What an amazing year!
At the beginning of last summer I had a shaggy shapeless mop of hair and had been wearing glasses since the age of seven!
I was a busy working Mum with no time for myself and had been that way for over fifteen years!!
2005
So what is new?
Well... my haircut is new! My contact lens are new! My wardrobe has taken a leap of faith and won and... I even own make-up!!
So what happened? My daughter happened that's what!
We both loved watching Gok Wan and we love his way of changing a girls clothes and making her look again at the way she sees herself.
As my 40th birthday approached I could only focus on the number - it was everywhere, overshadowing everything! I became obsessed with my age and everything else paled into insignificance!
Eventually, my 15 year old daughter Emily suggested that I should have a new haircut and lose the glasses!
So I did!
She came with me to the hairdressers and the hair went! Well not all of it but alot of it! I loved it! Why didn't I do this years ago??
Next I saw the optician and had a contact lens trial which went so well that I started wearing them full-time and haven't looked back since!
After that came the shopping - oh yeah! It's what girls do best!! Previously I had been a frustrated shopper, looking for clothes which covered me up and hid the parts I didn't want to show! But now... I looked for tops which showed my shape, and wasn't afraid of wearing things a little tighter instead of simply picking a larger size!! I tried high heel shoes and it felt good - really good!
I even bought make-up and used it!
The absolute icing on the cake for me was when I went to Reading, got naked in front of a stranger and had him take photos of me! It was the wildest, most scarey thing I had ever done but it was great!!
My confidence soared and I started thinking about my life and about other things I wanted to do...!
I have had many opportunities in my life and I'm ashamed to say that I have passed many of them over through lack of confidence. Missed adventures simply because I was too scared to try!
What did I miss out on? You wanna know what? Well, the biggie, for me was missing out on a weeks sailing trip on a tall masted rigger when I was in the Sea Cadets. I had the chance to sail for a week on T.S. Royalist but they wouldn't let me go when I said I didn't like heights - one of the tasks aboard would be to climb the mast and rig the sails... I regret to this day ever letting on that I was scared!
Another time we were on a camping trip and I had the chance to go abseiling... once again I chickened out for fear of the height! It wasn't even a high one!! What was it with me??
So I decided... I was gonna take the bull by the horns and make my 40th year one to remember!
Life begins at 40 right?
So I wrote a list - yes there is an actual list!
WHAT DID I DO? Oh My God - LOADS!! I don't think I can even remember stuff!
Go Windsurfing - I did this for my birthday on 7th September 2008 - Great fun but Gary had the patience of a Saint!
London Theatre Trip - John took me to see 'Jersey Boys' September 2008, it was a brilliant show and a fantastic start to my year!
Do the Playtex Moonwalk - On 16-17th May 2009 I completed the 26.2 mile power walk and raised £375.50 for Breast cancer Charities!
Amsterdame09 - In June 2009 I cycled 250 miles from York to Amsterdam and back and raised £651.50 for Marie Curie Cancer Care
Great Yorkshire Show - I went for the first time ever and spent the day taking photographs - doesn't sound much to some but I loved it!!
WHAT HAVEN'T I DONE? (Yet...!)
Walk up Snowden - maybe combined with white water rafting??
Abseil Down the Humber Bridge - This is no longer allowed but I do have an abseil challenge planned to replace it!
Attend a Rock Concert - This is definitely gonna happen!!
Have a go on a Climbing Wall - not done yet - its gonna be scarey but I'll do it!
Lose a stone in weight - not holding my breath for this one but you never know!
Indoor Sky-Diving - I haven't done this yet but I will - in fact this is looking like it might be a family trip :-)
Walk the Catbells - a weekend in the Lake District should do it!
Nightclubbing - just never had the opportunity!
Be at the London Eye for New Year 2009 - no tickets booked yet but let's see!!
So, the highs... were the highest, the low was sooo low (there was only one - Battersea Park at about 2.30am on the morning of Sunday 17th May 2009 - but it got better!) - MY WHOLE YEAR WAS AMAZING!!
Thanks John - you have been such a rock in supporting me throughout all of this! I love you I have only one thing left to say ... There ain't no stopping me now!!
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