Tuesday, May 05, 2015

Things to do before 30 and the journey so far

I just realized how gradually blogging has been fading from my  life. Only one post in the last year. So many things left unsaid. So many posts incomplete. So many thoughts faded out without getting converted to words. And so many words in diaries instead of blogs.Well to make sure that this year is no worse if not better, I mean to complete this post.

Recently I have been looking at lists of things to do before turning 30. A little late I realize. I am turning 30 in 4 days. So that doesn't leave a great deal of options to do something very wild and/or elaborate. Daily life doesn't permit a great deal of spare time. But as I started making lists now and a couple of months earlier, I realized I had already done a lot of I wanted to albeit without lists. So here's a list of what I did do (and probably would have added in my list in my 20s) ...........
  1. Find the love of my life...suddenly the joy of life increases manifolds...you dream more , want more and live more fully ...
  2. Get married....and to have that for the rest of the life...life with your best friend.......(at least when you are not bickering ..lol)
  3. Have a kid of my own....a child completes your life in a way that none can. It's whole new life. And the entire process ...pregnancy and giving birth to your child....feeding him...holding him...well it's a whole new list which keeps growing ...
  4. Experience pregnancy to the fullest...I not only had food cravings but also color cravings!
  5. Experience childbirth...was fortunate enough
  6. Learn how a kid grows up
  7. Learn how a kid learns to communicate...one of the biggest curiosities for me
  8. Read lots in all categories.....collect them all....have an over-brimming collection
  9. Go into research...ok so I don't have a job yet but I am pursuing the work of my dreams in PhD
  10. Get into some top university...specifically IIT...more specifically IIT Delhi...done :)
  11. Get placed in good companies...ok so I didn't join but I did get placed.
  12. Own a car
  13. Travel alone...I did at least in India...more than 5 times
  14. Travel with a friend...Hubli...
  15. Travel with your sweetheart...
  16. Travel with your little family (kid+sweetheart)
  17. Airtravel...I love airports and planes...I even enjoyed waiting at the airport the one time my flight severely delayed
  18. Stay with a friend....ok so it was only a couple of days each time but it still counts
  19. Hang out in a big group till the death of night..yeah..beach@Chennai...
  20. Get some kind of award...did get a few
  21. Spoke on the radio
  22. Lucky draws...have been lucky that way :P
  23. Write a book...(*well near completion actually)
  24. Loads and loads of college fun...friends, groups and dating:)
  25. Finding a good, sincere set of friends to share, care, laugh and cry
  26. Shopping with friends
  27. Planning your own wedding 
  28. Being an important person in your best friends wedding :)
  29. Visit the beach again
  30. Swim again...or at least try
  31. Run a marathon
  32. Do some literature course...did one online in Coursera...was enriching, fun and satisfying...I actually worked on it!
  33. Thanking the important people of your life...do try...started with that phone call to an old fav teacher....
  34. Wear a white dress and veil :)
  35. Wear other dresses....all kinds
  36. Give a lecture in a seminar
  37. Try some adventure sports...snorkelling, it became cliff diving when I fell off a cliff!
  38. Have THE PERFECT honeymoon
  39. A relaxing babymoon
  40. Eat lots of exotic stuff
  41. Learn to cook a  bit
  42. Lead somewhere...college magazine as well as Newsletter at IIT
  43. Be the " go-to" person for help, for discussions for your friends
  44. Go to the stadium to watch a cricket match and shout your hearts out...I also got my face painted ;)
  45. Lots of known dates after some kind of engagement 
  46. Lots of secrets ones before it ...there were some VERY close calls!
  47. Be creative...hmmm...gifts to loved ones, nailart, painting my mobile case, knitting baby stuff  and lots and lots more
  48. Internet chats....
  49. Different looks, haircuts...
  50. Have some one who will want to read you diary and whom you will be willing to show the same
  51. Take a road trip with loved one
  52. Visit the Taj Mahal
  53. Visit some foreign country with loved one
  54. Visit the zoo with your child
  55. Give some of your loved toys to your child...my baby on my childhood truck...
  56. Skate again....did so once and was ok at it...
  57. Play carrom again...some wishes are that small...
  58. Have someone to play scrabble with
  59. Midnight birthday celebrations
  60. Throw a surprise party
  61. Read to your child
  62. Sings rhymes with your child
  63. Watch lots of animation movies
  64. Watch the popular TV sitcoms...Friends, House, Masterchef, HIMYM, Boy Meets World...a few that I loved...
  65. Watch a few popular Indian ones...Tarak Mehta ka Olta Chasma...a great one ...so different form usual Indian serials though even some of those were pretty good...like Jassi, BALH...
  66. Lose weight...did so many times ! However I did start some healthy habits finally.
  67. The perfect Mehendi party...
  68. Wear a Sari on your own
  69. Experience the perfect marriage moment...
  70. Sweetheart on knees to propose
  71. Stay actively part of parents life after marriage also
  72. See your parents dote their grandchild as the baby grows
  73. Bike riding....it's fun from the back seat also :)
  74. Dance with the love of your life
  75. Dance with your child....(also the love of your life...)
  76. Create sandcastles again....did it all...sand castles, sand mermaid, doodle of names with hearts, collecting shells...

Travel Diary would include (20 year onwards)
India : Mussourie, Bangalore, Hubli, Mumbai, Chennai, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Lucknow, Alwar,kosi
Thailand: Phi phi Islands, Krabi, Phukhet

From Childhood:
Canada
South Africa: Durban, Johannesburg,  Cape Town
Mauritius 


Here are some which I would probably add for later on...
  • PhD degree
  • Job
  • Visit Italy
  • Disneyland
  • Listen to/read news
  • Complete that book
  • Publish it
  • Read some religious books
  • More swimming
  • More beaches
  • Make enough space for your entire novel collection
  • Exotic teas...try
  • Keep trying different looks...its fun
  • English tea...proper...at England..? At other places. 
  • Keep increasing your travel diary....create one....
  • Also add Goa, Andaman, Pondcherry, Northeast for India
  • Keep dreaming................




4 comments:

Ankur said...

After reading the whole blog what i like the most is the last line "keep dreaming" because our dreams and aspirations are the things which keep us moving in life towards more well lived life because age is just a number the thing which matters the most is how good that time which has gone by was and how we are moving towards our goal of happiness in the coming time. So instead of counting the years the more important thing is to make those years count.... it is nice and admirable the things which you have done so far and i am sure you will enjoy life more in coming time whether it is 30 or 300.... so keep posting and keep dreaming........

Tapasya said...

Awwww such a beautiful list, Aadi!! I hope you have many many more dreams come true in your 30s. You've accomplished a lot and I'm lucky to be your friend and to have shared some of this journey :)

Also loved Ankur's comment!

Love you all :)

Taps

aditi said...

Thanks, will definitely try.
Sometimes the goal of happiness is so much easier than others and yet sometimes it's so tough. I wonder if that is THE GOAL as it should be...

aditi said...

Thanks dear...it's been a fun journey for sure....
Would love to see your list....