30 by 30

As I write this I am sitting on a train. Charming French countryside rushes by the window and the sweet tunes of Ella Fitzgerald drift so gently through my headphones. I am tired and can barely keep my eyes open, but I am captivated by the memories of the glorious weekend just passed. It makes me smile, as today is my 30^th Birthday.

This past weekend has been spent with some new and some old friends celebrating my last few days in Paris and being in my twenties. It has been wonderful, filled with laughter, champagne and good times. More that I could have hoped for and I really truly am blessed for the amazing people I have in my life.

I have finally made it to 30, a milestone birthday and it is hard not to look back on the last 10 or so years and be super proud of my young adult life. It seems at times like this, when you are in the last few months or even years of your twenties that you make a list of things that you want to achieve by 30. I know I certainly have. However as I sit here on my 30^th Birthday I feel compelled to do something different and write a list of 30 things I have achieved/done before turning 30.

So here goes, my 30 things in no particular order…

1. Travelled overseas for the first time and alone at 18 years old to live & work in the USA .

2. Took ballet/dance lessons for 20 years

3. Learned to play the clarinet, guitar & saxophone

4. Got my Black Belt in Shotokan (Japanese Karate)

5. Worked at Roskilde Music Festival in Denmark

6. Went to 2 Olympic Games (Sydney & London)

7. Reverted to my childhood at Disneyland

8. Attended an AFL Grand Final

9. Rode an Elephant in Thailand

10. Travelled to every state in Australia

11. Attended the ARIA music awards as an Industry guest

12. Completed my Bachelor of Nursing Degree

13. Sky-dived, bungy jumped & jet boated all in one day in NZ

14. Lived and worked in Sydney

15. Climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge

16. Climbed the Eiffel Tower

17. Walked along a part of the Great Wall of China

18. Watched the New Years Eve fireworks in Sydney

19. Backpacked through Asia with a friend for 3 months.

20. Trekked the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal

21. Lived and worked in London 

22. Watched a Broadway show in New York City

23. Watched a show in the West End of London

24. Lived and worked in Melbourne

25. Went to see the Dalia Lama

26. Slept under the stars in the Sahara Desert

27. Attended the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London

28. Began learning French

29. Visited over 35 countries

30. And last but certainly not least, moved to Paris.

These are just a few of the many things I have crammed into my 30 years of life.  Compiling this list has made me feel so proud. I have lived a full and blessed life and I can only hope that the next 10 years are just as fruitful!