Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Things to do in my thirties! 23/12/14

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over there at The Broke and the Bookish. I'd love to share my lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

I know its a different theme for top ten Tuesday this week but today is my thirtieth Birthday and I am celebrating by shopping in San Antonio Texas, as you do! I thought that since my Birthday falls on a Tuesday this year I thought i would keep it alliterative and go with top ten things to do in my thirties. I asked a few friends for help but I'm going to put the first one in...

1. Keep writing! I started writing during NaNoWriMo a couple of years ago and now I've really got the bug for it. I('m part way through something I'm really enjoying right now and to make wild statements like I want to get it published or I want to get a book deal would be unrealistic so I'm just going to set myself the goal to keep writing!

2. Tip number 2 comes from fabulous author Kat Black who wrote Melting Ms Frost...Good grief - you're 30? That's so incredibly old. What possible birthday wishes could I bestow on one so ancient? Well, before you slide headfirst into a world of dentures and Tena Lady, my tip would be to make the most of your prime by challenging yourself to actively learn or experience something new each year: no matter how big or small that thing may be. Take up a new hobby (train spotting? base jumping?); learn a new skill (arc welding? crotchet?); visit places you've never been; try food you've never tasted; have a go at an activity that you've never tried. Just one new thing a year - throughout your thirties and beyond - will keep you looking at the world through fresh eyes and feeling young at heart. Many happy returns! 

3. Number 3 comes from fab blogger Sharon at Shaz's Book Blog. She suggests travel...My suggestion would be to take a road trip to somewhere you've never been before. As I don't know where you have and haven't been in the past I'll make a few suggestions but part of the fun of a road trip is the spontaneity so apart from your start and end locations, try not to plan every day down to minute detail (although safety matters so you will need to do some research beforehand): 

• Road trip through the North and South Islands of New Zealand (might need a long break and a lottery win to fund this one!)
•  Travel along the East or West coast of America 
•  Road trip around Hawaii
•  Road trip through the Rocky Mountains
• Take a European road trip - Pick a country/several countries and take a trip from one end to the other enjoying the scenery enroute

4. Tip number 4 is from the lovely Rosie Blake who wrote the most fantastic women's fiction debut this year How to Get a (Love) Life. Travel somewhere you have always wanted to go in the UK, old school style on a train with a fabulous book. OR start wearing hats more.

5. Number five comes from the lovely Pat on Twitter. She is author of Written in The leaves and she says... Here's one, related to eloquence for speaking and writing! Kissing the Blarney Stone ( at Blarney Castle, Eire)

6. Emma (@FunkyFairy22) suggested that during my thirties I should read one of the Long Classics such as Les Mis or War and Peace. I like the idea of this one because I've got a whole 10 years to do it after all!

7. Nicola Doherty, author of If I Could Turn Back Time and the Girls On Tour Series, suggested going on holiday alone, even for just a weekend. I like the sound of this and am planning a sort of grand trip next summer, perhaps a portion of that I should play Carrie Bradshaw alone in Manhattan...

8. @claire_reeder78 suggested that I go on a spur of the moment trip somewhere. I like the idea of this, I'll have to try and make time to make spur of the moment decision, not easy with the responsibilities that come the older you get but I shall make it happen...

9. I've turned to my other half for number nine, he suggested either growing a beard (which may well happen naturally) or else make time for old friends. I'm already pretty good at keeping in touch with them but making plans to see more of them would be really good and I really like this one. This could possibly extend to books as well, catching back up with old book friends who I have neglected to reread over the years-what do you think?

10. I'm going to come back to me for the last one, the final thing that I definitely want to do in my thirties, which all of these ideas will contribute to is to be happy. I would like to try and be happy as much as possible during my thirties, whether that means carrying out these ideas, being a little bit selfish sometimes or making decisions that I know will make me the happiest, this is something that I want to achieve in my thirties. 

As you read this hopefully I will be eating pancakes and drinking coffee and generally having a wonderful birthday in Texas. If you've got anything to add then please do feel free to leave any ideas in the comments, I'll keep you all updated via the blog and via the tweets as to how I am getting on with all of these. Hopefully right this moment number 19 will be going strong and I will be well on the way to number one, here's hoping!