My WTIO (when this is over) bucket list
How many times have you started a conversation with “when this is all over…” in the last couple of weeks? I haven’t been counting, but I reckon for me, it’s well within the hundreds. So when I saw my friend Victoria share her WTIO bucket list last week, I knew I had to write one of my own.
Our current situation has presented so many challenges and difficult moments, not least for the wonderful people continuing to work hard to keep our country going, or the families who have lost loved ones to this awful virus.
But you guys know I’m all about looking for the silver linings in any situation, and what this period has given me is a healthy dose of clarity and perspective. Having this chunk of time without any distractions has helped me to unpick what is most important to me and the things I want to prioritise when we emerge into our new normal.
I’ve realised that it’s often the relatively simple and “everyday” things that bring me the most joy, and I’ve also found renewed motivation to make some of my most long-standing dreams and plans come true.
So, without further ado, here is my WTIO (when this is over) bucket list…
Make the most of all the brilliant businesses based here in Leeds
I’ve always been vocal about my love of Leeds, but one thing I’ve really been missing during this lockdown period are the businesses that we pretty much took for granted before all of this happened. I can’t wait to eat a Vada Pav at Bundobust, get a takeout coffee from Laynes Espresso, watch a gig at the Brudenell Social Club, and drink my favourite beer at the Kirkstall Brewery taproom.
Not being able to access our brilliant local businesses has reminded me just how much joy they bring me, and when this is all over, I can’t wait to give them as much of my hard earned cash as I can afford! My husband and I are already planning the epic date days and nights out…
Host more Sunday lunches and dinner parties
My husband and I are both big foodies, so we’ve been loving using this extra time to try out new recipes and cook up a storm in the kitchen. There’s been just one thing missing though - our loved ones sat around the dining table with us.
I’m never happier than when feeding a kitchen full of people, absorbing the chatter over a glass of wine and swapping stories, and so as soon as it’s safe for us to do so, I’m planning epic Sunday lunches, BBQs in the garden and dinner parties with our nearest and dearest.
Visit my favourite bookshops
Oh, how I miss bookshops! Not because I’m running out of things to read (I think lockdown would have to last for at least another year for that to happen), but because browsing the shelves of a bookshop is genuinely one of my favourite pastimes.
I really miss eyeing up all the spines, chatting to staff about their recommended reads, and coming home with a little (or big) haul of goodies. I can’t wait to visit my old faves and to find some new bookshops to browse in, too.
Go swimming as regularly as possible
One thing I’ve really missed during lockdown is being able to nip to our beautiful local baths for a swim. I love the feeling of being in water and I always sleep so much better when I’ve done my lengths. It’s such a simple activity, but one I really took for granted before all of this happened.
I can’t wait to be able to make a weekly date with the pool, and I also want to make the effort to swim in the sea or rivers whenever I get the chance, too - luckily for me, my in laws live right on the beachfront in North Wales, so hopefully I might be able to manage that this year!
Be more bold with my travel
I’m really lucky that travel has been a prominent feature in my life for a while now, and in the last few years we’ve been able to tick off some real bucket list destinations, both here in the UK and further afield. But having the ability to travel taken away has got me really itching to be a little bolder with my trips.
What do I mean by that? Well, I’d love to take some solo trips for a start. I’d love to make my dream of owning a campervan come true so that we can go on more road trips and camping adventures. And I really want to make the most of the freedom that comes with running my own business to spend more time in the destinations I love - being able to live like a local in New York for a month rather than a few days, for example, would be a total dream come true!
What’s on your WTIO bucket list?
