The Five Things I Want To Do Before I Turn 30

As the baby of our friendship group turns 29 today (HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAUREN!), that now means that we’re just five months away from the Grandmas of the group turning 30. One of my mates hits the milestone exactly two weeks before I do, and then it’s my turn to cross over into the big 3-0 come 21st September. I’m excited. I’m ready for it. I still feel 24 in my head.

I remember growing up that anyone who was over the age of 17 felt like a proper adult and even though I’m approaching my fourth decade in life I can’t say that I feel like ‘proper adult’ one bit. The only thing that is giving away my age is my inability to deal with hangovers of any kind (even the ones that make themselves known from just two glasses of wine) and the crick in my neck that shows up if I’ve slept in a funny position. Oh, and the fact that I went for an eye test and actually thought the lady was pulling some kind of ‘Punkd‘ prank on me when she asked me to read out the teeny tiniest letters that I’ve ever seen in my entire life. So with my birthday creeping up on the horizon I thought I’d devise a bucket list to check off before Virgo season arrives. With five months to go, here’s five things that I’d like to get done in that timeframe…

Go on a girls trip. I spent this weekend in Dublin on my mate’s hen party and acting as part of the organising committee, responsible for shipping 18 women from bottomless brunches to pole dancing lessons. I now have a new-found respect for event coordinators and walkie talkies. I also have a new-found need for a girls-only trip with my best buds. It was so fun to go on a big adventure with my friends which is something that we rarely do these days, usually sticking to dinners and catch-ups where we can. It might be wishful thinking that we can back a long-weekend or a mini trip into the next five months, thanks to weddings, kids and other engagements, but I’d love to book something in and priotise spending some quality time with some of my favourite people in my life.

A day for me. I propose that at least once a year we should all take a day of annual holiday off from work just to take a day for ourselves. It’s something that I always add into my diary and then delete at the last minute because when the day arrives I always feel like there’s a better use of my time and I’d feel more relaxed if I just cracked on with work. So I vow that between now and September I’m going to take a day and stick to it and fill it will lots of nice self-care things and absolutely no looking at my phone or checking emails. Maybe I’ll get a massage, maybe I’ll go out for lunch with my parents, maybe I’ll nap and watch behind the scenes videos of Peep Show on YouTube – whatever I fancy. A day of relaxing is good for the soul and something that I need to do more often where possible.

Have a dip. It’s become a bit of a yearly tradition that I would like to keep up, but this summer I want to go for a swim in the sea on the Brighton coastline once again. In 2017 Mark and I went for a dip with our friends after work after one of the hottest day’s of the year and last year we went in with my sister just for a bit of a laugh, and this year I’d like to do the same. Perhaps not on my birthday weekend as things might be a little too chilly by then, but I’d like to make it a yearly tradition and go for a little paddle again over the next few months. It’s always memorable and never as bitterly cold as you think it will be; plus you feel like a new person once you’re home and you’ve showered.

PARTY TIME! Apparently I was so rotten at the party held to celebrate my second birthday, that my parents never went down that road again. They don’t mess around. They also had such a terrible experience in IKEA with my sister and I when we were younger, that they haven’t been back since. I’ve tried to tempt them back with the tease of cheap and cheerful houseplants and brilliant Tupperware storage, but they’ve been scarred for life. I don’t really do much for my birthday but as my 30th falls on a Saturday I feel like it would be rude not to. One big party, our place; beers in the bath, a pizza delivery and music. I’ve been collecting Sonos speakers for the past year for this very reason. We are house party ready and I’m very excited.

Get a handle on my spending. Let’s round things off with a very boring aim, but really getting to grips with budgeting once and for all would be GRAND. Writing a chapter on this topic was the hardest part of writing ‘An Edited Life‘ and even though I’ve got to grips with spreadsheets and formulas over the past two years, I feel like I need to take it to the next level. Mark and I would love to buy a house at some point  and in order to do that then we really need to knuckle down and save. Last week I signed up to Monzo and have already convinced three mates to use my referral link. IT’S. THE. BEST. So clever and intuitive and because it factors in your current rate of spending and how much you’ll have left over by the of the month, it’s already made me spend less than I usually would. If you’re in need of a spot to keep an eye on your disposal income and exactly where it’s going, then I highly highly recommend giving it a go. I’ve got a savings pot going for my 30th birthday party supplies already.

So that’s it. Five things that would be nice to get round to before 30 kicks in at the end of September. That’s doable – right? Maybe I should add ‘book in my annual eye test’ too… 

Photos by Emma Croman

‘An Edited Life’ is now available to purchase worldwide HERE

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