To Do by 25.

The marvellous madcap Madeleine Vaughan, my fellow Winchester alumnus, has taken the plunge and written something personal recently! And it's excellent! Very moving. So much so, in fact, that I was immediately inspired by her specific topic of choice: Things To Do Before I'm 25. I thought I'd do my own little list...

I am currently 22 years of age – I was a late summer-born kiddo in the school days, which actually sucked quite a bit but as I've grown older and wiser (okay yes, just since I turned 18) I've realised that it's actually quite nice to be the young'un sometimes. Less adult responsibilities...or perhaps they just take a little longer to catch up with you. I'd always joke at school that my peers born in September '92 would die first, while I, a proud August '93er, would live at least an extra 11 months.

Obviously this is ridiculous, and I really shouldn't have been saying anything so wickedly morbid at such a young age, but I just really really hated being the youngest, alright?

I love being 22. I grew out of being 21 very very quickly; after about three months I suddenly hated being that classic 'party age', y'know? But 22 works for me. I like the fact that it's still 'early twenties'. I even like the look of the number when I type it or write it down.

I'll be sad to turn 23, partly because it isn't as pretty a number, but mostly because it means I am one step closer to...25.

25 is the age you (allegedly) have to step things up a gear – it's the age when you supposedly have it all figured out, or at least that's what I always thought, growing up. It's taken me years to realise that, well, really you never have to have it all figured out...and certainly not by the actually very tender age of 25. 

So my goals to be achieved by that ripe old age are fairly straightforward, open-ended and, well, happy. No deadlines, it would just be awesome to have these things down by the time I'm 25. No pressure, future me.

1.   Be making a living from what I want to do.
   Simple as, really. I want to be able to support myself and my way of life from an income that is solely down to my passion. My writing.
   Wow, for some reason I feel greedy just typing that...? But it's true. That's what I want.
   
   
2.   Be settled.
   No no no, I don't mean settled down with a hubby and kiddies, eww no. My good friend and I discussed the likelihood of that happening when we're this side of 30, and we both agreed we're nowhere near ready yet and won't be for a good decade or so.
   No, I mean be living in a place I like, with people I like or alone, even, and have a routine down and plans for the future.
   I've left it as open as that. It may mean finding a perfect one bed flat in the big smoke with an easy commute to the office – or it may mean a nice spot to stay between flights around the southern hemisphere. Who knows?
   
   
3.   Have health in check.
   Be a healthy weight and size, don't look in the mirror every morning and sigh dramatically, feel comfortable and happy in clothes shops (and their badly lit changing rooms), and be in a position where I can have that cheeky slice of cake or extra biscuit with coffee...
   Oh and also, don't have any more scary hospital dramas happening, yeah? Yeah, that would be nice. Hear that, brain? When I turn 25, I want you to have your shit together.
   
   
4.   Have stamps on the passport.
   Metaphorical stamps, maybe, but I want to travel ASAP. Hopefully by 25 I will have done my epic solo Australia trip, up the East Coast exploring and also visiting family and friends...also, Europe. I know it's not exactly thinking big, but I want to inter-rail sometime soon. I've seen a lot of Europe in my lifetime, but not while jumping from city to city on various trains over the course of a few weeks!
   I plan on visiting Berlin as much as possible, too. Mostly because I have the bestest friends there – and also because I just fell madly in love with that city when I first visited last year.
   Plus Asia. I have way too many friends who have done various Asia expeditions and I want that...it's a whole area of the world I know next to nothing about, and that must change!
   Wow, there are so many more places I want to go, but these are the ones I want to have been to and properly seen by 25.
   
   
5.   Be me.
   I want to be unapologetically, truly, myself. Whatever that may mean. I'll work it out. 

(Me, being adorable once upon a time)