40 by 40 Update

It's been 2 years since I first sat down to come up with this list of 'must-dos' before I turn 40 and as I did last year, I'm doing another update on that list today. With only 5 years left and some health changes, it's time for a big overhaul of the list in general. My priorities haven't changed, and in a perfect world, there are many of these things I'd still like to do, but it's better to be realistic and have more attainable goals. 

See my original list here > 40 Before 40 and last year's update here > 40 by 40 Update

Key
Previously Complete
Completed in the Past Year
In Progress
Removing from List 

Finally have our Honeymoon
Go Nessie Spotting at Loch Ness
Stay in a Hobbit Hole
Visit the Fairies in Cottingley Woods
Go on a Scandinavian Cruise
Do Disneyland Paris with Mr H
Ski Again
Travel on some Steam Trains
Take Baker Camping
Go to Monkey World again

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See the Northern Lights
Go Bowling and Play Mini Golf with Mr H
See the Dolphins in Berwick
Do a big Zip Line (Over a river maybe)
Swim in the Sea During Winter
Do another Long Hike (min 10 miles)
Climb the 3 Peaks
Sleep at a Haunted Location
Go Ice Skating
Fully Wild Camp in a National Park



Buy a House
Get my Health, Weight etc Under Control
Renew our Vows at Gretna
Write a Children's Book
Put together my will
Start Paid Photography Work Again
Continue Studying BSL
Keep Getting Tattooed
Get Rescue Chickens
Volunteer as Much as Possible

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Be the Best Pet Mam I Can Be
Plant Lots of Trees
Knit Us Jumpers
Grow More Food
Be a Member of Nature Trusts Each Year
Do Regular Litter Picks
Sew More
Read 50 Books a Year
Photograph all the Birds on my List*
Just Make a Difference



* My Bird Photography Wishlist - to be updated!

So! At this point, I have completed 7 of the 40, 3 of which were in the past year, and there are 9 that are marked as 'In Progress', equalling 16 of 40 potentially ticked off. As you'll see from the key and list there are also 7 I am saying goodbye to, which leaves 17 I can hopefully work towards before October of 2030. That wouldn't be a proper 40 before 40, though, so I want to add some new, more practical things reachable with my mobility and health. 

The new additions are as follows...

- Visit our friends in Belgium

- Explore Dreamery Gardens Fairy Sanctuary

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- Go bowling with Mr H 

- Play mini golf with Mr H

(These were one point, but I am separating them as it is highly likely they will happen at separate times)

- Keep up with my monthly 10ks as long as my mobility allows.

- Climb a peak in the Cheviots.

(I may not ever be able to do any of the three peaks in my life, but I want to stand at the top of somewhere beautiful.)

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- Do some photos for other people.

(I've changed this from paid photography work, because really my dream has been to take senior pet portraits for people who do not have professional photos of their pet. It is a huge part of my own healing to take special photos of my pets near the end of their life, and I know many people cannot afford such services.)

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- At least try to learn knitting or crochet.

(I've tried multiple times before, but I do not have the patience and have so far failed to put in the time and effort. It was a special part of childhood having a Nana who knitted me beautiful things, and I at least want to give it a proper try again.)

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See you next year with the next update, I guess!

40 by 40 Update

About this time last year, I sat down and thought about all the things I had and hadn't done in my 32 years of life to put together my  40 Before 40 blog post.
40 is my next milestone birthday and frankly, it's terrifying, especially when I have important life events I still haven't been able to achieve. At 33 I do not have a career, though nor do I desire one. Success to me is not equal to money, a particular job or whatever, but rather just being safe and content in daily life. The main thing for us to feel successful is to buy our own home in a place where we feel comfortable. Not only that but I want to make sure to spend quality time with Mr H, do things that make me happy and just generally live life as well as I can. 

Below is the original list I compiled last year. In green are the things I've been lucky enough to tick off, in yellow the things that can't always be completed right away but are being constantly worked on. At the end, I also want to mention a few things that weren't exactly on the list but that I feel contribute to this goal of living life too. 

Finally have our Honeymoon

Go Nessie Spotting at Loch Ness

Stay in a Hobbit Hole

Visit the Fairies in Cottingley Woods

Go on a Scandinavian Cruise

Do Disneyland Paris with Mr H

Ski Again

Travel on some Steam Trains

Take Baker Camping

Go to Monkey World again

Staying in a Hobbit Hole and Taking Baker Camping had been checked off already in last year's post, but we managed to take Baker away again last year and plan to do it again this year. He loved being away on his own little holiday and it was great getting to spend that one one-on-one time with just him, especially as he ages (he will turn 12 this August!).

I'm over the moon to say that in October we finally got to have our Honeymoon, in Disneyland Paris which also coincided with my 33rd Birthday and our 4th wedding anniversary, ticking off two more of the above list! 

I still haven't posted the photos from our Hobbit adventure and I am yet to even look through our photos from Disneyland, but I need to carve out the time and make an effort to do so as soon as possible. Maybe next year's update will feature links to those blog posts...



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See the Northern Lights

Go Bowling and Play Mini Golf with Mr H

See the Dolphins in Berwick

Do a big Zip Line (Over a river maybe)

Swim in the Sea During Winter

Do another Long Hike (min 10 miles)

Climb the 3 Peaks

Sleep at a Haunted Location

Go Ice Skating

Fully Wild Camp in a National Park


Ah, this little section makes me sad! I have not ticked off even one of the above points. I had the opportunity to wild camp last year but my anxiety stopped that and we instead stayed in the same quiet campsite as the year before. I also truly had planned on a good winter swim, but with everything going on, including my health, Mr H's work and other events, it wasn't able to be squeezed into the schedule and before I knew it Spring was upon us. There are only 4 more days until Spring and it is sadly impossible to swim before then. I may have no been able to swim, but I have at least paddled multiple times which is a very special thing to me.
I am prioritising getting some of these done in 2024!

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Buy a House

Get my Health, Weight etc Under Control

Renew our Vows at Gretna

Write a Children's Book

Put together my will

Start Paid Photography Work Again

Continue Studying BSL

Keep Getting Tattooed

Get Rescue Chickens

Volunteer as Much as Possible

Volunteering is something that I place high importance on, especially as I don't work a paid job. At the time I wrote my original post I was doing two volunteer jobs however due to my health, with a heavy heart, I had to leave my position at Cats Protection. I have however now been a Pet Loss Support volunteer for Blue Cross for 1 and a half years and I adore it. 

I'm still getting tattooed semi-regularly to get caught up before my body can't take the pain anymore and can't thank my artist Alex enough. She is an absolute legend and I'm so lucky to have such beautiful artwork of the things I love decorating my body and making me feel more me.

When it comes to my photography I feel at a standstill. It's unlikely I'll ever make money from my hobby ever again, especially as I am not interested in doing people portraiture/weddings anymore. 
I've tried and failed to garner any interest in pet portraiture a few times over the past year or two but I understand it's difficult when I have my autism and anxiety to contend with and I can't just approach or advertise to complete strangers in the place we currently live.
Something I would love to be able to do is provide free pet photoshoots for people with elderly or poorly pets of any species so that the family can have professional images of their loved family members to cherish forever no matter their financial situation. Hopefully one day someone will take me up on my offer.



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Be the Best Pet Mam I Can Be

Plant Lots of Trees

Knit Us Jumpers

Grow More Food

Be a Member of Nature Trusts Each Year

Do Regular Litter Picks

Sew More

Read 50 Books a Year

Photograph all the Birds on my List

Just Make a Difference

54 books were read in 2023, and I'm ahead of schedule for this year however of course it's an ongoing goal and can't be fully ticked off. The same goes for litter picks which I have been doing every few weeks and will continue to do as long as I am able. 

I will do a separate update on My Bird Photography Wishlist but I'm over the moon at how well that one is going...it should be said though that at least two of the birds on the list are incredibly unlikely to happen for me but it wouldn't be a wishlist if there wasn't something super difficult on it!

Planting trees, growing more food and other things of that nature are all things that need to wait until we move house and hopefully then, I'll be able to tick a whole load off at once!

There were also a couple of things not on the original list but have been important, pivotal or exciting moments that I think contribute to the ultimate goal of living life. They include:
Getting my Autism diagnosis 
Mr H and I's first music gig together - Bowling for Soup
...and probably something else I'm forgetting.

One year down and as I turn 34 in October, I have another 6 years to really give this list a good go. As an eternal pessimist, I actually feel quite good about what I can try and achieve in that time.