30 things to do before turning 30

Have you ever felt like life is becoming monotonous and uneventful? Last year My Photographer turned 30, an age they said sounded very adulty and boring. To counteract the “boring”, I set My Photographer a challenge. They had to try 30 new things over the year, this could be anything they hadn’t done before. My aim was to stop them from missing out on the amazing experiences life has to offer. Routine is great, but I think it is important to challenge myself to try something new.

Whether it’s a new food, hobby, or new destination, each new experience can bring us closer to discovering what truly excites us and fills us with joy. Of course, I joined the fun for many of these activities and even suggested a few. It’s surprising how many things can be achieved when you actively look for new things to experience; not everything needs to be a huge goal.

So why not take a page out of my photographer’s book and make a list of 30 new things you want to try this year? You might be surprised at just how much fun you can have and how much you can learn about yourself in the process.

1. Hiked up a fell in Ambleside, Lake District.
2. Walked on the roof of Belsay Hall, Northumberland.
3. Went on a road trip through Eastern Europe.
4. Completed the Treetop walk in Bacheldka, Slovakia
5. Went water rafting in Sczcwanica, Poland
6. Hiked up the Mound in Krakow, Poland.
7. Attended a Diana Ross Concert.
8. Successfully made an orchid flower (the orchid is still alive since I don’t let My Photographer near it).
9. Grew a vegetable garden from seed.
10. Ventured into Philanthropy by sending medical aide to Ukraine.
11. Had tea and cake in Betty’s, Harrogate.
12. Hiked through sand dunes in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria.
13. Watched the King’s coronation (on the television – my invite must have gotten lost in the post).
14. Travelled solo around Japan.
15. Rode Hello Kitty train in Osaka, Japan.
16. Travelled across Japan with a group of strangers.
17. Stayed overnight in a Buddhist monastery in Koyasan, Japan.
18. Took part in a 6am fire ritual in the monastery (I’m still not a morning dinosaur).
19. Ate in Ramen bars in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan.
20. Rode the Shinkansen, better known as the bullet train.
21. Ate okonomiyaki (savoury Japanese pancake) off a cooker in a tiny restaurant.
22. Hiked through clouds to reach the top of Mount Misen, Japan.
23. A stranger gifted My Photographer an origami crane in Miyajima, Japan.
24. Saw Geisha walking through the streets of Gion, Kyoto.
25. Walked through a serene bamboo forest.
26. Walked through 1000 torii gates at Fushimi Inari shrine.
27. Ate delicious vegetarian Buddhist food and enjoyed a unique dining experience of eating on the floor.
28. Saw Mount Fuji from a pirate ship whilst sailing across Lake Ashi.
29. Went up an active volcano in Owakudani, Japan.
30. Wore a traditional Japanese Yukata to a Japanese dinner.
31. Went in an Onsen, a private one as too scared to go in the public bath.
32. Walked across Shibuya crossing.
33. Visited Godzilla road.
34. Went shopping in Harajuku, Tokyo.
35. Had a night out in Golden Gai.
36. Ate dinner in an izakaya – tried sake and sushi (the vegetarian type).
37. Visited Takeshita street to see Harajuku fashion stores.
38. Drank matcha coffee.
39. Tried Japanese Kit Kats – salt lemon and banana ones were the best.
40. Used London underground to get from one terminal in London Heathrow to my hotel.
41. Successfully navigated London Heathrow Airport.
42. Began learning Chinese and now I can say basic things such as 我学习中文 (which translates as “I am learning Chinese”).
43. Tried Vietnamese egg coffee and was pleasantly surprised with the taste.
44. Had cocktails in a rooftop bar in Hanoi.
45. Visited Ho Chi Minh mausoleum.
46. Ate Bahn Mi.
47. Visited Hanoi Train Street and sat very close to the railway line as the train zoomed past.
48. Ate Pho.
49. Walked along railway line on Hanoi Train Street.
50. Tried a new form of transport and did an overnight cruise through Ha Long Bay.
51. Kayaked through Ha Long Bay to see monkeys on a small island.
52. Went squid fishing (and successfully caught absolutely nothing).
53. Hiked through a cave with bats living in it.
54. Swam in the sea in Ha Long Bay.
55. Hiked to the top of a tiny island to experience Ha Long Bay from above.
56. Lost myself in the lantern-covered streets of Hoi An.
57. Ate banana pancakes from night market in Hoi An and was pleasantly surprised my photographer actually ate one as well.
58. Ate a vegetarian version of chicken rice on a plastic chair at a street food stall, Hoi An.
59. Drank fresh coconut juice from a coconut (something I have wanted to do for years).
60. Discovered Loquats and ate many during my time in Vietnam.
61. Did a food crawl to try as many different types of central Vietnamese cuisine in one night.
62. Visited a theme park at the top of Ba Na Mountain.
63. Visited a French village at the top of a mountain in Vietnam.
64. Saw giant stick insect and grasshopper.
65. Walked across golden hand bridge which sticks out of the side of a mountain.
66. Rode longest non-stop cable car in the world to reach Sun World in Ba Na Hills.
67. Floated a lantern down the river in Hoi An from the side of a small boat.
68. Drank salt cream coffee.
69. Experienced the Mid Autumn Festival celebrations whilst in Vietnam.
70. Rode a tuk-tuk through rural Vietnam to explore the beautiful Mekong Delta.
71. Ate at a street food market in Saigon and tried out some delicious local dishes.
72. Visited the war museum and Hoa lo Prison, went inside prison cells. Challenged myself to learn more about the history of Vietnam.
73. Visited Saigon Post office.
74. Watched a water puppet show in a small theatre in Ho Chi Minh City.
75. Visited Cu Chi Tunnels and went into one of the larger tunnels.
76. Saw a giant centipede and some monkeys in the Vietnamese forest surrounding Cu Chi Tunnels.
77. Got caught in a monsoon whilst on a boat in the middle of the Mekong Delta.
78. Drank iced coconut coffee made with coconut ice cream.
79. Drove across Vietnam from Saigon to the Mekong Delta
80. Sailed along Mekong Delta in a wooden boat.
81. Visited a brick factory and made friends with some local dogs.
82. Visited a coconut sweet factory and tried local sweets and snake wine (I think I might still be drunk from this).
83. Floated through a mangrove forest in a sampan.
84. Had lunch in a rural village next to the Mekong Delta and ate a huge pancake.
85. Visited Cai Rang floating market to see all of the stalls on the local boats.
86. Visited food market selling live snakes and rats to eat (I say visited loosely – my photographer ran through most of it with their eyes closed).
87. Sat in someone’s garden drinking honey tea to shelter from a monsoon in the Mekong Delta.
88. Visited a crocodile farm but did not try the crocodile curry.
89. Got a speed boat from Vietnam to Cambodia.
90. Tried the delicious flavours of traditional Cambodian food.
91. Embarked on a very uneventful walk across the border from Vietnam to Cambodia.
92. Explored the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh and walked through buildings adorned with gold.
93. Visited the National Museum of Cambodia.
94. Watched an incredible sunset and city lights twinkling from the roof of the hotel in Phnom Penh.
95. Stayed in two empty hotels in Cambodia.
96. Visited Choeung Ek killing fields, a terrifying reminder of Cambodia’s recent past.
97. Visited Tuol Sleng Prison and gained a first hand insight into the experiences of the Cambodian people.
98. Travelled over land and enjoyed picturesque views from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap.
99. Strolled around Siem Reap to find the streets which should have been bustling to be surprisingly quiet – Pub street was empty.
100. Witnessed the sun rising over the awe-inspiring Angkow Wat Complex.
101. Braved the rain to climb to the top of Angkor Wat.
102. Crossed the Bridge of Heads and was surprised to find one looked scarily like My Photographer.
103. Explored the ancient city of Angkor Thom and it’s ruins.
104. Watched playful monkeys frolic in the temple complex and swim in the river.
105. Wandered through the incredible Ta Prohm temple, better known as the Tomb Raider temple.
106. Visited Bayon temple and admired the exquisite stone carvings.
107. Visited the Terrace of Elephants.
108. Watched a traditional Cambodian dance performance.
109. Endured 13 hour non-stop flight from Ho Chi Minh to London Heathrow with no sleep.
110. Visited a sunflower farm and got hopelessly lost in a beautiful sunflower maze in the torrential rain.
111. Relaxed in a luxurious roll-top bath.
112. Flew on British Airways and had a surprisingly comfortable flight.
113. Navigated the challenges of flying standby with a disabled person.
114. Stroked a reindeer and made friends with several others (I am now an honorary member of their herd).
115. Move somewhere new (pending – we’ve been keeping an exciting secret for the past few weeks).

It’s amazing how many new activities are waiting to be discovered in everyday life. Sometimes, I don’t realise how much is possible until I really push myself to try. My Photographer surprised me by achieving 115 new activities, and it just goes to show how easy this was. I wasn’t expecting them to hit 30 never mind managing more than 100. The food ones were by far the biggest surprise as My Photographer is nowhere near as brave as I am when it comes to eating. None of the activities on the list were overly scary or broke the bank, it just shows everything is an adventure if you believe it is.

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Whether it is visiting a historic site, trying a new food or learning a new language, there’s no limit to what we can learn and enjoy. My Photographer and I are already looking forward to our next challenge of visiting 30 new countries, and we’re excited to see where our sense of adventure takes us next.

For a daily dose of dinosaur, feel free to visit my Instagram Vegan0saurus.