Yes this week I turn 33 years old. No longer am I in my early 30's, but hurtling towards my MID thirties. Oh the joy! In all seriousness, I'm feeling pretty positive at this stage in my life, despite my life's 'to-do' list hardly being scratched off in recent years. I am lucky enough to have a nice, albeit rented, family home complete with hubby and 2 wonderful children. A steady full time job for the last 8 years, which is feeling more and more like a career with every week that passes. I have a couple of cracking select friends that have stuck by me through some pretty grim times over the years and I know they're there for life, which feels incredibly rewarding. I am even sad enough to rejoice in the fact that I have a newly decorated hall stairs and landing too! Small things count too you know!
This year I have written a list of things that I will do before I hit 34. If I fail to achieve more than one of these, you can spam me with the link until I disappear from the internet for good. That's how serious I am! So, here are my aspirations for the grand old age of 33...
No more back seat driving for me! |
I will learn to drive.
There's no getting away from the fact that this is fast becoming the biggest stumbling block in my day to day life. Yes it will help with work and open doors that I so wish would open, but mainly it's for the kids. With Finley having special needs it is becoming increasingly more difficult to get out and about in normal circumstances, never mind attempting to get away for a weekend break on public transport. I am tired of having to be confined to events or visits that are within a taxi ride's reach. Time to take our freedom in to our own hands. I will learn to drive. Count on it.
I will grow strawberries.
This might sound trivial to some but it's one of the many things I miss about my Dad not being around anymore. It was a tradition to go to Claremont Farm, near us, every summer and strawberry pick. Even when the Grand-kids came along, we still did it. There is no reason why I can get a strawberry planter and make my own, where Finley can get in on the action himself from our own back garden.
I'm not even on the toy plane FFS!! |
I will get my very first passport... might even get on a plane, who knows?!
Yup, I've never ever, in all my years, even been to an airport - never mind been on a plane and gone on an abroad holiday. A lot of people are astounded by this news, like, actually blown away! I've just never been able to afford the passport, never mind the holiday. Well, I'm learning to manage what spare change I have a lot better these days so this is more than do-able if I plan properly. A couple of quid a week; any Christmas or Birthday money, anything I manage to sell etc. then it won't be long before it's in my hands. Winner!
I will make my own bread.
Not only is this the ultimate "Mum's amazing" badge earner, but I am sick of spending several quid a day on bread and getting nothing back in return. It's half eaten butties in the lunch box, crusts not touched on toast... and I don't even get so much as a whiff of home from it. I want my kitchen to smell utterly fantastic, the kids to appreciate what tasty bread really is and eat it themselves, and I'll be more inclined to use the leftovers in something if I know I've made it myself. Less wasteful in my eyes, and something I've always wanted to do anyway so it's a no brainer!
So there we have it. Bookmark this page because you can scratch them off come this time next year, I guarantee it. I want to know if you ever got to an age where you thought 'enough is enough', or what made you bite the bullet and get shit done?
I've never been abroad either - neither has my partner - We are determined too :)
ReplyDeleteYou can achieve all these things no problem! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteJust thought I’d share my story of driving.
ReplyDeletePassed my test when I was about 19, but had never actually been a driver.
For the past few years I had been feeling the pressure to get a car. In my past, both my husbands had cars so I didn’t need to drive. However, I’m on my own now (lost both husbands to cancer) and my parents are in their 70’s so there will be a time when they will need me to do things for them.
I could never imagine being a driver as I thought my nerves were just too great.
I had been putting off taking refresher lessons (because I was too scared). But then, in March 2016 I won a local radio competition for a free driving lesson! I felt that winning this prize must have been a sign that it was the right time for me to get behind the wheel again. I was aged 46 at that time.
Took some refresher lessons and have now been driving my own car, on my own, since April 2016 and it is amazing. My nerves absolutely disappeared. The freedom is amazing, been to places I’ve not been to for years!