The Koala and I have just come home from a long weekend at a sweet house by the beach celebrating my sister and her boyfriend’s birthdays. It was wonderful to hang out with them and a group of their best friends. Being married and with a tight group of my own friends, I don’t meet new faces often. I’m an introvert but it’s great to get out of your comfort zone. New experiences encourage growth.
Over the long weekend, Elise over at The Confetti Room proposed a Year of Firsts tag, where bloggers write a list of 20-30 firsts they want to experience this year and blog about them.
I was lucky to sit next to Elise at the recent #brunchclub Auckland event and within 10 minutes of meeting, we discovered we went to the same primary school in Rotorua. It’s funny to wonder if our paths may crossed over 20 years ago. Serendipitous!
I am all about bucket lists and new challenges. Especially food related ones. Two years ago, I started the link up party Our Growing Edge to challenge fellow bloggers to experience new food adventures every month. Being mostly a food blog, some of my proposed firsts are food related and some are not. Some are resolution-ish and I’ve thought about all of these over the last few months.
My Year of Firsts:
- Design or write a cook book
- Master the art of charcoal barbecue
- Smoke a fish
- Cook a full size octopus
- Shuck an oyster
- Participate in a progressive dinner
- Go to Art Dego
- Visit a city I’ve never been to and eat their iconic dish
- Add “Photographer” to my skillset
- Create a portfolio of my photography
- Do food styling for someone else
- Take a photo of myself that I am happy with. I tried.
- Visit waterfalls
- Save half my earnings
- Donate (time or money) to worthy causes
- Go to a blogger’s meetup
- Collaborate with other bloggers
- Create a media kit
- Step out of my comfort zone…
- …But be happy to say “no”.
Bloggers participating in Year of Firsts tag:
- The Confetti Room
- How Do You Do 22
- Ben Evans
- Dani Pohlod
- Organic Ash
- Elese, Aesthete
- Emma Louisa
- Muffin-Mum
- The Kid Bucket List
- Amber In Wonderland
- Looking For Mama Me
- Beautemptations
- How Do You Do 22
- A Ticket To Paris
- Montage Madness in a Paintbox
If you have a blog and would like to participate in Year of Firsts tag, just leave a comment below.
Rules:
- Make a list of 20 – 30 ‘firsts’ you want to experience this year.
- Document those experiences by taking photos and blogging about them, linking back to your list.
Bunny Eats Design 
This is such a great list Genie! I actually shucked a chilly bin full of massive pacific oysters today, it’s quite fun! Cooking a full size octopus will be an adventure itself! I couldn’t do it that’s for sure!xo
I’d love to try and shuck a chilly bin full of oysters! How funny that’s what you did today. I might need you to teach me. I’ve never cooked octopus before. There’s something a daunting about it that I like. Like taming the beast.
Sound’s like a great idea! I’m sure we all have a list of things we’d like to try and achieve this year, and writing it all down and sharing with someone will give just a tad more motivation to actually make it happen. I’m going to try and put together a list for myself later on today 🙂
Writing it down makes you a little more accountable. It’s so easy not to do things if you keep the list private. No one will ever know.
Fantastic list, Genie – I hope you achieve all of these and more!
Thanks Lesley.
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Oh yes, I have already got a list in my head and concurred a couple.
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Awesome list! I got so hungry for seafood reading the start of it hehe. Best of luck on your ventures!
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totally copied you on the “create a media kit” part! 🙂
and wow, #14! I thought I was taking it seriously by aiming to save 1/4 of my earnings but that’s a whole new level of commitment there. well done!
You have some great ambitious items on your list! I love that they are so creative 🙂 I’ve finally got my list up on line, cant wait to start!
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Love your list! Definitely want to see pictures of the Octopus when you cook it!
I’ve made a list to over at my blog Beautiful Temptations
http://beautemptations.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/year-of-firsts.html
Thanks forr writing