30 things

So....
many, many posts ago, in what seems now like an alternate universe, I wrote a list of 30 things to do before I turned 30


I failed, so absolutely miserably, that I've decided to scrap that list and write a new one

I don't want to focus on what should've happened in the last 30 years, but didn't.
I don't want to focus on what didn't happen in the last 30 years that should've.

this list will be different.
It can't possibly be titled '30 things to do before I'm 30'

I'm 30 tomorrow.


So this time, it's 30 things that I'm going to do now that I'm (nearly) 30

Kind of like a challenge to myself to make the next chapter of my life the best ever
A list of things to remind myself how I want to live my life
A list of ways I can make the lives of others around me better too


1) I am going to be more thankful. Every day
2) I am going to leave each person I come into contact with better than when I found them....even if just by a smile or a small compliment
3) i will forgive others more
4) i will be more passionate about everything I do
5) I will pay attention and enjoy my life as it happens
6) I will grow stronger everyday
7) I will have more confidence
8) I will speak louder, especially if speaking up for something I believe in
9) I will start conversations with random people (e.g. At airports)
10) I will live with less expectations - I will just let it be
11) I will learn to say 'no' more. But at the same time, I will learn to say 'yes' more too
12) I will empower myself to change what I can, and let go of the rest
13) I WILL declutter and keep my environment tidy
14) I will focus on the positives more, including mine
15) I will accept invitations to go out more with friends
16) I will love myself more!
17) I will pay attention to how I talk to myself....no more put-downs, no more self-sabotage
18) I will drink more water
19) I will take more photos {is that possible, you say?}
20) I will make sure people know that I am happy to see them
21) im going to spend less on things, and spend more on experiences/people
22) I will travel to new places and meet new people
23) I will learn a new language {looks like Mandarin Chinese is up there on the list}
24) Im going to write more handwritten letters
25) I'm going to do more random acts of kindness
26) I'm going to stop taking things so personally
27) I'm going to take more time to observe my surroundings. Take just one more look. For just one more second.
28) I'm going to stop basing my worth on other peoples actions
29) I'm going to give more to others - time, money, whatever
30) I will love others more, even those who hurt me or disappoint me. We're all human. We all make mistakes. And we all need love.

Wow, that was actually quite hard.


Not long to go. The clock is counting down the hours.
Soon I will enter into what is going to be {I'm claiming it!!!!!!!} the best decade of my life!

I'm super excited.
I'm going to live my life. Each and every day.
I'm going to make a difference in other peoples lives, somehow.

This is it.

no regrets. just love

new beginnings

well i promised an update, so here it is.

roughly 3 weeks ago, i resigned from my job. i didn't have another one lined up. just decided it was time to move on.

at first, i was a bit freaked out. no job = no money. even though my hubby has been supporting me, i still don't like not being able to earn my own money.

at first, i spent a lot of time thinking about that door that i just shut. was it the right thing to do? will i find another job? i'm going to miss the children so much!

but then i realised. the longer you spend looking at the door that has shut, the less likely you will be to see the other door that is opening for you.

i decided to move my focus away from the shut door of the old job.
that was a chapter in my life. an important chapter, and one that i have enjoyed, mostly.
but sometimes change is good.
new beginnings are important to stop ourselves getting stale and unchallenged.

i have been focusing my attention on the exciting future that i can now create for myself. a new job...one that i can choose and have the luxury {thanks to the amazing hubby} of not having to rush into.

i have been enjoying the time to get back to me over the past few weeks. rediscovering what i enjoy. what i value. what i have been missing in my life lately.
sure, the extra time has also meant that i have been missing the hubby a lot more than usual, but i just tell myself that i am lucky to have a hubby to miss. and missing him means that i love him. and that's a good thing :)

i have had more time to spend with friends, family, myself.

i have done a little bit of photography too, which i haven't done for a while.

today was a beautiful day and i had the delightful pleasure of taking some photos for a gorgeous little family who wanted to celebrate the life of their son. an outdoor venue was chosen {a gorgeous park that i used to frequent a lot as a little girl with my Gran}

here are a few shots that i snapped of the beautiful surroundings in between shots of the family {totally unedited, btw}

so, you can see the stunning crisp autumn {nearly winter} day that it was!


so this post is all about having no regrets. life is too short to stay in a job that isn't right for you. life is too short to stay indoors just because it's a little bit chilly. life is just too short for regrets full stop.

here's to the future. although uncertain as to what it brings for me, i'm excited.
bring it on!

the future...

a blog response to yesterday's blog.
a conversation with myself. yes. but important.


so yesterday i was a bit upset about the past coming back to haunt me. i let that take over my mind for a bit.
my bad.

after heading out for some fun and mingling with the mister and his 'friends', i felt a lot better.
this morning, i woke up and decided to force myself to focus on something different.
the future.
the past is done. it's over. it's goneburger.
ain't nothing i can do to change it or the way i dealt with stuff before.

all i can do is look forward. look at how to deal with my emotions now and in the future. work on how to handle tricky situations that may arise. re-learn how to throw that punch back.

right now, i have a lot to be thankful for.
yes, i still have times when i feel ripped off, like i pulled the short straw, like life is a struggle.
but if i really look at my life, it's not all that bad.

i have a husband who loves me and wants me in his life.
i have a family who are always there for me no matter what. and who i actually enjoy spending time with.
i have the CUTEST and most precious niece and nephew who i simply adore.
i am currently in Germany experiencing something new.
i have been given so many opportunities to travel and broaden my horizons. some of those opportunities i had to work hard for. others i have been blessed with by various people in my life.
i have amazing friends. lots of friends i don't keep in regular contact with, but i know will always be 'just like old times' when we catch up. other friends i consider my closest ones - the ones who truly know me and still love me anyway. the ones i can be myself with - and i actually have a blast. with them, being me is actually enough. you know who you are.
i may not be the prettiest or the skinniest specimen out there, but at least i have eyes to see the beauty in the world. i have legs to take me places. i have ears to hear the sounds around me - some wonderful, some super annoying, but sounds nonetheless.
i have a heart that is open. sometimes too open, and that's how i get hurt. but it's open. and i wouldn't have it any other way. i have compassion for others. i have tolerance for others. and i know that's a good thing in a world of hate and racism and intolerance. i have love to give.

so. yeah. life isn't that bad. in fact, today, i would even venture as far as to say that life is good.
today, life is good.
tomorrow, if i stay focused and positive, life will be even better.


i'm off to Bremen today, to explore something new with some of the girls from the boat. new people. new sights.
this is me - waaaaaaaaaay out of my comfort zone.
exciting.
life.
let's do this.