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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Blog

    Before 40 Bucket List

    Published: Jan 8, 2019 · Modified: Sep 20, 2021 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 85 Comments

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    40 seems like an age where we should have experienced things, lived a little, and have all the stories to tell. So, I am setting myself a before 40 bucket list to make sure that when I turn 40 I don't stress about it, but instead think I have had a pretty good life.

    Hopefully my list will give you some inspiration for some things to add to your own things to do before 40. Here is my Before 40 Bucket List.

    A collage of things to do from a before 40 bucket list.

    Before 40 Bucket List

    (or 30, 50, 60 etc. Set your own time frame)

    This was first posted in 2014 and I update it as I complete more things

    Travel, family, every day adventures, business and fitness goals all make up my before 40 bucket list.  Having goals gives me something to aim towards and makes choosing holiday destinations a little easier too.

    As I approach 40, I am thinking more about everything I have been lucky enough to do and all the things I still want to do. I like to think I have led a pretty fun live. I have travelled to many places most people only dream of, and I have achieved some things that I never thought I would, but there are always other things to tick off the list.

    Things to do before 40:

    1) See the Northern Lights ✓

    We were lucky enough to see the northern lights when we were in Iceland last year. The first night we went out looking for them it was too cloudy, but the second night the clouds broke and behind them were streaks of green and blue of the Northern Lights.

    The lights didn't bounce across the sky like you are led to believe, but it was still the most magical thing I have ever seen, even though it was FREEZING!

    The Northern Lights in Iceland.

    2) Do 10 different ziplines

    The photo above was from my first zip lining experience in Mexico. I did it upside down. We have only done two so far (or 3 if you count a mini one at a children's farm), but the ones in Mexico and Jamaica were pretty epic. The next on the list is the longest zip wire in the U.K.

    3) Order everything off the menu at a restaurant (it will be a small menu)

    4) Celebrate New Year's Eve in a different country

    5) Speak Spanish to a good standard

    6) Buy a house abroad

    7) Do a Tough Mudder event

    8) Eat at 5 out of the best 100 restaurants in the world

    9) Eat at 20 of the best restaurants in the UK

    10) Enjoy a bottle of wine that costs more than £50

    11) Run a 5km (if I stop getting injured) ✓

    I ran my first 5km race at the Race For Life. It wasn't the best one to start with, as there were lots of hills and it was an emotional day raising money for a cancer charity, but it was a great day and I got a personal best too.

    Woman standing by a barrier at Manchester's Race for Life.

    12) Go wild swimming

    13) Go on safari (preferably to South Africa)

    14) Publish a book ✓

    In January 2016, Hungry Healthy Happy the book was published. It was one of the most difficult and most rewarding things I have done. To see your recipes in print is so strange. Thanks to everyone that has bought a copy. If you haven't, it's available in all good book stores and on Amazon.

    The Hungry Healthy Happy book cover

    Then, in 2018 my second book was published. It's called The Healthy Slow Cooker and is full of 100 recipes that show the slow cooker is more than just meat stews. Nachos, burritos, chai lattes, lean beef curries, mac and cheese - they can all be done in the slow cooker. Head over to Amazon to order a copy!

    15) See all 50 states

    So far I have been to 31. It would have been more after my trip a couple of years ago, but I had to cut my trip short due to illness. You can read about my various US trips below, in number 35.

    16) Travel across part of Europe by train.

    17) Break a habit

    18) Read a book in one sitting

    19) Visit every continent

    This one might take the next 5 years, but 3 down (Europe, North America and Asia), 4 to go. Antarctica may be tricky though!

    20) Go on a skiing holiday with friends

    21)  Sing at an open mic night

    22) Be able to do an unassisted pull-up

    23) Have a signature dish ✓

    My signature dish is a fridge raid pasta. I have a skill for taking ingredients that are on their way out and making them in to a tasty and comforting pasta dish. No waste and a delicious meal. Why not have a look at all the HHH recipes?

    A white bowl with pasta, cheese and meat.

    24) Go for high tea ✓

    My friend, Claire, took me for high tea on my 30th birthday when she saw that it was on my Bucket List.

    High tea with sandwiches, cakes and champagne.

    25) Start a retirement fund

    We have a savings account now, if that counts.

    26) Watch IMDB's top 250 films

    I've only watched 49 of them so far, so this might take a while to complete! And, it's changing all the time, which makes it harder!

    27) Go on a road trip around Scotland

    28) Be debt free (apart from a mortgage)

    29) Do the Three Peaks Challenge

    30) Go to a drive-in movie theatre

    31) Climb a mountain

    32) Go on the longest zipwire in the UK

    33) Shower in a waterfall

    A waterfall in a tree lined valley.

    35) Go on road trip across the states ✓

    In 2008, I spent 2 weeks travelling with my dad by car through New England, visiting Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, New York State, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and back into New York (Manhattan).
    My dad then flew home and I carried on across the States for another 8 weeks, visiting Maryland, Florida, Illinois, Washington State, Oregon, California, Nevada and Hawaii.

    A year later I returned with a friend and travelled by train from New York to California via Illinois, going through Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.

    In 2015 I returned again and visited New York, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Nevada

    People stood looking at the Chicago Bean.
    The Golden Gate Bridge in the fog.
    Looking up at a skyscraper in New York.
    People outside the entrance of Graceland in Memphis.

    37) Island hop round Greece ✓

    We did this in 2016 as our "babymoon" and it was one of the best holidays we have ever had. Starting in Athens, we then went to Mykonos, Ios and Santorini. We should have gone to Paros and Antiparos too, but we got stuck in Mykonos due to a transport strike.

    The parthenon at the Acropolis in Athens.
    A sunset over rocks and a ship on the horizon.

    38) See the New Wonders of the World

    I've seen the Colosseum in Rome, so just the Great Wall of China; Petra in Jordan; Chichen Itza in Mexico; Machu Picchu in Peru; The Taj Mahal in India and Christ The Redeemer in Brazil to go!

    39) Sleep in a haunted house

    40) Celebrate St Patrick's day in Ireland

    41) Fly 1st class

    42) Feed an elephant ✓

    We did this in Thailand and it was incredible. I am hugely against animal tourism and riding elephants in places like Thailand. You can go to animal recuse centres, where animals are rescued from places where tourists ride them and they are abused. It was so sad, but amazing to see them now so happy.

    We got to feed them, wash them and play with them in the water. That's so much better than just sitting on them whilst they are prodded to move.

    An elephant using its trunk to take some watermelon out of someone's hand.

    44) Stand-up paddle boarding ✓

    I did this in Thailand too. It was my birthday on the island of Koh Samui and we hired a paddle board for the afternoon and I paddled up and down the coast. It was much easier than I thought it was going to be and I didn't fall off once.

    A woman taking a selfie while stood on a Paddle Board.

    45) See the sunset in Santorini ✓

    Santorini is famous of its sunsets and they didn't disappoint. The only trouble is, everyone wants to see them and the look out points are packed with hundreds and hundreds of people. Luckily we had our own hot tub on a balcony that looked straight over the sunset. Bliss!

    A sunset over the Aegean Sea viewed from Santorini.

    46) Read a life changing book

    47) Meet a penguin

    48) Take a hot air balloon ride

    49) Learn to drive ✓

    50) Meet an alpaca ✓

    I am alpaca obsessed. One day, on our way to visit Dave's mum, he surprised me with a trip to an alpaca farm where we got to feed them. They are such hilarious animals and very slobbery too - hence the expression on my face!

    A brown alpaca eating food from a woman's hand. She looks shocked!

    51) Ride a Segway ✓

    We did this in Rome and unlike paddle boarding, this was much harder than I thought it would be. My balance is not great and I was all over the place. I nearly drove in to a police car on a roundabout. 

    A woman riding a Segway with a city skyline in the background.

    52) Complete a triathlon

    53) See Foo Fighters in concert

    54) Go white water rafting ✓

    I did this in The Alps and it was terrifying, but in the best possible way. I didn't fall in the water, but I felt like I was going to fly out of the raft many times. Definitely one for strong swimmers.

    A woman in a wetsuit stood next to a raft on a river bank.

    55) Have a baby ✓

    In November 2016, we welcomed our beautiful daughter Avery in to the world. There is still so many things I want to do, but I love that I will now get to do most of them with her, or with her watching - hopefully giving her inspiration for her own list. Now we have baby 2 on the way too!

    A laughing baby laying on the grass.

    56) Rent an apartment abroad for a month or two.

    57) Go on a digital detox

    58) Go on a spa day and pamper myself

    59) Spend at least 50 nights camping/glamping (in total - not all in one go)

    4 nights at Camp Bestival

    2 nights in Peak District, Derbyshire

    2 nights glamping in Sussex

    5 nights at Camp Bestival

    4 nights at Catgill

    2 nights at Big Feastival

    60) Go to 10 Festivals

    Camp Bestival x 4

    Download x 1

    Big Feastival x1

    61) Explore the North East coast of England

    62) Raise £1000 for charity

    Take a look at my Autumn Bucket List and Summer Bucket List.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Keeley Jonas

      January 16, 2022 at 12:04 am

      Having a read through your great blog of things to do before 40 for some ideas (I don’t have long now!). A lovely surprise to see Cocoa the alpaca as I’m scrolling through! I hope you had a fabulous time ❤️

      Reply
    2. John G

      April 19, 2020 at 2:50 pm

      Awesome lists, I'd like also to have like these lists, how close you are with these lists now?

      Reply
    3. Camilla

      April 02, 2020 at 8:36 pm

      I have many of the same things on my list, such as northern lights, showering in a waterfall, and getting a pull-up! Congrats on the book, that's a truly amazing accomplishment!

      Reply
    4. Charlie @ The Kitchen Shed

      January 09, 2019 at 12:41 pm

      This is a great list!! It's nice to remind yourself of all the things you would like to achieve, it keeps it in your mind which is what eventually makes it happen. I also want to learn to speak Spanish! Good for you making your dreams come true, no doubt by this time next year you will have ticked off even more!

      Reply
    5. Charli

      March 21, 2018 at 4:04 am

      This is amazing! I originally did a 30 before 30 list but I am now 28 and it is starting to look almost impossible so it has been altered slightly now to a 40 before 40 list! I just hope I can have half as much fun doing my list as you sound like you have!!
      xo

      Reply
    6. briana

      January 04, 2018 at 12:54 am

      Loved this I added to my bucket list thank you

      Reply
    7. Amy

      April 19, 2017 at 10:25 am

      I'd love to fly in a hot balloon too! We have a festival here in the UK in a few months, I can't wait to see them all take off into the air at the same time.

      Reply
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