I’m nearly two years into my 7th decade. Two years back I was approaching my 60th birthday and coming to the end of my ‘60 for 60’ challenge. I’d spent the year clocking up new experiences. These included climbing the three Yorkshire Peaks, deadlifting one and a half times my bodyweight, going to the ballet and the opera, qualifying as a Professional Coach, reading books outside of my comfort zone and numerous other mini adventures. Hands up I didn’t hit the 60 mark but I got pretty close. And it was an amazing way to mark a fairly special birthday. A birthday that I felt grateful to reach.

Once I’d blown out a significant amount of candles I started to think about the next stage of my life. My seventh decade. A decade of change. The end of full time employment, my children flying the nest (hopefully), a house move once commuting became a thing of the past. And more time to pursue my interests and passions. I started noting down a ‘70 for 70’ wish/bucket list. 70 experiences to complete in my 7th decade.

It started off slow but in the first year I ticked off the three Welsh peaks, La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell in Barcelona, climbing a Mayan Pyramid, swimming in a Cenote and dancing in Coco Bongo in Mexico.

2020 was looking promising. A fairly full diary which included Bali, Rome, Croatia and climbing Carrauntoohil, the highest mountain in Ireland. And then the pandemic hit. The world constricted.

I have managed to tick off a couple of experiences during the pandemic when restrictions were eased slightly. After 61 years living in London I finally visited the Tower of London and I took my husband to The Fat Duck to celebrate his 60th birthday.

But apart from these isolated glimpses of normal life it does feel as if a year of our lives have been removed. But at the same time the ticking of our biological clocks have not been paused.

Hopefully 2021 will bring an opening of the world. Although it is likely not to return to normal for some time. The requirement to be tested for COVID when leaving and returning to the UK will dig into holiday finances. Sporadic lockdowns may disrupt travel plans. But like many, the thought of booking that first post pandemic holiday is what is keeping me going in the gloom of a winter in lockdown.

Of course my ‘70 for 70’ is not just about international travel. Far from it. There are still plenty of experiences to be had closer to home. Climbing over the dome of the O2, running a marathon, deadlifting twice my body weight, doing that elusive pull up. Setting up my own business.

Where this blog is concerned I want to get to number 500. I had initially considered celebrating 1,000 blog posts until I actually worked out that over the last six years I have only posted 163. This is my 164th. Not a great number. My activity has fluctuated over the years. Only 15 blogs in 2016 compared to 45 in 2019. So 500 it is. If blogging continues to be a thing over the next eight years.

And could there be a book somewhere within me? Should it stay there?

The last year has been challenging. For those of us fortunate not to have been touched by illness, financial worries, death, it is still a year lost forever. We can only hope that it won’t be too long before we can start making up for it.