Last month I turned 30 and I won’t lie, I had mixed feelings about it…

Part of me kept repeating one of my favourite quotes “Growing old is a privilege denied to many” and the other part of me couldn’t help but mourn my 20s.

There was only one thing I knew for certain. I wanted to be on an island, blissfully unplugged from my phone + reality with my boys. So, we did just that and it was absolutely perfect.

Leading up to my birthday I couldn’t help but think back on the last 10 years. How I’m still the same 20 year old in so many ways and in others I’m completely different. I laugh thinking back to how I thought I knew it all, thought I was so mature and had it all figured out.

In the last decade I taught myself photography, started my own business, grew that business, got married, renovated our home/studio, traveled the world photographing it with my love, got pregnant and welcomed our first baby. Obviously the last part was the very best of all.

While we were away I started keeping a list in my phone and notebook on bucket list items I’ve always wanted to do. These usually pop in and out of my head so I like that I took a month to jot them all down to keep track! I’m looking forward to the next decade with a new perspective and appreciation for life. A little bit wiser but still the same dreamer I’ve always been. I’ve kept some of the items on my list private but here are most. I hope it inspires you to do the same and start checking them off one by one 🙂

morning of my birthday looking out at all the “cows” aka birds, dogs and cats with J

Nutella crepe + frappe for breakfast please and thanks…30 is off to a great start

always smooching this kid

probably begging for kisses

Ko had 30 white roses flown into the island for me because the flower shops on the island only had coloured roses and he wanted me to have white. It was so sweet (of course I gave him some flack for spending $$ on me – I have to work on receiving gifts a bit more gracefully lol)

my whole world right here

Personal

• God willing, grow our family
• Buy a home (bonus points if we are able to build my studio into it)
• DISNEY!! Need I say more? Ko and I went on our honeymoon – we can’t wait to go back with our kids one day
• Build the coolest fort from sheets and pillows in our home and have a slumber party inside it
  Movie night outside in our backyard with family and friends
• Snow Forts + Snow Fights + Snow Angels…give me all the fun winter activities with my littles
• Learn to tango with Ko (I love dancing and miss it so much, Ko has agreed to entertain this idea – if nothing else we will have a good laugh)
• Hug a Panda (specifically a baby Panda…the Toronto Zoo if you are reading this I’ll clear my schedule to hug those babies!!) I will also take a baby penguin too
• Drive a Vespa
• Create a portrait book of all my family members and people I love
• Grow a garden in our backyard
• Random: I’ve always wanted to use a pottery wheel?!
• Learn do to braids on myself so I don’t have to bug the little sis every time I want them
• Glass blowing
• Helicopter Ride

I think the biggest personal bucket list item I can think of is to create time to do the small ordinary things with my family that make me the happiest. Sure doing an epic photo shoot and travelling around the world are great but I’ve learned that the things that bring me the greatest joy are in life are when I slow down to enjoy cooking dinner with Ko, playing a board game, going on long walks, doing arts and crafts, celebrating holidays together. That’s what makes my life feel full, okay and a hug from a baby panda…

PROFESSIONAL

• I know this one is more of a goal vs a bucket list item but infuse much more creativity into my work – bring the images in my head to reality
• Visit Paris again…its been too long – its time 😉
• Chose a personal photography project and start creating it (I have a few ideas but haven’t decided yet…portraits of mothers? Flowers? Self-portraits?…we’ll see ;D)
• Photograph more beautiful gowns (I live for images like this and this) I think it would be so fun to shoot a bridal lookbook or something like that – give me all the gowns haha
• While we are talking about gowns – some dream locations – Eiffel Tower + Brooklyn Bridge
  Create my dream studio
• Hire my ‘dream’ team
• Meet Sue Bryce (most photographers know who she is, I wouldn’t be where I am today without this woman)
• Complete my ‘Into The Woods’ Collection along with a few other collection ideas I got up my sleeve
  Attend a Photography Workshop (I believe in being a life long student, you always improve and continue growing)
• Attend a business retreat with likeminded creatives
• Find a perfect business coach (something I’ve wanted to invest in for years – I love taking courses but would love to have more one-on-one guidance – any suggestions?)
• Join a mastermind
• Host / Create a Branding Photoshoot Workshop (I have so many photographers asking about what I do, I’d love to host a workshop so more people could offer this fun package)
• Have a gallery showcase of my work
• Coffee Table Book of my photography
• Photograph a cookbook (I know this might seem totally strange but I’ve always loved the photography in cookbooks and think it would be so fun to do! I love the photography in Gwyneth Paltrow’s Its all good cookbook)
• Photograph wild horses (or trained horses…in the wild…not picky here)
• Design my own camera bag (something chic, practical and comfortable)

TRAVEL

• Safari (Ko and I have talked about doing this for years – Giraffe Manor is on the top of the list)
  Hawaii (Our love of Moana has made our love for Hawaii grow exponentially lol)
• Castle Tour (Germany, Britain…why not toss some stunning French chateau’s while we are at it)
• Iceland
• Romantic Trip just Kosta and I
• Paris (again) + South of France
• Hot Air Balloon Festival (there is one in the US and one in Turkey, this one has also been on my list since I was a teenager!)
• See and photograph the Northern Lights
• Photograph more of my country – Canada!
• lots lots more but these are highest on my list!

please note my shoe slowly falling apart throughout the entire day lol by the end it was a flip flop

Thanks for stopping by loves!

I’d love to hear from you! What’s in your bucket list?