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16. Retirement Plan

This is so adult and I am being questioned at least once a month on how does working in Dubai help with my retirement life. Honestly I still think I am too young to worry about that but to keep myself and my family at peace I have to start the plan prior to my 30^th. Dubai doesn’t help with aging. Here you have to stay forever young or leave the country once it’s time to retire. So I have to start and honestly better late than never – so many times my motto in life.

17. Keep a plant alive for a year

Never did I ever make this possible. I did well with some cactuses (mostly because my mom took care of them when I was away from home) yet failed with most of them even in Dubai. So I will buy a plant and try to keep it alive for a year. My mom will be proud – I hope.

18. Finish a 30 day challenge

This I have to decide which one. Maybe drinking water challenge, plank, squat, abs. Something. Excited. Maybe I will run a marathon every day for a month like this crazy impressive guy is doing in Dubai for the 30x30 challenge. Nah, doubt it. But most likely it will be sports related. Maybe just to do Sun Salutations (yoga) every morning.

19. Start a Scrap Book

I admire my friend who does a scrap book and compiles photos, tickets, passes, medals literally everything. It’s so amazing! I need to stop procrastinating on this and get down to business. I want to compile a scrap book for all the things I have since I came to Dubai and maybe even do one for Vegas and one on Scotland. Oh that would be fun when I’m old! And I should add the playlists of the songs I get obsessed with – songs always bring memories. Those relatable ones. Oh how amazing is that, to reminisce about the heartbreaks, tears of joy, silly moments and best nights. Those are my favorite moments.

20. Something New

Let's try something new, something unexpected. Try a new type of food (maybe eat a bug?), do something filled with adrenaline (ok maybe zipline?), Oh I know! Diving in Fujairah. Have to do this in the first quarter of 2019!

Forward into the past

11. Renting Own Apartment

I have my own car, I live away from my parents, I can cook and I regularly do sports. The final thing I need to do is get my own apartment. I think doing this before 30 would be a great achievement and since I don’t have a boyfriend to rent it with I want to do this on my own. Of course this will be a result of my financial independence. I plan to change my job which will bring better benefits resulting in independence and an actual feeling of being a grown up. Currently I am sharing a villa, which is nice, but it constantly makes me think I still live in a fancy dorm of university J I do want to be forever young but this is the final step I need to take to my grown up life.

12. Learn how to cook 30 dishes

I cook, but everything I cook is just for me. I am shy to cook for others because I fear that they would not like it and would feel forced to lie to me. I would be happy to know how to do 30 meals which I would be ok to do for others as well. (so far I am comfortable making crepes and toast haha). I will keep the list updated here J

13. Buy a designer bag

I do not think that will make me incredibly happy but it will be a feeling of achievement. I want to be able to buy myself a proper gift. Living in such a superficial city makes me proud that my plan is not to get one as a gift but actually to buy it myself. And this, unlucky 13, is definitely not a priority on my list. If I don’t achieve this one I will still survive.

14. Pay of my credit car

Done! Ha! This one I placed on the list 3 months ago and I am happy I made it even before my 29^th. Well, let’s see if I can stay away from using it again.

15. 30^th Birthday

I want to celebrate it in Vegas, crazy I know. But I just want to go back to the city with the same girls I lived there before and go to the same club where we were going out and stay in a nice hotel and just enjoy it for a week with them. Well a night maybe 2 in a hotel and the rest of the stay with the girl who lives there. J I think this would be a perfect celebration of my next round number! Before my hips start to hurt and my knees start to be weak and all that jazz.

It' so easy

I have found the whole list which I have done previously and I found myself surprised by my goals (I have done this list about 3 months ago). Yet here are another 5 things to accomplish before my 30^th.

6. Start a New Habit

I have a habit of doing sports, cleaning (kind of!), waking up early, cooking on Saturdays for the upcoming week, even saying my affirmations when I am driving to work. But I want to start something new. More of a mental habit would be the best. Maybe I would like to start something connected to my gratitude journal. Every day I will give a compliment to someone in my life. Visual compliment to people who this maters the most to and a personality or skill compliment to others. Especially to the hard cookies to crack.

7. A week without Chocolate

Changing the eating pattern is the worse for me, because I do eat breakfast and lunch at the same time but then there is always this stupid craving for more food in the afternoon and there is this annoying gremlin fallowing me around saying, no actually shouting, “Chocolate!!” every time I walk or drive past a shop, café, gas station, gym, hot guy. Yes everything looks like chocolate! I do not remember a week I have done without chocolate or sweets and initially I wanted to do a whole month but I can’t lie to myself. I just think I cannot do the whole month so I will try to do 1 week without chocolate and sugar. Writing this down is getting me excited and motivated. I hope it lasts!

8. The Letter

Funny, I started writing this post in Slovenian. So I will write a letter to myself 10 years from now. And I think it will be encouraging and optimistic and I hope in 10 years it will make my day and make me see how much I have grown and progressed within this years.

9. Say Yes

Do you think it’s possible to say Yes to everything for 24 hours? I want to try! I will not say to anyone that it’s my Yes day however everything I will be asked I will reply with Yes – just need to make sure that it’s a day when I am not going to the mall in Dubai. In that case I will buy the whole shop and if I go to McDonald’s I will buy the burger which I always eat and every other single thing from their menu – it’s too many yes and no questions there.

10. Trip with my parents

I will organize a trip together with my family. My sister, her boyfriend, their beautiful daughter Ava and my parents. And it is slowly coming together – we have already decided on Turkey in September, preferably over both of my parents birthdays. I will just need to start my research on the accommodation, sights and also on relaxation and getting a tan!

30 before 30

I haven't written a blog post in ages. Since 2017 to be exact and perhaps I will regret it one day - especially since I will most likely forget a lot of good things that have happened during my time in Scotland and Dubai. Nevertheless I will start again and I think this will be the most important decision of my life. 

I am not shy to admit I am 28 years old, soon to be 29. And turning 29 has made me realize there are a few things I would like to change or achieve in my life before I turn 30. So I have stared writing a list of 30 before 30.

First time I have written the list I was running out of ideas, then they came easily and now I think I have to re-look at the whole thing. Possibly change a few things, remove a few and add a couple extra. Just to not run out of the 30 things to do. I will post the list in separate posts of 5 with the top 5 fast approaching. 

1. 1,000 km

A few days ago, thinking of the 30 before 30 switched on an idea in my mind. Would I be able to run 1,000 km in 1 year? I don't see any reason why not. It would mean 20 km per week or 3 km per day for 334 days. I like the idea of 20 better since it gives me smaller goals to achieve maybe only 4 days a week (5 km each day?). How exciting is this?!

2. Gratitude

I have started reading a book about gratitude (Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan) and straight away it set me on a right path. It made me think of how I could change my life through small actions and gestures. Janice writes about falling back in love with her husband, about her children, materialistic things and also health. Several things on which I definitely have to work on (focusing on the fact that at the moment I do not have a husband and of course even less potential for kids). She starts a simple habit of writing down 3 things which she is grateful for every single day. I will buy a beautiful book in which I will write 3 things I am thankful for every day. Ironically my birthday falls on Thanksgiving day in 2019 just when I will finish my year of Gratitude. 

3. 12 books

I would like to read 12 books in a year. I know it does not sound a lot, and it's not but I have to start somewhere since I have been quite lazy in the past year. I would like to read at least 1 book a month. Maybe even re-read my favorite Harry Potter books again (dork :))

4. The Unexpected 12

I would like to do 12 things which I have never thought I could or would do. I have decided not to do Skydiving or Bungee jumping or Zip Line. But hiking Triglav or last minute booking of the flight ticket would definitely fall under this category. 

5. Panda

I am obsessed with Pandas and would give anything to see one. And I think I need to either travel to China or to a Zoo which is taking care of Pandas in the upcoming year. I would love to see them rolling around and falling and just be adorable. #Goals