30 Before 30 – Miss Write

I’m now 30… Check out how I did with my challenge below! I also did a summary post which you can read here. 

*******************

“30 Before 30”. What’s that when it’s at home? 

It’s a list of 30 cool and interesting things I want to do before I turn 30. It’s like a Bucket List, but I’m hoping not to die at the end of it!

How long do I have to complete the challenge?

I started this on the 28th January of this year, just over a week before my 28th birthday. That’s just over two years to complete the challenge, for the astute among you! On average, I need to complete 1.25 activities per month. 

Why bother?

I love the sense of achieving something, I love trying new things, I love a challenge, and… I love lists! 

Have you set any rules?

I have not allowed any travelling to appear on this list, as I already do a lot of that. I also wanted it to be mainly activities I could fit into my world here in the UK, things I could do on my own quite capably, so no one would feel obligated to join me on my quest. No doubt I’ll have people helping me along the way, though.  

Are you worried about hitting the big 3-0?! 

No, not really – but then, we’re still 2 years from the big day! “Age is just a number,” is my current attitude. Plus, this week someone told me I didn’t look older than 21. Long may my youthful looks last!

So here goes…The big reveal! *drum roll*

The List

1. Climb up into a church spire INCOMPLETE 

2. Try 5 new foods DONE! 9/3/13

       1. Nut puffs – peanut butter sweets coated in sugar
       2. Samphire – deliciously salty veg
       3. Pearl Barley – in a soup cooked by my mum
       4. Quail – in a curry during a night away Birmingham
       5. Pig Cheek – as part of English tapas in Cambridge

3. Do a photography course DONE! 9/3/13
4. See the Milky Way vividly DONE! 21/08/14
5. Read Top 5 books of all time (using The Guardian newspaper’s list) Why oh why did I choose this challenge?!?! Not enjoying this part in the slightest!

       Don Quixote ~ Miguel De Cervantes DONE – ish! I gave   
       gave up 18/06/14
      A story of a Spanish knight and his servant, two of the 
     most famous figures in western literature. 

       Pilgrim’s Progress ~ John Bunyan DONE – ish! I gave it a good go but gave up 12/03/14 
      No idea what to expect here, I hadn’t even heard of it! *shame*

       Robinson Crusoe ~ Daniel Defoe DONE! Hideous book… 20/03/13
      The first English novel. One my English teacher recommended over 10 years ago and I still 
      haven’t read. 

       Gulliver’s Travels ~ Jonathan Swift DONE! May 2013
      A satire that still works for all ages. And no Jack Black in the lead role – bonus!

       Tom Jones ~ Henry Fielding DONE! Well, not quite… September 2013 
      The adventures of a high-spirited orphan boy: an apparently unbeatable plot and a lot of     
      sex ending in a blissful marriage. 

6. Drive a tractor – with the help of farmer friends Ted and Anna DONE! 9/3/13

7. Give a stranger a compliment every day for a week INCOMPLETE 
8. Sponsor an elephant DONE! 07/02/13
9. Volunteer with WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) INCOMPLETE
10. Get a henna tattoo  DONE! 12/03/13
11. Go zip lining  DONE! Costa Rica 12/10/13
12.  Complete scrapbooks from Raleigh (argh, can’t find it!!!!) and South Africa (DONE 21/4/13) journals  HALF INCOMPLETE
13. Have a font of my handwriting made DONE! 16/07/13

14. Make a cake on a fire DONE! 28/01/13

15. Complete my online Spanish course   DONE! 20/08/13
16. See ‘Les Miserables’ on stage  DONE! 21/09/13
17. Prepare a meal using only ingredients bought at a Farmers’ Market DONE! Pork and blue cheese baked with veg – mmm! 18/02/14 
18. White water raft (again) DONE! 17/06/13 …and again 24/08/13
19. Have Costa Rican custard for breakfast DONE! (It’s more like mayonnaise which you eat with tortilla breads) Costa Rica 13/10/13  
20. Party in London DONE! 23/03/13  
21. Borrow (and use!) Lauren’s pasta maker DONE! 29/07/14 – find out how it went here! 
22. Join a ‘flash mob’   INCOMPLETE
23. Scan old photos DONE! 17/03/13 
24. Make sorbet   DONE! 15/03/14 
25. Send flowers to my mum for no reason  DONE! May 2014
26. Try 10 new local (Northamptonshire) restaurants  DONE! April 2014

       1. The Goose, Northampton 01/03/13
       2. Red Hot World Buffet, Northampton 6/04/13 – not sure I’d go again…
       3. Papa John’s Pizza, Northampton 13/05/13
       4. The Buttery, Castle Ashby Rural Yard, Northampton 15/08/13
       5. Bella Italia, Northampton 24/08/13 – pleasantly surprised!
       6. Dang’s, Northampton (Vietnamese) 01/01/14 – great one for a special day <3
       7. Behind The Bus Stop, Northampton – 18/01/14
       8. The Vineyard, Northampton – November 2013
       9. Fayre & Square, Northampton – 18/02/14
       10. Cromwell’s Cottage, Northampton – April 2014

27. Get a hot stone treatment DONE! 21/03/14  
28. Stay in a castle overnight  DONE! 7/2/15 – birthday treat!
29. Send birthday cake recipes to friends overseas on their birthday   DONE! 29/06/13 
30. Learn to snowboard (New Years Resolution 2013) DONE! 15/03/13

Follow my progress on Twitter at  #Lou30Before30. I’ll be updating this post too, of course, so keep an eye out.

Have you got a ‘bucket list’ or an age-related ‘To Do’ checklist, like me? Tell me about it in the comments box below – I’d be interested to compare ideas. 

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
…and on Twitter
Born To Be A Tourist