This Is Where I Write Stuff.
Spending money is something that we all do, pretty much every day. Somehow though, the amount of money I seem to have been spending on things that don’t really count has ran away with me, and I’ve only just begun to realise it. Last […]
When does feminism cross the line? This is a debate that I see argued about on Twitter day in, day out, in yet another pitching of the age-old ‘us vs. them’ world we exist in. Personally, I don’t think we need to look that […]
There are places in the world most of us dream of visiting. If you don’t have a travel wishlist, then I honestly don’t know what to tell you. There’s a world out there full of massive adventures – who wouldn’t want to explore that?
That said, there are a few places that make me feel a tad apprehensive. I’ve never quite been sure about visiting such far-flung places as China or Japan – purely because the idea of going somewhere that I couldn’t make myself understood in any way unnerves me a bit. Also not being able to interpret symbols and signs with total accuracy makes me wonder if I’d find it an enjoyable visit. As a linguist, I’ve always been able to get by in mainland Europe, but aside from a trip to Cuba I’m yet to travel any further than the EU area.
Must remember to write about Cuba later.
Anyway, I’ve been working on my Travel Wishlist board on Pinterest and decided to try and come up with a top ten. I don’t know whether this is going to make me feel excited and start making plans, or just remind me that I’m piss poor and trapped in my own life. Either way, let’s do it. As an aside, I refuse to call this a ‘Bucket List’ because I find that whole notion bizarre. I mean, just go there because you want to, not because you need to do it before you die. Jeez, morbid or what?
So, in no particular order – here goes:
I’ve never been to Ireland. Everyone says it’s amazingly beautiful (if a bit expensive), so considering it’s actually just a short plane trip or ferry crossing from me, it’s strange how I’ve never actually gone there yet. This one I’m putting near the top though because there’s really no excuse for me not to try it out soon.
Just look at it. This one I am lusting after constantly. I don’t know why, but I just really want to visit Canada. The size of it, the variation in geography, the natural beauty, all that snow. For someone who moans about being absolutely freezing all the time, the irony here isn’t lost on me. You can’t deny though, the place looks lush. I’ve always fancied a trip to Newfoundland, or Toronto, but as a bit of a novice I’d appreciate any tips if you’ve visited Canada yourself.
I would absolutely love to visit New Zealand. Small-Me’s childminder is from there and is always talking about how fantastic it is. Not so long back, I was looking into actually moving there, before I realised I should probably do some research or at least visit the place once before making such a massive decision. The climate, rugby culture, breathtaking scenery and opportunities to build a business there are awesome, it’s just finding out more about the actual lifestyle and islands themselves that’s key. Have you been?
What is it with me and snow? I genuinely hate being freezing, but always seem to gravitate towards snowy destinations! Who knows why. Anyway, I like the idea of Alaska. It’s in the USA, but not like ‘in’ the USA – there’s bucketloads of snow and scenery and it’s near Canada too (I think). So beautiful though, how could you not want to see that in real life?
IKEA! No, that’s not really why. I actually remember reading ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ years ago and thinking to myself that I needed to visit Sweden. It seems like an inexplicably cool and mysterious kind of place. Modern culture and style meets outdoor living. Mega focus on eco-friendliness and slick design and architecture. I dunno, everything about the place just screams cool. I’m fairly sure it’s expensive to go there, but so what – once wouldn’t hurt (I hope).
SAFARI. Come on, this one has to be on all our wishlists, surely? As much as the heat would probably burn me alive, I would love to visit Kenya purely for the animal sighting potential. Again, this would cost me an arm and a leg and I’d probably have to wear a jumpsuit the entire time I was there so I didn’t fry to a ginger crisp, but for elephants and giraffes and shit? Worth it.
Not entirely sure why but I would really enjoy a visit to the American south. I think it’s down to watching things like Interview With The Vampire, American Horror Story or True Blood. Regardless, I just proper fancy a visit to this part of America at some point in my lifetime. It looks spooky and awesome, the food seems immense and I love a bit of something different. Ooh, and jazz, mustn’t forget the jazz.
Because Australia. Need I go on?
You lot know I love Spain. Well Mexico is like that other kind of Spain that I’m really curious about. Again, it’ll be hotter than my pasty white skin can really deal with, but for the culture, the history, the food and the scenery, I totally want to go there. Not the touristy bits though, I want to see the actual Mexico.
I know a lot of people who would love to visit Iceland, and I’m one of them. My friend went last year and said it was incredible. Another snow and ice type of place that you can also get a mega sunburn in – seems right up my street anyway. Plus, Game Of Thrones is filmed there too! Also, there’s always the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights. Can you imagine how amazing that must be to see first hand?
So there you go, a non-comprehensive list of places I want to trek to. What’s on your travel wishlist? Have you been to any of the places I’ve mentioned? If so, let me know any vital information before I pick one to start off with!
Writer, tweeter and illustrator. Starving artist and thrifting expert. Pen for hire and first-time author at work.
Believe it or not, I am now SIX WEEKS into Operation Declutter. That’s right, six weeks. It’s still not anywhere near finished, but you know what, that’s ok. The Easter holidays interrupted progress for a fortnight, as it was pretty impossible to do any […]
Saving is hard, especially as you get older and there are more responsibilities thrust your way. If you’re not quite into the Thirtyhood yet, worry not, as today I’m bringing you some expert knowledge in the form of Jon from The Money Shed – the UK’s […]
Last weekend I was at a soft play with my friend and our children when she asked me a question:
“What even is there for women to do in their thirties once you’ve got a kid and can’t or don’t want to go out like we used to?”
This really got me thinking. The diabolically named 18-30’s holidays were all the rage when I was younger. I’d just never really considered what happened when the party was over and the wilderness of the world after 30 would hit hard. And suddenly, here I am.
Welcome to the Thirtyhood.
I’m on the opposite side of thirty now, and to be honest, I really don’t hate it. Of course, there are some aspects of it that freak the living shit out of me (vanity based, mostly) but for the most part it’s not terrible.
I’ve got some parts of my shit together and I’ve swam through enough of life’s proverbial deep end to know how to handle myself. Having said that, I think that my friend and I have accidentally hit upon a thought nugget that I’m interested to try and pull apart, metaphorically speaking.
Ok, a disclaimer: having children and lifestyle responsibilities and all the other crap that comes along with being an adult is tough at any age, but I think that maybe those who’ve done it in their twenties may have had the right idea. Having done the graft earlier, they now have the option of exploring the joys of Thirtyhood to the fullest. Which means options.
God, how I miss having options.
On the other side of that coin are those of us who are currently wading through the child-rearing, home-owning years of bullshit right in the middle of the Thirtyhood. How are we dealing with it? I’m mostly handling it badly, it by getting stressed at every minicsule thing that dares to breathe in my general direction, but that’s by the by.
More importantly, what else does the Thirtyhood have to offer? It can’t all be about our kids, soft play hell and expensive as hell coffees in cafes we don’t really want to go to but have to because of the bastard kid-friendly activities we subject ourselves to?
What else does the Thirtyhood hold? I don’t want to turn around when I hit 40 and realise I don’t know what happened to me for the previous ten years. It’s looking increasingly likely that that’s going to happen though; I have to find a happy medium, fast.
Is there a middle ground in the new-look Thirtyhood night out that we can have fun in – without either being bored shitless by 9PM or by getting dragged, mortal, out of the back of a Biffa bin round the side of a nightclub?
Do we have to just resign ourselves to a life of yoga classes, solitary night running and now almost necessary counselling sessions? Crafting, cooking and fucking school-run politics? Friendships are also really difficult to maintain during these years as we’re all so busy with the daily dross of our domestic situations, which sucks.
Where do we find the way back to a life?
What even is there for us to do here in the Thirtyhood?
I want to hear your ideas. Tweet me over on Twitter or drop me an email at actualwriting@gmail.com if you’re interested in guest posting about your experiences of Thirtyhood. I’m really interested to see how other men and women manage to sculpt their lives and careers in the wilds of the third decade.
Writer, tweeter and illustrator. Starving artist and thrifting expert. Pen for hire and first-time author at work.
