Bucket List

1. Go to Australia and/or New Zealand (NZ in Deember 2012!)
2. Go to Asia/South America/Africa
3. Be satified that I have traveled - properly
4. Couchsurf and/or WWOOF
5. Go back to Jersey (29/5-5/6/11)
6. Go back to Munich/Germany and/or Austria
7. Go to university (17/9/11)
8. Finish university – with a degree. Preferably a 2:1.
9. Decide what to do with my life, career-wise
10. Get a tattoo
11. Do 10 Race For Life’s. Current number: 6 (2006 Killinton, 2007 Millfield, 2008 Millfield, 2009 Weston, 2010 Millfield, 2011 Taunton. 2012 will be in Millfield again).
12. Learn to drive (summer 2012 with a bit of luck)
13. Get married
14. Have children
15. Own a home
16. Settle down
17. Road trip around the UK/Europe/America/anywhere. Just road trip somewhere.
18. Get a dog
19. Get a pen pal
20. Reach 100 read books on Goodreads
21. Write 20 book reviews (Goodreads, 100 word minimum - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
22. See a whale in the wild
23. Swim with dolphins (or similar) - (may be happening in NZ!)
24. See a musical in the West End
25. Write to the prime minister
26. Fill 5 photography books (4 so far)
27. Photograph lightning
28. Take a half decent photo of rain (9/6/11)
29. Own a DSLR camera (8/9/11)
30. Buy a camera lens for a DSLR camera (24/6/11)
31. Post 500 photos on Flickr (I'm over half way!)
32. See 15 world heritage sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_List#Lists_of_World_Heritage_Sites
• Tower of London. Done in 2004.
• Old Town and New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. Done in 2005.
• Historic Centre of Salzburg, Austria. Done in summers of 2006 and 7.
• City of Bath. Done in autumn 2006.
• Cracow's Historic Centre, Poland. Done in summer 2008.
• Auschwitz-Birkenau, German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp. Done in summer 2008.
33. Keep a regularly written diary for more than two months.
34. Go to Jersey... again!
35. Go to Ireland
36. Go back to Scotland (Planned for July 2012)
37. See at least three of the (new) Seven Wonders of the World:
• Chichen Itza in Mexico
• Christ The Redeemer in Brazil
• Colosseum in Italy (this is probably the most do-able)
• Great Wall of China in, you guessed it, China
• Machu Picchu in Peru
• Petra in Jordan
• Taj Mahal in India
• Just for good measure, it would be cool to see the pyramids in Egypt.
38. Start drawing/painting again
39. Get 50,000 views on Flickr
40. Go to Alderny
41. Go to Sark and/or Herm
42. Go on the London Eye
43. Learn a foreign language.
44. Write again.
45. Learn how to make gifs
46. Go to Los Angeles


Last updated: 7/4/12

7. Go to university

Officially there! University of Lincoln. History. Class of 2014. Yay!

Here's my room for year 1:

29. Own a DSLR camera

Happy Birthday to meeeee!




Canon EOS 400D and three - yes, three! - lenses. The 50mm f/1.8 on the left that I already had, the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II on the camera, which came with it, and a Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM on the right, which I bought separately but it arrived the same day as the camera.

Some of the photos taken with them so far...


Malcolm with the 50mm.



Yellow-billed stork with the 75-300mm.



Aaand ducks on a frozen lake with the Canon 18-55mm.


All from my Flickr.

30. Buy a camera lens for a DSLR camera

So I got a lens before I actually got a camera... not the order I thought it would be! But I can use this lens on my dad's camera. So it does have purpose.

It's a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 mk II lens. It's pretty:



& it takes pretty photos:



Oh, beautiful bokeh of pentagon shapes <33333

28. Take a half decent photo of rain

I took this on with my trusty Canon PowerShot SX120IS. My main objective was that you could actually tell it was raining. I think you can tell it's raining. Anyway, I took this through the window in my front door.

5. Go back to Jersey

29/5-5/6/11


I first went to Jersey in 2003 and although I was young I remember having the time of my life and have been begging my parents to take me back ever since. However, it was my boyfriend, Will's, family who actually gave me the opportunity to go again. There were 12 of us altogether! I had really high expectations before the holiday and was worried the trip wouldn't live up to them but it did, and more. Probably the best holiday I've had in a while. It's a wonderful island, a great getaway without going too far from home - I don't think many people would guess that it's in the British Isles if they didn't already know. Beautiful!


Here's a breakdown of the events....

Day 1, Su 29/5: Travelled and got to Beuvelande campsite, where we were staying. We rested for the day because our ferry had set off at 5AM so everyone was totally knackered.

Day 2, Mo 30/5: Went for a big drive around the island.


Day 3, Tu 31/5: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Also went to St Catherine's breakwater.

Me & Mr Durrell


Will, his brother and a gorilla statue (I'd like to point out Will's awesome gorilla impression here)


A flamingo :)

Day 4, We 1/6: Spent most of the day on the beach (Royal Bay of Grouville). Gorgeous sand and boiling hot weather but somehow the sea managed to keep itself freezing! Went crabbing in the evening.

Gorey/Mount Orgueil Castle from the beach.

Day 5, Th 2/6: We didn't see much of the north coast on our tour on the first day so we went for a drive along it. Saw some beautiful beaches. We also went to Jersey Pearl. Will and I cycled down to Gorey for sunset and took lots of photos.

Will and I in a place we found when we wandered off on our own.


A view of that place. I think it was the prettiest part of the island that we saw.


Gorey Harbour at sunset. We had to cyle up a massive hill to get back to the campsite. I walked most of it :)

Day 6, Fr 3/6: Jersey War Tunnels and Jersey Goldsmiths. We also went to a sort of mini adventure park where Will and I did a mini 18 hole golf and a driving range, but there were also segways and a gyroscope (which Will's mum went on!)

In the war tunnels.


Rose and Alex on the gyroscrope.

Day 7, Sa 4/6: Went to Gorey Castle, which I think is actually called Mount Orgueil Castle. We went crabbing in the evening too and caught TONS of crabs. Then we let them all go and raced them.

The view from the top of the castle.

Day 8, Su 5/6: Our ferry wasn't until the evening so we went to the Shell Garden (a bit creepy, literally an old man's garden made out of shells and he gives you cake. But still quite interesting.) We went to pizza hut for dinner and Will and I shared a huge, delicious pizza. Then out ferry was delayed like 6 times. We got home eventually.


Things I learned about Jersey:
- The public toilets are all really clean. They all have toilet paper and don't look like they've been home to a hobo.
- There are a shitload of classic cars. And I mean loads and loads of old/classic cars. We saw multiple bubble cars, a giant old Rolls Royce, a pretty cool Triumph and lots of others that drove past us so we couldn't stop and admire.
- At the time of year we went (May half term) there were amazing beaches that were virtually empty. In Cornwall it's hard to get a decent place on a shitty beach. So if you like beaches it's well worth the travel.