At the beginning of this year, rather than commit to new year resolutions, I set myself a challenge to achieve 52 things in 52 weeks.

 It was a random list, a mix of places to visit, things to learn, things to do, sometimes a one off achievement, sometimes an ongoing commitment over twelve months.

It’s been a fun year working through my 52 challenges. It’s not important that three were not completed and eight will be carried over to next year. The journey itself has been a success.

Tasmania was so absorbing that we didn’t go exploring on the mainland. The food is fresh and delicious so I have eaten too much and not lost weight. Better care of my health will be a continual challenge for next year.

There aren’t any drive-in cinema’s here, but I’ve been to drive-in speedway and powerboat races. We aren’t close to the west coast so we haven’t seen an ocean moon set this year.

I have done new things that weren’t on my list back at the beginning of the year. I’ve seen penguins in the wild, seen dolphins from my lounge window. I’ve seen the Aurora Australis and participated in a Guinness World Record.

2015 was always going to be an amazing year ~ my mid life gap year, no work, a move across the world. These quirky challenges have added to the dimension of the past twelve months.

Carried forward to next year:

7 ~ Drive along Australia’s Great Ocean Road

10 ~ Get a new job

12 ~ Visit Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania

20 ~ See moon set over the ocean

22 ~ Skinny dip in the ocean

23 ~ Go to a drive in movie

29 ~ Get to a healthy BMI and maintain it

30 ~ Visit Western Australia

 

Completed:

1 ~ Visit Gibraltar ✔✔

2 ~ Live in another country for 6 months minimum ✔✔

3 ~ Drive a left hand drive car on the right hand side of the road ✔✔

4 ~ Send a postcard every week for a year ✔✔

5 ~ Join “postcrossing” ✔✔

6 ~ Blog for a year ✔✔

8 ~ Visit Puddleduck Vineyard on a picnic day or duck race day ✔✔

9 ~ Live by the sea ✔✔

11 ~ Do some voluntary work ✔✔

13 ~ Complete 365 Photo a Day ✔✔

14 ~ Make blueberry muffins ✔✔

15 ~ Make a driftwood Christmas tree ✔✔

16 ~ Complete “a sentence a day” journal ✔✔

17 ~ Learn the Southern night sky ✔✔

18 ~ See the Milky Way ✔✔

19 ~ See moon rise over the ocean ✔✔

21 ~ Bake my own bread ✔✔

24 ~ Participate in a protest ✔✔

25 ~ Go to an Aussie Rules match ✔✔

26 ~ Go to a rugby match ✔✔

27 ~ Paint a picture ✔✔

28 ~ Revisit MONA in Hobart ✔✔

31 ~ Send a message in a bottle ✔✔

32 ~ Observe a court case at The Old Bailey, London ✔✔

33 ~ Learn more photography techniques ✔✔

34 ~ Learn more photo editing techniques ✔✔

35 ~ Watch 10 movies that were made before I was born ✔✔

36 ~ Take a moonlit walk on a beach ✔✔

37 ~ Lie on my back in the rain and watch the drops fall ✔✔

38 ~ Draw a picture / message in the sand on a beach ✔✔

41 ~ Hike on Mount Wellington, Hobart ✔✔

42 ~ Re-read my original gap year journals from 1985 ✔✔

43 ~ Reduce my alcohol intake, have alcohol free weekdays unless special occasion ✔✔

44 ~ Visit Penitentiary Chapel in Hobart ✔✔

45 ~ Regularly go to the local farmers market ✔✔

46 ~ Make banana bread with C~M ✔✔

47 ~ Complete London Underground Circle Line challenge – own version ✔✔

49 ~ Expand my blog network and blogs I follow ✔✔

50 ~ Organise my jewelry and wear it more often ✔✔

51 ~ Sort out my wardrobe and be realistic ✔✔

52 ~ Take a selfie every week for a year ✔✔

 

Not completed:

39 ~ Breakfast at the Duck and Waffle, Heron Tower in London ✘

40 ~ Dinner at Garagistes restaurant in Hobart ✘

48 ~ Expand my Twitter network ✘

 

What do I want to achieve in 2016?