A retrospective 40 before 40

It seems to be somewhat of a tradition to write a 40 before 40 list. As I’m approaching my 40th year (I’ll be 39 in a few months), I started thinking about what I’d put on my list. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised that there’s not much I want to do that I haven’t already done.

I’m at a stage in my life where a lot of exciting adventures are on hold. The children aren’t old enough to join in and I don’t want to leave them for that long. But for the first 18 years of my own life, I didn’t do much either. So, 40 isn’t a significant number for me. I still have a few things I want to do which I’ll list at the end of the post, but there’s no rush. I’ve lived life to the full so far, and I don’t intend to stop now.

40 things I’ve done

1. Skydive
2. Flying lessons
3. Indoor skydive
4. Hot air balloon ride (with random strangers I came across in a field)
5. Sleep in a hammock in the rainforest
6. Visit an unusual destination (Venezuela)
7. See the area my ancestors came from (Black Forest in Germany)
8. Run a marathon
9. Run an ultra marathon
10. Do a triathlon
11. Swim 10km
12. Swim across the Solent
13. Swim in a river with piranhas
14. Swim in a British river in Winter
15. See monkeys and sloths in the wild
16. Travel on my own
17. Scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef
18. Cage dive with great white sharks
19. See Angel Falls
20. Go up Table Mountain
21. Swim with wild dolphins
22. Watch an event at the Olympics
23. Go to the Rugby World Cup
24. Gallop a horse along a beach
25. Eat at a 3 Michelin star restaurant
26. Whale watching
27. See kiwis in the wild
28. Become a mum
29. Watch a basketball match in New York
30. White water rafting
31. Sail around the Whitsundays
32. Live abroad
33. Go to Disneyland
34. Visit Rome
35. Drive off road
36. Learn to ride a motorbike
37. Fly in a helicopter
38. Learn to Stand up Paddle board (SUP)
39. See the Hollywood sign
40. Visit Tokyo

What’s next?

I’m not pressuring myself into doing anything else before I’m 40. Everything will happen when its supposed to. Take it from someone who once started the day digging a vegetable patch in a field and ended up in a hot air balloon. But there are a few more experiences I’m keen to add to my list.

• Swim with whale sharks
• See the aurora
• Do an Ironman triathlon
• Swim the channel
• Cycle Land’s End to John O’Groats
• Go on a cruise
• Explore Canada and America off the beaten track
• Go skiing and snowboarding
• Go hang gliding
• Take several months out to travel around Europe

What was the most amazing experience of your life so far? I’d love to add a few more ideas to my to-do list.