Wednesday 30 December 2015

Reflection | A Year in Review: 2015


2015 has been a very strange year for me. All the normal traditions and timescales for things went completely out of the window. Overall I probably wouldn't class it as a great year - for reasons which I'm sure i'll share over time but are currently still quite raw. Focussing on the positive though for the new year ahead and even though I wouldn't class it as a great year I have still accomplished things this year which I am incredibly proud of. 




2015 in Numbers

Number of bucket list goals completed: 8
Number of countries visited: 3
Number of weddings attended: 2
Number of hen do's attended: 1
Number of funerals attended: 0
Number of boyfriends gained: 1
Number of concerts attended: 6
Number of instagram uploads: 123
Number of blog posts: 20

2015 Top 6 Highlights

1. Drinking champagne in the sky bar in Amsterdam with my two best girls, and then the whole experience of Amsterdam; canals, red light district, trams, ice cream and fairy lights.
2. Finally accepting a date with James and having some amazing times with him ever since. He pestered me for a while before I accepted as we worked together and I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to date someone from work.
3. Two of my childhood friends got married and it was the most wonderful, dreamy day and I had so much fun. I've known them both since we were 11 and I got the school bus with Chris and used to have sleepovers with Emma. To see them so happy together was just wonderful.
4. Experiencing Glastonbury festival for the first time with a great bunch of friends and seeing artists like George Ezra, Jessie Ware, Florence and the Machine, Lionel Richie, Jamie T, Kanye and loads more. Also we all (16 of us) managed to get tickets for Glastonbury 2016!
5. Starting my college course and embarking of 5 years of studying - I will now finally graduate!! So proud of myself for working up the courage to study again even though I'm a fair few years behind everybody else. Even though i'm still working full time whilst studying i'm loving it even though I now seem to have very limited spare time.
6. Jetting off to the gorgeous country of  the Dominican republic in the Caribbean just before christmas and spending some quality time with my mum, brother and James just before christmas which was such a luxury. I can't wait to have the money to go back and explore the country some more.



2015 Bucket List Update

Skills & Achievements
001 - Learn a second language to a fluent standard
002 - Learn to ski
003 - Learn to snowboard
004 - Complete a half marathon
005 - Complete a marathon
006 - Climb to the top of a mountain
007 - Learn how to ride a bike
008 - Learn to drive
009 - Learn how to ride a horse
010 - Learn how to longboard
011 - Learn how to scuba dive
012 - Learn how to paddle board
013 - Learn how to do the splits
014 - Learn how to do a hand stand
015 - Learn the basics of ballet
016 - Learn mixology
017 - Learn how to make ice cream
018 - Learn how to bake a cake
019 - Learn basic first aid

Experiences
020 - Ride a camel
021 - Ride in a hot air balloon
022 - Ride an elephant
023 - Ride in a horse drawn carriage
024 - Ride a jet ski
025 - Ride in a limo
026 - Ride a motorbike
027 - Ride a mechanical bull
028 - Ride a cable car
029 - Ride in a tuk tuk
030 - Skydive
031 - Go on a zip line
032 - Swim or stand in/under a waterfall
033 - Go white water rafting
034 - Fly in a helicopter
035 - Fly first class
036 - Go Parasailing
037 - Go Zorbing
038 - Go dog sledding
039 - Go whale watching
040 - Swim with dolphins
041 - Swim with sharks
042 - Swim with a whale shark
043 - Swim with turtles
044 - Have afternoon tea at the Ritz
045 - Swim in a hot spring
046 - Explore a wreck
047 - Buy a house
048 - Volunteer abroad
049 - Surf in Australia
050 - Get a tattoo
051 - Hug a koala
052 - Get married
053 - Take a picture everyday for a year
054 - Sleep on the beach under the stars
055 - Be a bridesmaid
056 - Visit a spa
057 - Have a mud bath
058 - Sing karaoke in public
059 - Stay in a 5* hotel
060 - Meet a member of the royal family
061 - Be on a TV show
062 - Attend a film premiere
063 - Experience a white christmas
064 - Go on Safari
065 - Walk on a glacier
066 - Stroke a tiger
067 - Donate blood
068 - Create a small library of my own
069 - Go skinny dipping
070 - Take pictures in a photo booth
071 - Party on a boat/yacht
072 - Witness a total solar eclipse (17.08.2017)
073 - Cliff jump
074 - Own a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes
075 - Go to prom
076 - Go all the tennis majors (Wimbledon, Australian open, French open, US open)
077 - Hold a snake around my neck
078 - Kiss a sea lion
079 - Milk a cow
080 - Walk on a black sand beach
081 - Meet someone really famous
082 - Do a run for charity
083 - Go to a life drawing class
084 - Have a professional massage
085 - Have my palm read
086 - Order room service
087 - Go wine tasting
088 - Drink milk fresh from a coconut
089 - Eat an insect
090 - Eat oysters
091 - Be an extra in a movie
092 - Bet at the dog races
093 - Bet at the horse races
094 - Go to a six nations rugby match
095 - Go to a drive in movie
096 - Complete a 1000 piece puzzle
097 - Go quad biking 
098 - Visit a castle
099 - Go on a cruise

Places to visit
United Kingdom
100 - Visit Stonehenge | England
101 - Go to Glastonbury Festival | England
102 - Ride the London eye | England
103 - Go to watch the Cheltenham Gold Cup | England
104 - Go to Royal Ascot races | England
105 - See a play on the West End | England
106 - Visit Highclere castle | England
107 - See Blackpool illuminations | England
108 - Eat fish & chips in Brighton | England
109 - Visit the Tower of London | England
110 - Visit Buckingham Palace | England
111 - Visit the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square | England
112 - Visit the National Portrait Gallery | England
113 - Visit Madame Tussauds, London | England
114 - Experience the Bristol Balloon Fiesta | England
115 - Celebrate St Patricks Day in Ireland | Ireland
116 - Visit Giants Causeway | Ireland
117 - See the fairy pools | Scotland
118 - Visit Loch Ness and look for Nessie | Scotland

Europe
119 - See the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis | Scandinavia
120 - Stay in an ice hotel, JukkasjÀrvi | Sweden
121 - Stay in an Igloo hotel | Finland
122 - See the Little Mermaid, Copenhagen | Denmark
123 - Take a dip in the Blue Lagoon | Iceland
124 - Cycle through Amsterdam | Netherlands
125 - Visit Anne Frank House, Amsterdam | Netherlands
126 - Walk through the tulip fields | Netherlands
127 - Explore Vondelpark, Amsterdam | Netherlands
128 - Go to Disneyland Paris | France
129 - Go up the Eiffel Tower, Paris | France
130 - Visit Notre Dame, Paris | France
131 - Ice Skate at the Grand Palais, Paris | France
132 - Visit the Louvre, Paris | France
133 - See a show at the Moulin Rouge, Paris | France
134 - Gamble in Monte Carlo | Monaco
135 - Walk Chain Bridge, Budapest | Hungary
136 - Explore Buda Castle, Budapest | Hungary
137 - Make a wish in the Trevi Fountain, Rome | Italy
138 - Visit the Colloseum, Rome | Italy
139 - Take a gondola in Venice | Italy
140 - Hold up the tower of Pisa | Italy
141 - Write a letter to Juliet's wall, Verona | Italy
142 - See Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel | Vatican City
143 - Go to the Christmas Market in Prague | Czech Republic
144 - Visit the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona | Spain
145 - See the Magic Fountain, Barcelona | Spain
146 - Visit the Tunnel of Love | Ukraine
147 - Outdoor jacuzzi Iglu Dorf hotel | Switzerland
148 - Visit umbrella street | Portugal
149 - Visit national place Sintra | Portugal
150 - Visit the Plitvice Lakes | Croatia
151 - Visit Auschwitz-Birkenau museum | Poland
152 - Explore the Old Town in Krakow | Poland
153 - Visit Wawel castle, Krakow | Poland
154 - Visit Lake Bled and ring the church bell | Slovenia
155 - Visit Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria | Germany
156 - Visit Salzburg Old Town | Austria

North America & Canada
157 - Experience New York at christmas | New York
158 - Ice Skate in Central Park | New York
159 - See the Statue of Liberty | New York
160- Watch a show on Broadway | New York
161 - Go to the top of the Empire State Building | New York
162 - Stand in Times Square | New York
163 - Visit Niagara Falls | Ontario/New York
164 - Surf in Hawaii | Hawaii
165 - Go to Disneyland, Florida | Florida
166 - Go to Universal Orlando | Florida
167 - Gamble in Las Vegas | Nevada
168 - Visit the Grand Canyon | Arizona
169 - Visit Lake Louise | Canada
170 - Place a lock on the Corkstown bridge, Ottawa | Canada
171 - Visit the hot springs in the Canadian Rockies | Canada
172 - Take a photo with the Hollywood Sign | California
173 - Visit Yosemite National Park | California
174 - See the Golden Gate Bridge, San Fransisco | California
175 - See the White House | Washington DC
176 - Visit Yellowstone National Park | Wyoming
177 - Visit the Caribbean | Caribbean

South America
178 - Experience the carnival in Rio De Janeiro | Brazil
179 - Take a photo at the bottom of Christ the Redeemer | Brazil
180 - Visit the Galapagos Islands | Ecuador
181 - Explore the Amazon Rainforest | Ecuador
182 - Take a dip in the worlds largest pool | Chile
183 - Visit the Marble Caves | Chile
184 - See the statues on Easter Island | Chile
185 - Camp out in a luxury tent with a view of Torres del Paine | Chile
186 - Trek to Machu Picchu | Peru
187 - Fly over Angel Falls | Venezuela
188 - See the Salar de Uyuni salt flat | Bolivia
189 - Explore Buenos Aires | Argentina
190 - Watch some Argentine Tango | Argentina

Africa
191 - Visit the Pyramids | Egypt
192 - Snorkel in the Red Sea | Egypt
193 - Swim in Lake Malawi | Malawi
194 - Visit Timbuktu | Mali
195 - Go Gorilla trekking | Uganda
196 - Jump in Devils Pool at Victoria Falls | Zambia
197 - Safari in Serengeti National Park | Tanzania
198 - Barter in the markets of Marrakech | Morocco

Asia
199 - Float in the Dead Sea | Israel
200 - Watch the sunrise at Angkor Wat | Cambodia
201 - Walk the Great Wall of China | China
202 - Experience the Loy Krathong festival | Thailand
203 - Shop in the markets, Chiang Mai | Thailand
204 - Walk over the Bridge Over The River Kwai | Thailand
205 - Enjoy a night out on Soi Cowboy | Thailand
206 - Island hop | Thailand
207 - Experience the Full Moon party, Koh Phangan | Thailand
208 - Visit Ayutthaya the old capital of Siam | Thailand
209 - See the Emerald Buddha at the Grand Palace | Thailand
210 - Cycle around the Bagan Temples | Myanmar
211 - Visit Pura Lempuyang door, Bali | Indonesia
212 - Walk the Rainforest Canopy Walkway | Borneo
213 - Feed Orangutans | Borneo
214 - See the Petronas Towers | Malaysia
215 - Take a dip in the pool on the 57th Floor of the Marina Bay Sands Casino | Singapore
216 - Visit Buddha Park | Laos
217 - Visit Ha Long Bay | Vietnam
218 - Visit the Gold Souk | Dubai
219 - Experience the Burf Al Arab | Dubai
220 - See the view from the top of the Burf Khalifa | Dubai

Oceania
221 - Glow worm cave | New Zealand
222 - Dive the Great Barrier Reef | Australia
223 - See Quokkas at Rottnest Island | Australia
224 - Drive on the Great Ocean Road | Australia
225 - See the Twelve Apostles | Australia
226 - Climb Sydney Harbour Bridge | Australia
227 - Catch sea turtle hatching, Heron Island | Australia
228 - Visit Ayres Rock | Australia
229 - Stay at the Palazzo Versace Hotel | Australia
230 - Sunbathe on Bondi Beach | Australia
231 - Visit Australia Zoo | Australia
232 - View the Aurora Australis | Australia/Tasmania

233 - Set foot on every continent bar the Arctic
(Europe, Africa, Asia, America, Oceania, S.America)

Total complete so far: 
59 out of 233 
25%

I'm really excited for what's to come in 2016 so here's to a new year and another set of goals to try and achieve!

Love Rachel x

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