I turned 27 a couple days ago. Between the realisation of getting older and often unmet expectations, birthdays can be quite bittersweet. That is why I’m putting a positive spin on this new chapter with a birthday bucket list! Read on for the 27 things I am going to do while I’m 27! I’ll update the list as I go along. Please share what you would add to your bucket list in the comments section!
27 in 27 bucket list: to do
1. Do some fieldwork in Brazil for my PhD
2. Order phrasebooks* for each country I visit
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3. Read a whole book in Portuguese (Any recommendations? Please share in the comments below!)
4. Get my provisional driving licence
5. Do a “fun” run, e.g. a Santa race or a colour run
6. Swim in the sea (or ocean… I’m not fussy!)
7. Give scuba diving a try
8. Go mini-golfing
10. Go camping
11. Try something musical, e.g. buy an instrument and start learning, or join a choral group
12. Take a drawing / painting / pottery class
13. Buy a property with Rob
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27 in 27 bucket list: in progress
14. Publish 27 blog posts – 16/27: this is number one; then I’ve published Our proposal story + November & December recap + Setting goals for the year ahead: my blueprint so you can too! + Five ways to trick yourself into reading more + Four secrets to find “The One” + Interviews with inspiring women: my mum, Jill Goodenough + Quarterly recap – January to March 2018: winter school & baby steps + Interviews with inspiring women: my coach, Jocelyne Clémençon + The seven best things to do in Amsterdam (with vegan recommendations! + Interviews with inspiring women: my sister, Lauren Goodenough + Three types of morning routine & how to choose yours + Interviews with inspiring women: my ambitious friend Many Yang + Find your bikini body this summer + We’re halfway through 2018! – An honest update + How to build wealth every month without micro-budgeting + What I eat in a day on a plant-based diet – warm weather edition
15. Do 10 parkruns – 6/10: 1) 02/12/17; 2) 05/19/18; 3) 19/05/18; 4) 26/05/18; 5) 09/06/18; 6) 23/06/18 (bonus: finish in under 30 minutes – done in 29:58 on 02/12/17!)
16. Finish reading 27 books – 17/27 : HOI: Your New Swiss German Survival Guide* + Learn German With Stories: Zurück in Zürich (Dino lernt Deutsch)* + Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong: What Makes the French So French?* + The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul* + The Rightful Place of Science: Citizen Science* + Development Theory and Practice: Critical Perspectives* + How To Blog For Profit Without Selling Your Soul* + Shadow of Night* + The All Souls Real-time Reading Companion* + The Literature Review: A Step-By-Step Guide for Students* + The 5 A.M. Miracle: Dominate Your Day Before Breakfast* + The Productive Researcher* + The Book of Life* + Running the Edge: Discover the secrets to better running and a better life* + Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness* + The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change* + Upstream: Selected Essays*
[Check out my resources page for my recommendations regarding books & podcasts!]
17. Finish all Portuguese courses on Memrise (bonus: reach a point where I’ve reviewed all the words I’ve learnt)
18. Get to generation five on The Sims 2* (… someone still has to be really cool and play it!) – 1/5
27 in 27 bucket list: completed
19. Try new exercise classes – done: zumba and ladies lift are my favourites! 🏋️♀️
20. Visit a country I haven’t been to before – done: Switzerland in January 2018 🇨🇭
21. Take a vegan cooking / baking class – done 08/02/18: Latin American Vegetarian with Sophie’s Kitchen (thank you Rob!) 🌶
22. Get to inbox zero: unsubscribing from too-frequent newsletters and decluttering my physical inbox* – done 16/03/18 📥
23. Interview someone / have a guest post on the blog – done 28/03/18 go check out Interviews with inspiring women: my mum, Jill Goodenough and the other interviews here 👩👧
24. Make sushi at home – done 29/03/18: it was very yummy – check my Instagram for a picture soon 🍣
25. Make a pizza from scratch – done 29/04/18: photo evidence here 🍕
26. Complete all Portuguese skills on Duolingo – done 30/04/18 (bonus: reach level 5 on every skill – still working on that) 🦉
27. Set a date for our wedding! More about our engagement can be found in the November-December recap – done 11/07/18 (it will be the 16th of May 2020)
What do you think?
What do you want to accomplish ahead of your next birthday or in the new year? Have you already completed any of the items on my birthday bucket list? If so, please share any advice in the comments below!
Great idea! I will steal it and create my own list for 2018 🙂 I want to complete the Italian classes on Duolingo and am also hoping they will release Japanese. I’d love to hear more about the places you’re going to travel to!
Hi Adriana, thank you very much for your kind comment! I’m hoping to go to Switzerland for the first time in January for a winter school, the rest is yet unwritten! Great ideas, please link to your full list if you do publish it on your blog. 🙂
Really inspiring Jessica!! It motivates me to take back my own (that I sadly abandonned for bad reasons). Keep going and enjoy every moment that brings you to fill th boxes!
Thank you Marion! Yes, please do revisit your own! And very good advice about enjoying every moment. 😊