Katrina
On September 3, I turned 26, which is both pretty exciting and extremely terrifying.
The good news is that I made it through my quarter life crisis pretty much unscathed. I definitely had my personal meltdowns, but I think I’m finally in a better place in terms of knowing where I want to be in life (albeit I’m not anywhere near that point yet).
The bad news is that I am officially closer to 30 than I am 20, which makes me feel ancient. There’s so many things I want to do in life, places I want to see, things that I want to experience. However, I feel that time is ticking away so quickly without me actually making any progress.
I coined my 25th birthday as my quarter life crisis, but the day I turn 30 will be far worse. With each birthday rolling round quicker than the last, I want to make sure that in four years time I can look back and think, ‘wow, look what I’ve done!’ This is why I’ve decided to do a 30 before 30 list – a kind of bucket list which includes thirty goals I would like to reach before hitting another milestone birthday.
From travel goals to personal quests, here are thirty things I would like to achieve before my 30th birthday.
1. Go to New York and take a picture in Times Square
This is something which will definitely be knocked off the list. New York has always been the number one destination on my bucket list, and the thought of Times Square lit up with all the billboards genuinely makes me giddy. I’ve dreamt of standing in the middle of it all for years now, and I can’t wait to finally visit in April.
2. Climb Pen-y-Fan
Pen-y-Fan is the highest peak in South Wales, and is an iconic climb for many. My work colleague really wants to climb it at some point to raise money for Macmillan, and ever since she mentioned it, it’s been something I’ve wanted to do to.
3. Run the London Marathon
Anyone who knows me will know that I’m as far removed from being fit as possible. However, running the London Marathon is something which I’ve always had a niggle to do. Every year when I watch it or hear about people I know running it, it makes me want to do it more. My dream is to be able to run it in aid of Pancreatic Cancer UK in 2020, as it be 15 years since my grandad’s passing and would also mark his 100th birthday.
4. Meet Marie in Disneyland Paris
Marie is my all time favourite Disney character, so naturally if I ever go to Disneyland Paris, there’s no-one I’d rather meet. She’s an awkward character who only seems to appear around Halloween/Christmas, but hopefully I can go and meet her within the next four years!
5. Interview Ryan Tedder
Totally punching here, but my dream person to interview would be Ryan Tedder. He is a musical genius and one of the most influential musicians of our generation. I think he’d be the most fascinating person to talk to. I’d love to tap into his brain with regards to writing music for OneRepublic and other artists – I can dream!
6. Interview Gary Barlow
Another pipe dream, but again, Gary is a musical legend and one of my idols. He’s tweeted about three of my CelebMix articles in the past, so who knows – maybe he’ll cave in and let me interview him one day!
7. See Demi Lovato in concert with David
David is a good friend of mine who is more like a brother in all honesty. Demi Lovato is one of his musical idols (and an artist I love) so I would be over the moon if we could see her live together. I don’t know what would be the best part – seeing Demi slay in real life, or seeing David’s reaction!
8. See a big artist in concert abroad
I’ve been to several small gigs abroad (mainly because of David), however, I still want to see a big artist in an iconic venue overseas. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that a gig will come up whilst we’re in the States next year.
9. Participate in a meerkat experience
Meerkats are hands down my favourite animal, they’re just so fascinating to sit and watch. I recently discovered that meerkat experiences are a thing, and as much as a part of me would be terrified because they’re unpredictable, I’d love to be able to see and hold a meerkat up close!
10. Visit a fortune teller
I lot of people are skeptical about fortune tellers but a big part of me is fascinated by them. Over the years, members of my family have visited fortune tellers and have been blown away by what they’ve been told (genuinely odd things which you wouldn’t be able to guess). My mum visited one in Edinburgh last year but I was too scared to go in. I now think I’m ready to go the whole hog and see what’s to be said!
11. Be a step closer to getting my dream job
If you’ve read my blogs in the past then you’ll know that I am a full-time charity shop manager who is Hannah Montana-ing it as a wannabe entertainment journalist. My heart lies in writing and I hope to god by the time I’m 30 I’ll be a step nearer to achieving my dream of being able to write for a living. In January it will be four years since I started my full-time job and ideally I would like to leave before my fifth anniversary and step into a paid writing role, but it’s very hard to be given opportunities these days without a million years worth of experience. However, in the meantime I shall continue writing voluntarily for the wonderful CelebMix – good things come to those who wait, better things come to those who work for it, right?
12. Gamble in Las Vegas
Although it isn’t comparable in the slighest, my need to gamble in Las Vegas derives from my love for arcades. Every since I was a child, I have adored arcades. To this day, if we ever visit a seaside resort then I HAVE to go in, whether it be to play the 2p machines or win tokens. Las Vegas is a destination on my travel bucket list and I really want to go into one of the casinos and try my hand at proper gambling (but only a small amount, I’m not stupid haha).
13. Go to an outdoor cinema
I do enjoy watching movies from time to time but I always feel really sleepy in a cinema because it’s so enclosed and dark! I’d love to go to an outdoor cinema on a sunny day or at night-time with cute lights.
14. Play bingo
Ever since I turned 18, mum has promised to take me to a proper bingo place like Gala Bingo but to no avail. I’ve always enjoyed bingo at holiday resorts etc, but I’ve never played a proper game!
15. Learn Polish to a basic level
I’ve been to Poland five times in the past year, and in terms of getting around language-wise, I’ve found it super difficult. Whilst I’m bilingual (English and Welsh) and know a little Spanish and French, I’ve yet to really get my head around Polish. Since visiting the first time, I’ve used the DuoLingo app to help with things such as hello/thank you, but I’d like to be able to learn enough Polish to hold a basic conversation.
16. Learn how to use an image editing program
I love photography but I’m not very good at editing photos. I used a little Photoshop in Uni but I’d like to learn to use it (or a similar image editing program) properly in order to do different things with my photos. I’d also love to be able to create nice posters, edit blog pictures and just do all the fancy things that I feel like I should already be able to do.
17. Film and share a vlog
I absolutely hate my appearance and my voice, and I cringe if I ever see myself on video. However, I travel a lot and I would love to vlog my adventures and include footage of myself and my travel buddies as a keepsake. I know I could do this now privately, but I want to overcome my irrational fear of myself and actually film a vlog which I can proudly share with the world.
18. Go to London on New Year’s Eve
Every year I stay in on New Year’s Eve and watch the coverage of London’s fireworks on the TV. Every year, I promise myself that one year I will actually go and be there in person as the atmosphere seems electric. It’s just got to be done!
19. Learn to do my hair properly
My hair is the longest its ever been but due to my lack of girl skills, I very rarely do anything with it. I’ve curled it on a few occasions but I’m never happy with how it looks. I want to perfect two styles so that I can actually do something different with my hair.
20. Get an article published in a physical magazine/newspaper
All of my current written work has been published online. However, I’d love to see my name printed in a physical magazine or newspaper which I could keep forever!
21. Visit each of the seven continents
Okay, so after making this statement I went to do some research and realised that I’m more likely to visit six rather than seven (Antarctica seems like mission impossible to get to). Either way, I really want to expand my travel horizons and see so much more of the world.
22. See a Broadway play
It’s a must, right?! As a lover of the West End and theatre in general, I really want to see a Broadway play when I go to New York. I’d love to see something like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but coincidentally, the Mean Girls musical is opening around the same time that we’re going…
23. Run a colour run
I’ve always wanted to do a colour run purely because it looks amazing, a lot of fun and you can raise money for charity at the same time. It’s a win win!
24. Read all of Jill Mansell’s books
Jill Mansell is my favourite author of all time. I did set this as my 2016 New Year’s Resolution however, with 28 books to her name I’ve only managed to tackle around half of them so far. I’ve managed to locate most of the rest in charity shops in town already so it’s time to read, read, read!
25. Sing karaoke with friends
I am tone deaf, fact. However, I do love to sing so I really want to gather some pals and sing the night away at a karaoke bar.
26. Cook a three course meal from scratch
I cannot cook to save my life but at 26 it should be something I can do. I love watching programmes like Come Dine With Me and often dream up my own perfect menu, so I want to master the art of cooking a three course meal of my choice.
27. Participate in a cocktail making experience
I’m a cocktail girl when it comes to drinking (mine’s a Woo Woo, thanks), so a cocktail making masterclass sounds like a damn good idea. I know of several people who have been before and it sounds SO fun. It’s definitely something I’d like to do before I’m too old to overcome hangovers lol.
28. Drink at an ice bar
This is something I’ve wanted to do for a few years after hearing of someone going to one for their birthday. Even though I don’t really like the cold, there’s something about drinking cocktails in an ice bar which sounds amazing!
29. Have a photo shoot
I love taking photos with people to capture the moment and the idea of a special photo shoot sounds super fun!
30. Go to the red carpet of an awards ceremony or premiere
Again, this is something I’ve always wanted to do, ever since watching this hilarious video. I love meeting celebrities but I’ve never gone to a red carpet event to try and meet any. As an avid lover of soaps, the British Soap Awards red carpet would be incredible.
