It was once said by the revered George Bernard Shaw that life isn’t about discovering yourself, it’s about creating yourself. With these words, I embark on Mission: Playtime. Some people call it a bucket list, or do a 30 before 30. Mission: Playtime is in the same vein as these challenges, but each is rooted in the spirit of life long learning and improvement. Being the best me that I can.

The role of this blog is to share my journey with loved ones, and also to hold myself accountable for completing my adventures before my 30th birthday (and hopefully finding my next set of adventures). Mission: Playtime is not about becoming the perfect person, for perfection does not exist, but finding the pleasure in life and becoming happier as a result of it.

You may have been waiting for the Eat, Pray, Love reference to come along, so here it is. Liz is told in Italy that the Americans are masters of entertainment, but know nothing of pleasure, whereas the Italians are masters of pleasure. Specifically dolce far niente, the sweetness of doing nothing. It is through accomplishing these tasks and connecting with others that I seek pleasure, rather than entertainment.

And so down to business.

1. Live in Italy & learn the language (because I want to be able to appreciate other cultures)
2. Always have fresh flowers in the house (to appreciate beauty in look and smell)
3. Finish & publish my book (because everyone has one good book in them, and to prove I can finish things!)
4. Pass an advanced driving test (to rock at something I thought I would never be able to do)
5. Learn to shuck oysters (because I’m not as weak & helpless as I think)
6. Show jump (to be courageous)
7. Go fishing (to practice patience & stickability)
8. Run a half marathon (for strength, fitness & perseverance)
9. Go on a yoga/wellness retreat (to show myself kindness)
10. Have no plans for 1 week – go to airport, fly somewhere, check in somewhere, meet people, no research or planning (to let go of control of the reigns)
11. Learn to code an app (got to keep up with the skills of the modern world)
12. Road trip to Disneyland with my girls (we made a plan, so let’s stick to it)
13. Host a masked ball (for real playtime)
14. To put 10% of everything I earn into savings and not touch it (just like I’ve been saying I will for a decade)
15. Sell a piece of art that I’ve created (to stretch my creative muscles and sense of worth)
16. Kickboxing (for fun and self-defence)
17. Climb the Eiffel Tower (because I refused to as a child)
18. Do 10 mins yoga every morning for 6 months (to learn perseverance and tranquility)
19. Give a TED talk (because everyone needs a ridiculous goal)
20. 1,000 random acts of kindness (that’s one a day until I’m 30, with a few rest days thrown in)
21. Pray with people from 10 different religions or spiritual traditions (to learn about others, and myself)
22. Learn to appreciate beer and/or whisky (because enjoying things is much better than disliking things)
23. Write my 40 before 40 (because life begins at 30)
24. Reflect on the difference between pleasure and entertainment, and the value of each (just like Liz)
25. Invest in happiness (I don’t really know what this means, but I like it, and I think I’ll know it when the time comes)
26. Wake up listening to the sea (appreciation and tranquility)
27. Try 100 flavours of ice cream (yummmmmm)
28. Only buy 2nd hand clothing (break the habit of splurging to feel good)
29. Go to the Galway Oyster Festival (for the simple pleasure of beer an oysters)
30. Write observations in a diary every day for a year (to see what I can learn from myself)
31. People watching (it’s good to get out of your own head)
32. Purge my belongings (because more things doesn’t equal more happiness)
33. Tend a bee hive (the future of the world depends on them)

That’s 33 adventures to be had in the next three years. Wish me luck!