#ballagio

This is my reverse bucket list.

I have SOOO much I want to achieve but instead of wanting and hoping and wishing I’m going to take a step back and appreciate what I have already accomplished.

I went to Florida and visited Disney Land. For those of you who have read my blog why you should visit a medium will know that I didn’t stay there for long but the fact is I went and it was as magical and wonderful as you could believe.

I adopted a dog. Well this might be a cheat but my mum and my grandad adopted him for me when I was 7. He was one when we got him and he lived to be 14. He was called Spot and I loved him more than anything. We went everywhere together and he was my best friend for those 13 years.

I bagged my dream job. I worked my bum off and pestered and pestered and finally it paid off. I’m now a reporter and currently right at this moment (July 2017) I am taking some exams which will eventually once the course has finished, give me my qualification in Journalism!

Visited Grand Canyon. Well actually I did more than visit it, I got the opportunity to fly over the Grand Canyon, in a helicopter. It was the most amazing experience, made only more memorable by the fact I was extremely hungover and travel sick. Believe it or not a strawberry milkshake before a choppy helicopter ride was not the best of ideas! The pilot played Coldplay:  Speed of sound as we flew over the edge and the ground just disappeared  – truly amazing.

Been to Paris and climbed the Eiffel Tower. I also saw the Eiffel Tower from the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Élysées and it was absolutely stunning. Paris is still on my bucket list as I went on a school trip and I’d really love to go there with my boyfriend. I hope he reads this. YOOHOO this is a hint! Haha!

Drove down Route 66. I shouldn’t really admit to this because it was not my name on the hire car but my friend who I went with was tired so I took over and it was amazing! Route 66 is different in different towns but the towns I went to the honed in on the whole 50’s Rockabilly, retro America and it was so cool. So glad I’ve had the opportunity!

Visit London! I absolutely love London. And Even though it costs an absolute fortune its a really lovely place and its crammed full of things to do.  And I got to visit ‘The making of Harry Potter’ which was another one on my bucket list.

So along with adopting a dog, I got the chance to raise not one puppy but two. My first puppy, Walter, was purchased not long after Spot died. My mum and I just felt the house was not the same without a dog. Walter is a Lhasa Apso cross Bichon Frise. He was a little monster but I love him anyway. I then moved out and my mum and Walter did not want to be parted and I got that sinking ‘house doesn’t feel right’ feeling again. So along came Henry. He’s a Chihuahua cross Yorkshire terrier and he is even more of a little monster. I love them both so much.

Go to a festival. Right ok so the festival was great, I enjoyed the music. I hated the camping. ALL of my belongings were stolen, someone weed in my tent, I had to buy a second hand sleeping bag, I was cold, wet and seeing in a trough. If I ever go to a festival again I will be making sure I am in a caravan that I can lock and feel safe in!

In Year 8 and 9. (Age 13 and 14) I went Skiing in Aprica in Italy. The first year I just mastered the basics and by the end of my holiday I was getting pretty good at it. The second year I was doing some small jumps and going on the red and black slopes. I then proceeded to kick myself in the face with a ski and gave myself concussion for the remainder of the holiday. I didn’t go back for a third year.

Gambled in Las Vegas. Well I won $9 and I bet $1 so I feel I did pretty well! I also visited some of the iconic casinos and watched the Bellagio Fountains. They were playing Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by the Beatles when I watched them, so amazing!

Travel First Class on a plane. I’m lucky enough to have a great friend who works for an airline and sometimes if there is room I get to sneak into first class! I have to admit though it is so uncomfortable having someone wait on you hand and foot. I felt as though I didn’t deserve it at all!

SOPPY ALERT! I put a love lock on a bridge with someone I am truly madly in love with. It’s not so much the putting the lock on the bridge because me and Martyn are fully aware that by now it has probably been snipped off (even though we searched for a good hiding place) but it was making a commitment to one another (even though it was just a silly lock) it meant a lot to us both.

There is still so much that I want to do and achieve but I feel as though I have achieved a lot in my 24 years of life. Its really nice to take a step back and think about all the things you have done because it can be so easy to get caught up in what you want to to do and forget that you have actually already done so much with your life. Keep your eyes peeled I’m sure I will post my bucket list soon haha! Looking back has just made me want to do more!