The Ultimate Bucket List

~ itwasmytwin ~ 2 Comments

Because life is too short and you’ve got to go for everything! Word of warning – mine is pretty bloody long and I still couldn’t fit everything on this list!! I don’t know what I’ve been doing for the past however many years but it would seem I need to get a move on… I’m hoping that putting it all in writing will push me to get them all ticked off!

  1. Get my Motorbike Licence
  2. Get my PADI Scuba Diving qualification
  3. Learn how to play the Electric Guitar
  4. Take up Pottery
  5. Master the art of Floristry
  6. Learn how to Surf
  7. Learn how to make Sushi
  8. Learn how to reupholster Furniture
  9. Learn Feng Shui
  10. Volunteer at a Dog Rescue Centre
  11. Volunteer at an Orangutan Foundation in Borneo
  12. Volunteer at an Elephant Sanctuary
  13. Go to Africa and do volunteer work in Schools
  14. Husky sledding in Canada
  15. Swim with a Great White Shark
  16. Scuba Dive the Great Barrier Reef
  17. Watch Turtles hatch and run for the ocean
  18. Whale Watching
  19. Swim with Pigs in the Bahamas
  20. Go to Easter Island
  21. Go on Safari, Kruger National Park
  22. See the Taj Mahal
  23. Visit the Temples and Gardens of Kyoto
  24. Visit Machu Picchu
  25. See the Northern Lights
  26. Visit St Petersburg and Moscow, Russia
  27. Go to Palawan, Philippines
  28. Walk the Great Wall of China
  29. Ride in a Gondola in Venice
  30. Go to Nashville
  31. Leave a lock on Pont des Art Bridge in Paris
  32. Travel on the Orient Express
  33. Swim under a Waterfall
  34. Go on a Cruise
  35. Attend a Japanese Tea Ceremony
  36. Ancient Ruins of Petra
  37. Amalfi Coast, Italy
  38. Go Skiing in Aspen
  39. Float in the Dead Sea
  40. Go on a road trip across Europe
  41. Sail the Whitsunday Islands
  42. Visit Saudi Arabia one last time
  43. Travel Route 66 on a Harley Davidson
  44. Go to a German Christmas Market
  45. Visit Tuscany
  46. Wine Tasting in Napa Valley
  47. White Water Rafting
  48. Visit Claude Monet’s House and Gardens
  49. See the Whirling Dervishes in action
  50. Blow a lot of money in Vegas
  51. Coachella Festival
  52. Ultra Music Festival in Miami
  53. Go to the Day of the Dead, Mexico
  54. Oktoberfest
  55. Holi Festival, India
  56. Burning Man Festival
  57. Full Moon Party, Koh Phangan
  58. Wild West at the Calgary Stampede, Canada
  59. Watch England in the Rugby World Cup
  60. Monaco Grand Prix
  61. Visit Alcatraz
  62. Visit Coco Chanel’s Apartment in Paris
  63. Celebrate NYE in Times Square
  64. Attend a Gallery Opening
  65. Murder Mystery Dinner
  66. Watch the Rolling Stones live
  67. Go to a Monster Truck Show
  68. Go to the Opera
  69. Attend a Fashion Show
  70. Charter a Yacht
  71. Attend the Olympics
  72. Attend a Royal Garden Party
  73. Go to Henley Regatta
  74. Go to Ascot Ladies Day
  75. Go to Wimbledon
  76. Go to a Yoga Retreat
  77. Work on a Farm/Ranch
  78. Go to a Boxing Match
  79. Fly in a Helicopter
  80. Ride a Dune Buggy in the Desert
  81. Ride a Zipline
  82. Go Horse Riding along a beach
  83. Swim the English Channel for Charity
  84. Take up Kick Boxing
  85. Write a book
  86. Start my own business
  87. Design my own house or barn conversion
  88. Grow my own herbs and vegetables
  89. Own a Harley Davidson
  90. Own a Vintage Car

 

 

Life after Dad

~ itwasmytwin ~ 4 Comments

The last 2 months have been a nightmare and sometimes, even now, I can’t believe it’s real. My Dad passed away on the 13th of May after suffering a massive heart attack whilst on a business trip in the Philippines.

I know it hasn’t completely hit me yet, the last 2 months have been a whirlwind and I often find myself thinking that I don’t want to believe it has actually happened. My dad was an absolute hero and at only 65 years old I keep thinking, why?

Dad had just arrived in the Philippines and had literally just pulled up to his hotel when he went into cardiac arrest. Arriving at the hospital in Manila he was DOA (we weren’t told this at first and when I did find out it broke my heart) – 54 minutes later the amazing doctors brought his heart back. My Mum was in Saudi Arabia so on hearing what had happened she got on the next flight and arrived in the Philippines the following day. We didn’t know how bad Dad was, I suppose his colleagues didn’t want us to know the whole story until we got to the hospital ourselves. All we were told was to get there. So my brother and I, along with our Aunt and Nan (88 years old!), spent the 15-hour flight from London with high hopes, joking that Dad would be fine and annoyed about all of the fuss made over him.

The Philippines had always been somewhere I had wanted to go, but never under such awful circumstances. We went straight to the hospital from the airport and my heart sank when I saw my dad hooked up to a crazy amount of machines. It was only then that I realised Dad wasn’t going to be the same again, but I still had hope that he would pull through.

The next morning after a few hours’ sleep we headed back to the hospital to meet with the 6 specialists, that meeting would change our lives forever. The consultants explained that there was nothing more they could do and that the only choice we had was to turn off the life support. I will never forget looking up at my brother and seeing the pain etched into his face. Each of us were trying to stay strong but all I wanted to do was run away and hide. We were told that it would take roughly 4 hours for my dad to go, my dad was an amazing man and didn’t give up without a fight. 48 hours later on 13th May he left us.

The days after that were a blur, flying home, speaking to family and friends. Everything was so surreal, thinking back now it feels like it was just yesterday. I know everyone thinks their dad is the best but my dad really was my hero. He was such a strong, hardworking man and he did it all for his family. Dad sacrificed so much so that we never wanted for anything and one of my biggest regrets now is that I don’t even think he knew how grateful I was. As he lived and worked in Saudi Arabia (Mum split her time between there and the UK) my brother and I only saw him 3-4 times a year but we would cherish every moment we saw him. Even now I sometimes forget and think he’s still over in Saudi, working away, and that he’ll be home soon. But then I have to remind myself that he’s not coming back and this is real.

I wish I had had the chance to tell my Dad how much I appreciated everything he did, how much I loved him. I look back now and treasure all of the times we spent together, he had a wicked sense of humour and he was loved by everyone that knew him. It’s so sad to think that it’s only now I realise how lucky I am to have him for a Dad, I didn’t even think about it before, but as everyone says – you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. And that is so incredibly true.

I will forever be a Daddy’s girl, and there won’t be one day that goes by where I won’t miss him. The older you get, unexplainable things happen – and I don’t think you are meant to know why they’ve happened – but I just wish that my dad hadn’t been taken away so soon. They always say that the best ones go first, and my dad was definitely up there with the best of them.

 

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Jumpsuits & Wraps!

~ itwasmytwin ~ Leave a comment

I can’t believe it’s been a few weeks since my last post! Work and too many Birthdays have been keeping me busy! Definitely need extra hours in a day…

Right, so at the end of next Month I’m off to sunny Portugal for a few days, and what better excuse for buying new clothes than a little getaway! Now, as a reformed shopaholic (most of the time) I have been really good recently at making the most of my current wardrobe and not overspending… But who am I kidding, a girl ALWAYS needs new clothes, right?!

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