Thirty Before Thirty

Today I turn twenty nine. I don’t feel twenty nine (most of the time anyway) and I certainly don’t look it (aside from the few crows feet) but the fact of the matter remains, next year at this time, I’ll be thirty.

When I turned twenty one, the next big milestone seemed so far away but here we are, just a year away now. Some days I look at my life and feel like i’ve accomplished nothing. Single mother, rented house in the town I grew up in, no real career to speak of, no love life, no money. It feels depressing. I live miles from any of my friends. It’s lonely. When I was a teenager I figured i’d have it all sorted out by the time I turn thirty, just like my parents did. My parents had two daughters, four years of marriage, a mortgage, my dad had a stable job and my mum had just gone back to school to re-train as a teacher. They could both drive although we were too poor for a car. They had friends and went out most weekends. I don’t even have a social life! But maybe my twenty ninth year is the time to change that, the time to really go after what makes me happy and make some life changes that are healthy for me, both physically and mentally.

So as a start, I’ve put together my Thirty Before Thirty list and maybe if I start crossing things off it, I’ll start feeling like I’m in a better place and I can accomplish things.

1. Finish my book.
I have a good few thousands worth of words, a good plot line and concept, I just need to focus. I could finish it in a year if I put the effort in.
2. Get another tattoo.
Although my recent ex liked my tattoo, he didn’t want me to get any more. But I do. I hope I can get up the nerve to get another one.
3. Date Date Date.
I don’t want to die alone. But I don’t really put myself out there. I need to make the effort, a real effort and stop being so negative about the future because my past was so bleak.
4. Pay off a credit card.
I have 2, it would be a real accomplishment to pay off one and cut it up.
5. Decorate my bathroom.
I’ve been putting it off especially since for a while I thought i’d be moving in with my now ex. I really need to bite the bullet and start decorating again.
6. Go to a gig.
When I was young I used to go see bands all the time, however when I became a parent that stopped. I need to do it again even though I feel too old now.
7. Take Little Miss to the theatre.
She’s old enough. She goes to drama. It’s only right.
8. Edit all my Walt Disney World photos
I managed to complete editing my Disneyland Paris photos in 3 weeks, I need to try and get through 4 trips worth of WDW ones and get them up on my Flickr.
9. Have afternoon tea with my best friend, WITH bubbly.
We’re grown ups, we should go away and treat ourselves and spend time without our girls.
10. Cosplay at a convention.
It’s been over a year since I cosplayed last. I love it. It makes me feel pretty. I want to do it again.
11. Take Little Miss to a convention.
She loves to dress up, she loves the attention she gets from dressing up. Plus they usually have stalls that sell Pokemon things.
12. Have a spa treatment.
Treat yo self. I’m so self concious so I hate people touching my body but I’m sure there are treatments where I don’t need to be half naked!
13. Finish my clear out.
I’m such a hoarder so in the new year I cleared out upstairs but didn’t get to my sitting room or kitchen, I think it’s time I finish off.
14. Visit a new place abroad.
For the past 3 years i’ve only been to Paris or Florida, it’s about time I visited somewhere else.
15. Get measured for the correct bra.
I’ve been wearing the same size bra since LM was 6 months old, I know i’m wearing the wrong size so I really need to make an effort to get measured again.

16. Cook for mum & dad
I’d love to cook a proper meal for my parents. When I lived away from home I’d often do it when they came to visit me but since we live in the same town now it never happens.
17. Eat at the Treehouse.
It’s this amazing restaurant not far from us, it’s a dream to eat there. Maybe for my 30th?
18. Disneybound
I currently have three more trips booked to Disneyland Paris, I’d real like to properly Disneybound one time. I never usually do it as it feels weird with LM dressed up.
19. Go out for dinner and cocktails with friends.
Like I mentioned above, I have no social life. I feel like this needs to change.
20. Go swimming.
There are two reasons I have been putting this off for years, a) I hate my body and b) I have a terrible fear of Little Miss drowning. I want to face my fears ago go.
21. Go Vegetarian for a month
I was a veggie for a good few years in my teens but I had to stop when I got really sick. I’m hoping once I’ve been healthy eating for long enough I can try again, a months trial but maybe it could be a permanent change.
22. Do the Harry Potter Studio Tour (again)
I did this back when LM was 2 and she did not enjoy it! I would love to do it again now she’s older or by myself.
23. Buy a new bed.
Would you believe at almost 30 I haven’t bought a bed yet? My bed my parents bought me at 18 and it’s starting to show it’s wear. Time to trade up.
24. Learn to curl my hair with my straighteners.
It’s a skill I haven’t yet mastered!
25. Let someone take my photo.
My aversion to the camera is getting worse to the point there are hardly any photos of LM and I. It’s miserable and I need to change this. I just feel like I look so hideous in all staged photos.
26. Go away for the night with my sister.
Now that my relationship with my sister is improving it would be nice to go away for the night. Go shopping, out for dinner then come back to the hotel and chill.
27. Buy something I really want.
I spend so much money on Little Miss and would rather buy for her than for me. So I want to buy something for myself I really want. At the moment it’s a 50mm lens or an Nintendo 2DS.
28. Help at a charity event.
Both my parents local area and my mother’s school run charity events and I want to volunteer at one of them.
29. Learn to make Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding
One of my absolute favourite foods in the world is the banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery. Since I have no idea when I’m getting back to NYC I need to learn to make it myself.
30. Learn to iron
I’m nearly 30 and I still can’t iron.

So in a year I can come back and see how many of these I did manage to accomplish. I’m ready to have things to focus on and goals and you never know, this could be my most exciting year yet. Here’s to hoping!