I recently cut my hair short, tidied up my CV and LinkedIn page and bought a bike with a basket. Sometimes life can feel like you’re stuck in a rut and it’s good to have positive things to look forward to. So here’s my 50 before 50 bucket list of (190!) things to try before I reach the next milestone birthday in a few years:
Personal/professional
Get a new permanent job – achieved October 2023
Obtain a professional qualification
Book the family history course I have always wanted to do – Stage 3 achieved October 2023, Stage 2 achieved February 2024, Stage 1 achieved June 2024
Family photoshoot
Go and hear someone I admire talk in public
Entertainment
Read 50 Persephone books (all genres – even ones I wouldn’t usually choose to read): High Wages (March 2024); Greenbanks (April 2024); Random Commentary (April 2024); Diary of a Provincial Lady (July 2024); Cheerful Weather for the Wedding (October 2024);
Watch 50 films – all genres – even ones I wouldn’t usually choose to watch: Beetlejuice 2; Mr Turner; Mrs Lowry & Son; Emily; Despicable Me 4; The Wild Robot; Paddington 3; Sonic the Hedgehog 3; Deadpool and Wolverine
Find 50 geocaches – 350 as of April 2024
Try 5 new crafts – tried candle painting January 2024; hand quilting March 2024; Italian corded quilting March 2024; goldwork April 2024; foundation paper piecing October 2024.
Expand my horizons
Sleep in 5 new types of place – camper van (Canterbury August 2023); a Georgian town house (Bath February 2024); safari tent (Lyme Regis August 2024); a reclaimed fishermans hut (Whitstable July 2024); a French gîte (August 2024)
Visit 5 Board Game Cafes – D20 Board Game cafe (July 2023); Food and Board (October 2023); Thirsty Meeples Bath (February 2024); The Boardroom Gaming Cafe (April 2024); Draughts Waterloo (January 2025).
Visit 5 new National Trust places – The Vyne (October 2023); Basildon Park (February 2024); The New Assembly Rooms (February 2024); Hidcote Manor Gardens (April 2024);
Try 5 new activities – fossil hunting (August 2023); Women’s Institute meeting (March 2024); shiatsu massage (March 2024), yoga (April 2024); singing in a choir (September 2024).
Visit 5 new places – watch the sun rise (as I did once on a May morning whilst a student at St Andrews University) and watch the sun set
Eat well
Dress up and enjoy 5 afternoon teas – Grimms Dyke Hotel (September 2023; Patisserie Brione (November 2023); Battle of Britain Bunker (March 2024);
Cook 5 new dishes from around the world – shakshuka (April 2024);
