My far-from-boring list

Yes, I used to be one of those people who make lists – ‘to-do’ lists, ‘to achieve’ lists, ‘to plan’ lists etc. But when the pandemic struck, I found myself in unfamiliar territory – there was not much to do, and it was impossible to plan anything. I guess being unable to do the amazing things life has to offer played a major part in me deciding to create a new kind of list – the bucket list of all the things I want to experience in life. And this time it was far from boring!

I went crazy with my imagination. I allowed myself to be as bold and silly as I possibly could. Only the most outstanding experiences made the cut. I don’t think I cared very much if they were realistic or practical – they made me feel good.

Of course my rational mind understood that there was a slim chance of me being interviewed by ?Oprah, or finding a beach where I could gallop a horse wearing a floaty gown and looking fabulous. But our imagination is the place where we shouldn’t play safe.

Dreams are called dreams for a reason.

And the most amazing thing happens when one of your dreams actually does come true. It lifts your spirits up in a way you have never imagined. It creates a space for you to exist beyond the boundaries of our ordinary lives. It inspires the hunger and passion for life.

Yesterday one of my dreams came true – I went to Ed Sheeran’s concert. It was AMAZING!!! He played all my favourite songs, and I danced all night, screaming the words of his anthems to the point of completely losing my voice.

Over eight thousand people attended his concert in Wembley, so the Uber ride home was unattainable. It started to rain, and my friend and I ran to the station. There were unimaginable crowds, and it took us over two hours to get home. But as I was riding the last train through Central London, soaking wet and high on adrenalin, I felt like I was twenty-one again – wild and free.

Since the pandemic, my crazy bucket list is the only long-term planning list I have been making. I consciously decided to start measuring my life and my achievements in a different way – the feel-good factor. Because life is not a collection of accomplishments – life is the compilation of snapshot-moments when you feel alive. Everything else is fleeting anyway ??.?

More cool pics in my Instagram stories @nia_london