My Bucket List

I wrote this bucket list 8 years ago. I've completed a few things on the list, but I've also changed my mind about some of the things on my list in regards to whether I really want to do them or not. Some of the things on my list I've had 8 years to work on and still haven't done them so I've crossed them off and added more realistic/relevant goals.

As a child there was only one thing I really, really wanted to do and that was to go to the Olympic Games. I did this in Barcelona in 1992 after winning a competition with the Daily Express. 

When the children were older and finances more secure we started travelling, with and without the children and have had some amazing experiences. Since becoming expats and living in South Africa and  in Dubai, I've had some amazing opportunities for travel and adventure. 

I realised I'd done a lot of things that people usually had on their bucket list, more of a bragging list of things I've completed.

So with all that in mind I really need to get on with finishing Number 1.

1. write a book - I've restarted it
2. get my book published
3. finish psychology degree replaced with Learn British Sign Language for which I've signed up for a course online
4. become a full time fundraiser I have a job I love doing. Currently working as a Teaching Assistant
5. go to the football World Cup Finals
6. climb Mount Kilimanjaro I don't think my health would permit me these days, so changed to walk a mile a day
7. walk the Inca Trail
8. visit Cairo I can tick this off the list
9. live in America Having lived abroad for 12 years, I'm keen to stay in the UK, but if I could live abroad I'd aim for Australia
10. fly everywhere Business class - must write that book
11. experience 1st class flying
12. take the train across America
13. see Roger Waters live in concert - I had the chance to go a couple of weeks ago, but missed out 
14. meet Roger Black
15. learn to make my own clothes - I'm a step nearer with owning a sewing machine and over locker
16. tour Europe in a camper van
17. own a camper van
18. live on a small holding again I don't want to move house so I'm going to improve my gardening knowledge
19. lose weight - a continuous battle
20. get fit - I swim, cycle and dog walk
21. learn to love my own company - I am enjoying time on my own when I can
22. see the northern lights
23. learn French
24. learn how to apply make up professionally
25. learn how to style my own hair professionally
26. go on a world cruise
27. own a designer handbag I own a couple now I use weekly
28. own designer shoes
29. wear a Laura Ashley dress every day wear dresses more, which I do
30. have my nails painted professionally every week that's something I do twice a month
31. own a designer watch
32. own and wear matching underwear everyday
33. rent an Aston Martin for a week
34. go to a Grand Prix
35. read a book every week on my 29th book this year
36. improve my grammar and spelling currently working as a Teaching Assistant with a student studying A level English Literature
37. go to the cinema once a month with hubby - does once a month to the theatre/cinema count
38. get all 5 children together once a year with hubby with kids living round the world and having their own families, this isn't going to happen
39. learn to play golf
40. try to love eating olives - I keep trying but, yuk
41. keep an orchid house plant alive past it's first flowering - bought an orchid last week, fingers crossed
42. renew our wedding vows in Vegas
43. learn to let go of the past
44. give up smoking - gave up, restarted
45. sort my teeth out  had dental implants 4 years ago
46. improve my photography skills - need to charge my camera and get using it
47. go on a spa weekend  after living in Dubai and doing this, I've added swim weekly to the list
48. improve my writing am writing my book slowly
49. finish all my craft projects I've started over the years I'm on top of everything now
50. get sponsored to do any of the above - still hoping

Well that's it, my Ultimate Bucket List. I'd love to see yours.

One daily Positive - Week 48 From the north to the south of Africa.

This week started in Cairo and has ended in South Africa and in between the Christmas decorations have gone up at home in Dubai.

It's amazing how airline safety and security varies around the world. In Dubai the security is very good. I beeped on the way out last week after removing my belt and shoes and placing liquids, laptop and camera on the belt for x-ray. I was patted down in a private room. In Egypt, we had 2 security screenings to go through, first was chuck everything on a moving conveyor belt and I accidentally sent my passport through so caused a bit of an issue. The second security check didn't ask for liquids to be placed in the tray and I was asked to dispose of my cigarette lighter. In Manchester they insist you remove all electronic goods including hair straighteners and in South Africa you're lucky if the security staff look up at you as they're too busy chatting.

It's been a crazy week weather wise and putting up the Christmas decorations one day, then the next gardening, followed by a morning on the beach.

329 Sunday Flew home from Cairo at midday, arrived home to a thunder and lightening storm and torrential rain, unpacked, put washing machine on and watched football in front of the TV all night.

330 Monday Collected the cat and dog from boarding and repacked for South Africa. Put the Christmas decorations up as I'm away Friday night till the 10th and my mum arrives the day after.

331 Tuesday Spent 3 hours at the dog park catching up over coffee while the dogs all played nicely, swept yet more sand off the balcony and in the garden, cooked dinner and sat in front of the TV wrapping presents till bedtime.

332 Wednesday Off to the bank to update my new visa ID details, took a few pictures of the canal for my blog, did some shopping at the Mall of the Emirates and sat in front of the TV all evening.

333 Thursday Back to the dog park again for a couple of hours, sorted out my other bank account which took almost 2 hours, thinned out some seedlings and had a bath while Peter made dinner. Packed my suitcase for tomorrow's flight.

334 Friday Had a lie in and headed off to the beach. Had a late lunch/early dinner and went to bed for a couple of hours before heading off to the airport at midnight.

335 Saturday Flew to Johannesburg, leaving Dubai at 4am, collected by a friend and lazed around in the afternoon, eating, drinking and catching up since my last visit in September. Got a busy week coming up with celebration days to hand out the Christmas boxes from my last trip.

On the blog this week:
The greatest construction project in the world. The Pyramids
Guest Post - In a no win situation. 
Making friends at the dog park
Advent Calendars for Pets

An InLinkz Link-up

A visit to the Pyramids, Cairo.

Well this is probably one of the greatest construction projects in the world, ever. It took 20,000 people 20 years working 24/7 to construct the Pyramid of Khufu also known as the Great Pyramid and Pyramid of Cheops. It's the only remaining Seven Wonders of the World.

I've been fascinated by the Pyramids in Giza since I was a child, when my father visited there with work and somewhere there is a photo of him sat half way up, in the days when tourism wasn't as prolific as it is now and one was free to wander and climb. I was surprised to see we could still climb certain areas and steps had been cut into the blocks to allow us to do so.

It was a very emotional trip for me also, as I can no longer share my travel adventures with my father of places both he and I have visited separately. As with all places we visit for the first time, until we get a feel for a country that is considered dangerous for tourists, we opted to book a tour guide and transport. I wasn’t impressed with our tour, it seemed a bit rushed. There were several fees to be paid, the tour itself that collected us from the hotel, entrance fee and the choice of entering the chambers of two of the pyramids. Our guide told us there was nothing inside to see and it was hot and difficult to get in and out, but seeing as we were here we should go in the 2^nd pyramid as it was cheaper.

I’m glad we took the tour though it would have been a long walk up to see the panoramic view or get a horse and carriage ride up there which didn’t appeal.

On leaving the bus stopped briefly for a quick photo of the Sphinx at which point we opted to get out the bus to spend a bit more time there and get an Uber to meet friends later. We were warned none stop that we would get harassed by vendors, but our biggest problem was locals who wanted their photo taken with us. It was time consuming only, everyone was super friendly though.

We arrived around 10am and spent about 2 hours there, there was a distinct lack of tourists, I’d expected it to be very busy.

We've visited Luxor twice now, Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Luxor temple and have been to the Louve in Paris to see many ancient relics from this period. But this is my first visit to Cairo and I’m in love.

You can see on the other construction photos I've been taking around the world and in Dubai by clicking on the links below:

Week 158 Dubai Bluewater Islands and Dubai Eye. Man made island a 210m high Big Wheel
Week 159 Dubai Dubai Marina - Reflections
Week 160 Dubai Dubai Frame. A window between the Old and New Dubai and a 150m high glass floor.

Week 161 Dubai Dubai Marina 3 years apart.

Week 162 Dubai Dubai Water Canal Bridge Construction and reconfiguration of roads

Week 163 Dubai New Metro Line for Expo 2020
Week 164 Arizona and Nevada Hoover Dam 2002 - 2010
Week 165 Dubai Dubai Opera House What a difference a year makes
Week 166 Dubai Unfinished buildings. The Pentominium
Week 167 Coventry Mixing the old and the new. Coventry Catherdral
Week 168 Dubai New Dubai Metro Station 
Week 169 Dubai The new extension of the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa 
Week 170 Dubai Hotel fire After the Address fire 
Week 171 Dubai Unusual designs The Opus Building
Week 172 Dubai District Cooling. Keeping the desert cool.
Week 173 Dubai Can I visit the Burj Al Arab
Week 174 Dubai The Almas Tower
Week 175 Dubai The Cayan Tower
Week 176 Toronto The CN Tower
Week 177 Nevada The Paris Hotel 
Week 178 Dubai Ibn Battuta Gate
Week 179 A Wedding Our first child got married
Week 180 Dubai The World's Tallest Tower
Week 181 Dubai and Wales Al Fahidi Fort and Chepstow Castle 
Week 182 Dubai New Metro Station in Al Furjan 
Week 183 Dubai Ski Dubai
Week 184 Another Wedding
Week 185 South Africa Life in a township
Week 186 Austria Ski Jump 
Week 187 Dubai Green Plant Bio Dome 
Week 188 Dubai Update on the Metro Station
Week 189 Dubai My view from the balcony changed in 8 months
Week 190 Greece Just how instagramable is it?
Week 191-192 Dubai Before and After. 3 months out of Dubai
Week 193 Dubai Building a boat in the sky
Week 194 South Africa An African Sunset
Week 195 South Africa Building with boxes Charity work in South Africa
Week 196 Another family wedding and a year of travel
Week 197 Dubai What are they building now? World Trade Centre
Week 198 Monmouth Building work in South Wales
Week 198 Dubai The cladding is going on, on the metro station
Week 199 Dubai They're building on the beaches in Dubai
Week 200 Hong Kong Building with Bamboo
Week 201 Dubai My Week as a volunteer on the European Tour

One Daily Positive Week 47 From the Race to Dubai to Cairo

I'm linking up this week from Cairo, I flew in on Thursday to join Peter for a few days at the end of a business trip. I've wanted to see the pyramids since I was a small child. We've visited Luxor twice and the Valley of the Kings.

I started the week absolutely shattered from marshalling the golf for 4 days already. It's been around 32c and really humid.

322 Sunday The final day of the European Tour, starting by managing the crowd on the 1st tee from 7am till 12pm then lunch followed by crowd control on the 18th leading up to the green. We sat on the edge of the green to watch the final winning putt by Danny Willett, there was an after party, I got home, had a bath and was asleep within 30 mins.

323 Monday The house has been neglected for a week so I started with tidying around and giving the windows a clean. That was as far as I got though, decided just to have some quiet time. Took Peter to the airport and had an early night.

324 Tuesday Dog park and catch up with friends over coffee. Went for a bike ride in the afternoon and accidentally stopped off to get my nails done and have a hair cut. This was the only photo I took today.

325 Wednesday Dropped the cat and dog at boarding and finished cleaning the house.

326 Thursday Packed hand luggage only and flew to Cairo, was collected from the airport to meet Peter at the hotel. We had dinner out and a late night, feel shattered.

327 Friday An early start to the pyramids. Deptie the blue skies it was chilly and we'd had a torrential storm in the morning. We got an Uber to meet a friend and spent the afternoon with his Mother and Sister in their home, had dinner in a local restaurant and it took almost 3 hours to do a 45 minute trip back to the hotel across the city, due to volume of traffic and flooding.

328 Saturday Had a lie in, a leisurely breakfast poolside and then got an Uber to visit to the Cairo museum. Meeting another friend in the late afternoon for an early dinner near our hotel as neither of us could cope with the traffic.

On the blog this week:

Read how I got on as a volunteer on the European Golf Tour

An InLinkz Link-up