing in the rain
23. Do something special for my Mum and Dad
24. Eat the rainbow in fruit
25. Paint the 'Welcome to Amity Island' billboard
26. Make Jam
27. Do yoga every day for the month of May
28. Raise money to get a memorial bench for my sister placed down Southerndown beach
29. Write an open letter to my sixteen year old self
30. Learn to say Hello in 30 different languages.

I have 363 days to go, I am already having palpitations about the thought of many a thing but that's the point isn't it. This time next year I could possibly have a willy tattooed on me somewhere...