The end of my 30 things!

Wow! What a year! I can truly say turning 30 has been utterly amazing. I would never have predicted that my 30th year would be full of such fun and adventure. Every challenge has brought smiles and laughter, even the tough ones. They have shown how determined and mad I am, and actually rather organised- trying to fit in these challenges whilst being a teacher who has faced Ofsted and a school move this year is a challenge enough on its own! But I did it, one because I'm a Capricorn and we like a challenge, and two I wanted to raise as much money as possible for a charity close to my heart. It was the inspiration and determination I needed sometimes to get through the challenges. Every time I was struggling, be it cycling along that hideous military road on the Isle of Wight or running against 40mph winds, my thoughts always went to my cousin, Annette and the daily battle with pain she faces and I told my self to man up! Knowing that I was raising money for a charity that could create medicines that could reduce her pain spurred me on many a times. Thank you to everyone that has donated and if you haven't nows your time too :-).

I could never have managed to complete my 30 things without the overwhelming support and encouragement from my amazing family and friends. Thank you to my family for understanding that I have had to plan my year around these challenges and that every spare minute of my time would be taken up by planning, organising, doing and blogging about them. They have been patient and so supportive often joining in with as many as they possible can from meeting Olly Murs to climbing Snowdon . And if they couldn't join in they were there supporting and cheering or taking photos or dodgy films (thanks mum and dad)! One of my favourite memories of this year is climbing Snowdon with my mum and sister, Hayley, it was an epic day for all of us battling against strong gusts at the summit. Often we had to stand still and dig deep to let the gusts pass. It's was scary yet exciting and it was a proud moment when we reached the top. I was particularly proud of my mum who really pushed her own physical boundaries to get to the top- a great achievement. Another favourite family moment was standing in the cold at night with Nicky waiting to meet Olly Murs. Nicky was the brains behind the operation and without her I would never have been at the right place at the right time to meet him ( see what I did there!) It was a Wednesday night and we both had work but still she stayed with me until we met him. It was such a moment- one I'll never forget! She also joined me on a weekend trip to Newcastle where I fulfilled a long ambition to stand on the pitch at St James park- another day I won't forget.

Nicky has also been the guinea pig for many if my foreign recipes this year and she is still alive so they couldn't have been that bad! 

The challenges have shown the strength of friendship and I have been overwhelmed by the support of many friends. Every message of support has kept me motivated and I've loved having so many of you on the journey! Whether you've sampled my cooking or let me hold your snake (thanks Tom and Emily) - your contribution had been amazing. I have fond memories of the day spent in London going to all the places on a monopoly board with Nicky, Hayley, Shane, Tom, Jo and Matt. It was wonderful spending the day with friends seeing parts of London I have never seen before. Our nations capital is truly beautiful. It was such a fun way to see it. 

Another favourite was the day I went hunting pigs to lick and ended up licking an alpaca with Jo, Sophie and Corinne (the challenge setter!) What I loved so much about that day was not just the great fun we had where I laughed so much it hurt but the discovery of a hidden gem on our door step in the form of Aldingbourne Country Park. It's a delightful place that I would recommend to all to visit. Well done to Corinne too for joining me with the licking!! 

A lot of my year has been spent running. I have discovered that despite the blisters  I love running. I love getting out there, rain or shine, and being free to run! What's been even better is I have had some wonderful running partners who have often given me the kick up the bum I needed to push myself and keep going. Thank you to Shane for being my weekly running partner, for finding the time in our busy school weeks to get out there and run. Your support and encouragement has been amazing and I look forward to our next run! Thank you also to Laura who has joined me in running 2 10ks this year and the Great South Run. To say they weren't  easy would be an understatement as we had to battle against fierce winds for two if those runs. Laura, without you there keeping me going and pushing me onwards I would never have been able to get round. You stayed with me when you could have easily sprinted on ahead aNd I can't thank you enough. You are a star and I have loved running with you this year and look forward to what running events 2014 hold for us! 

Another of my highlights of the year was the roller skating onesie wearing mile flashmob along Bognor prom. This could never of happened or been a success without the lovely, slightly bonkers, friends and family who turned out to do it with me. So thank you mum, dad, Nicky, Donna, Shane, Jo, Jo's sister-in-law, Tina, Emma, Helen, Kirsty, Emily, baby Ethan, Laura and Ellie, Claire and Zoe, Erika and Corinne- you are all superstars! Best, most random day of my life- literally laughed so much! I don't think Bognor knew what hit them. 

Some of the challenges were easier and less painful than others and some required me to learn new things. This year has been packed full of excitement and new experiences. I may have slightly cheated on some of them and taken a more literal approach to how I completed them but nonetheless they have been achieved. I will one day make it to Munich to have a proper beer at Oktoberfest and I will go up on a hot air balloon- I know these will happen. 

30 things is a reminder to all that life is for living and for experiencing the wonders this world has to offer. You don't need a list to follow your dreams- just do them, nothing is out of your reach. I will continue to treasure the small and the big experiences that come my way, to push myself to achieve my dreams, to make a difference, to believe in myself and value the love and friendship of those around me. I hope in some way I may have inspired you to take a leap out of your comfort zone and push yourself to achieve a dream or wish- it can happen. So today I turn 31, and I'm excited by what the rest of my 30s have in store. I may not have met the real man of my dreams this year but you never know what 2014 will bring. The world is still out there to be explored and new experiences to be had and I can't wait. I hope to still raise money for charities and continue with acts of kindness because I want to. However first a much needed rest is requied and then maybe it's time for 40 things before I'm 40?