Updated on February 10th, 2026
6 months before I turned 25, I decided to make a bucket list of 25 Things To Before Turning 25. They ranged from places I wanted to visit in Roskilde, school and life goals, and general things I wanted to try. In my final update, I shared that I completed 14 out of the 25 things. I thought this was pretty good, considering I only had 6 months to complete them.
When I turned 27, I made a bucket list of 30 Things To Do Before Turning 30. Instead of having 6 months, I had 3 years to complete as many goals as possible. However, I made this list in September 2020, and you may see where this is going. I included goals for school, blogging, travel, reading, and cooking, as well as a few miscellaneous ones. I did make some lofty goals, but I do not think many of us understand the seriousness of the pandemic, the multiple mandates and lockdowns that would occur as well as the lasting effects. When writing the post, Denmark was not in lockdown, and masks were not mandatory. Therefore, things did not seem that bad. However, they quickly got worse.
Travel Goals
On my bucket list, I had 8 travel goals, including locations in Denmark and international locations. However, travel was out of the question for about the first 2 years after I made my bucket list. It was not until the summer of 2022 that I could finally visit my parents in the US. Even then, the US still had travel restrictions, and noncitizens had to be fully vaccinated, which only just lifted in May 2023. I do still have places I want to visit, and I want to see my parents again. However, I will not put a timeframe on when I need to travel. There is a lot that can happen that is out of my control. Therefore, I will make travel plans as they come.
Miscellaneous Goals – My Experience with Learning Danish
I had several miscellaneous goals on my bucket list, including learning Danish. My residence permit was finally approved at the beginning of 2021 so I could start taking Danish classes. However, Denmark was in a partial lockdown then, and my classes were Monday-Wednesday through Zoom, which was not the best. Since I had already lived in Denmark for several years at this time, I did have some understanding of the language. However, I was terrible at speaking. If you have ever tried learning a language through video calls, you will understand how difficult it can be to hear someone and then try to repeat them in a language you are a beginner in.
After the lockdown was lifted, my Danish classes transitioned to hybrid classes. Monday and Tuesday were in person, while Wednesday was still on Zoom. My Monday teacher was lovely, but my teacher for Tuesdays and Wednesdays was horrible. A few other students and I were still in module 1, but our teacher only taught us module 2 level material. We were taught emotions when we did not even grasp basic numbers. We had to bring it up to our school so we could be taught the material at our level. Finally, we were taught module 1 material and then moved on to module 2.
At the same time, I had to take the A1 Danish Test for my residence permit. The test was 100% speaking, but I was definitely not confident. However, I did end up passing the A1 Danish Test. My module 3 Danish class was fantastic, and I had 2 new amazing teachers. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in that class, and it was my favorite time at the school.
When I started module 4, I was placed in a new class. The teacher on Tuesday and Wednesday was sweet and understanding, and I enjoyed classes with her. However, Monday’s teacher was a horrible human being. He constantly made racist remarks and made many of us uncomfortable with his comments. I and other students in my class met with the student representative to address racism with the teacher and the school in general. The teacher remained working at the school. Even though he did cut back on comments, there were still instances that did occur. I passed the module 4 test and started module 5 with the same teachers, which was the last module at the school. At this point, I stopped taking Danish classes after 1.5 years.
My experience of learning Danish was a roller coaster, from having online classes and terrible teachers to enjoying classes with amazing and understanding teachers. I will say that I have a larger vocabulary and an even better understanding of the language, but I still believe I am not that great at speaking the language.
Blogging and Reading Goals
Also, I included a blogging goal to continue blogging on my bucket list. I will say that I accomplished this goal, and I am proud of myself for that. I have learned that it is okay to take breaks and it is okay if I do not publish a post every single week. Life happens, and I will not force myself to write a post, which is perfectly okay. That said, 2023 has been a fantastic year for blogging. I shared a roundup of My Best Blog Posts of 2023, which was nice to reflect on.
Furthermore, I also had several reading goals, including reading 1 book a month. I have exceeded that goal each year since making my bucket list. In 2023 alone, I have read 41 books, and I reviewed some in my Rating YouTuber Books and The Books I Read in 2023 posts. For the past few years, I have listened to audiobooks more while doing chores such as the dishes, laundry, or cooking. Listening to audiobooks has helped me surpass my goals, and I have no plans to stop my reading goal in the future.
Final Thoughts on Bucket Lists
To sum up, I will no longer be making bucket lists because there is so much that can happen that I have no control over. Making a bucket list before you turn a specific age sets unnecessary pressure to get as much done as possible. You may end up with regret by not being able to finish your list before your set birthday. Also, you may not enjoy achieving the goal as much because you can just be doing the goal to cross it off the list. Instead, I believe it is better to focus on the present and reflect on what you have done instead of having a potentially unattainable list of things you want to do. You can still have goals, but you should not put time pressure on those goals.
Agreed. Life happens and you just gotta let it flow. Happy New Year!
Yes! Happy New Year to you too!
Congrats on passing your Danish test for your residence permit! I’ve tried to learn languages before (such as German when I lived in Switzerland) so can appreciate how difficult this is. Speaking new languages is incredibly difficult. I hope you’re proud of yourself for how much you learned especially in that topsy turvy roller coaster of a school situation.
Thank you! The Danish tests were nervewracking, but I’m glad that they’re over. It is difficult to learn a new language, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come since I began at the school. I’m glad that I do have some good memories from my time there and I met some lovely people along the way.
Thank you for sharing such a great post! I don’t blame you for not wanting to make bucket lists. I don’t like bucket lists, I don’t like New Years goals… I mean they’re cute to talk about and the hype is there but in all honesty I just like knowing what I want and then working towards it, no deadline no pressure… just a simple I know what I want so let’s work towards it however that may play out. I had a New Year’s goal to work out and all these things to lose weight and instead, I got sick for two weeks but I am not going to put pressure on myself. So what if the New Year starts in February this year lol
You’re welcome! I haven’t made a New Years goals in years because I would make some general goal without a plan so I ultimately would never reach that goal. It’s better to have a goal without the pressure of time. I’m sorry to hear you got sick, and I hope you’re doing better!
I have never created a bucket list. If I get to a point in my life where I think I need to do something before I die, then I have already failed in life. But, that’s only me. I want my life to be a series of incredible, memorable unforeseen events. I want to do and see things. But, there is nothing that would drastically change my life so much that It would be imperative to do.
That’s good you have that persepctive! It is good to go with the flow of life instead of trying to force yourself to complete a list of goals
This is a great perspective. Having a list like this can definitely put pressure on you for needing to check something off, instead of allowing yourself to enjoy the experience itself which is why you put it on your list in the first place. (And sorry to hear about the terrible teacher experience!)
I competely agree and thank you. It was great I was able to learn more Danish and I met some lovely people, but a couple of the teachers were something else…
I never thought about the pressure we put on ourselves when making a bucket list. I made a bucket list a while back but didn’t set any timeline to get it done – it’s more of a list of things that would be nice to do than anything else.
That’s good you didn’t set a timeline! It does put a lot of pressure on yourself if you do have a set timeframe
I agree, bucket lists should be purged, and live in the moment. I think Covid had a way of waking us up, tomorrow is not guaranteed, and we need to live life to the fullest. In the past, I was very goal oriented, and now that I am older and find myself in an unpredictable situation with my health… I wish I would have done some things in life a bit differently. My advice is to stop and smell the flowers as often as possible, live without regrets, and make each day a new beginning.
I’m sorry to hear about your health situation. That is great advice, and it is better to live in the present and enjoy life to the fullest.
No matter what I do, I never complete them in the same year. So I started to just let it be a bucket list of things I want to do without much of a timeframe except for this year’s spring. I have high hopes for this spring period lol
I feel the same! Looking back at my 25 before 25 bucket list, there are so many things I have completed since then. I think it’s a lot better to have a general bucket list without a time frame! Oo what’s happening this spring?!
I don’t make bucket lists anymore either. I used to do them a fair bit on my blog, like “30 before 30 bucket list” etc. and it only made me feel like absolute shite when I didn’t tick off as many as I wanted to (or ANY some years!) I set monthly goals now and reading goals for the year because I don’t feel like that’s going to impact me one way or another whether I complete it or not but anything “big” can stay off a bucket list because I don’t want to put that pressure on myself and ultimately end up feeling crap.
It’s good to hear your input! When I looked back at my 30 before 30 bucket list, it did make me feel bad because there was a lot that I didn’t complete, so I’ll no longer be making bucket lists like that.
I think it’s perfectly fine to have monthly goals & also a reading goal for the year (I have goals too) but I’m not going to force myself to complete some big goal within a set time frame
I’ve stopped making goals this year in regard to my blogging. While I managed to hit the most of them last year, my priorities have switched to my creative writing and my art, both of which are just fun. I’ve also found that while having goals is good, short term works better for me than long term, ‘bucket list’ items.
It’s good you’re focusing on your creative writing and art. Yes short term goals work better for me too instead of long term bucket list goals that I may or may not achieve within a set time frame.
This post has me challenging the conventional wisdom of bucket lists. Because there’s the journey to the end goal (complete or incomplete) that needs to be Savoured too
Yes and sometimes the journey is more important than the goal itself!
Personally, I love making bucket lists but I have changed my mind about having dates to do it by. I had a 2022 and 2023 bucket list which I really enjoyed, and it did keep me on track for what I wanted to achieve. But as you said, circumstances change so much, so now I don’t have one for a year just for whenever 🙂 x
That’s good you have a bucket list without dates to complete it by. I think that’s a better way to do things so you don’t feel pressured to complete everything within a year or so.
2020 and the years surrounding it really did knock a lot of “bucket lists” off course for people, huh? I know I had to change my goals and change my life trajectory. It feels like people are finally coming out of that sort of liminal state, but I do think it is better to focus on what I can do right now than set all my hopes on something happening in the future.
It really did knock everything off course! It is better to focus on the now instead of what may happen in the future
I stopped making to,do lists for the same reason and switched to “done” lists, much more rewarding!
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That is definitely the way to go!
I don’t have a bucket list with dates but I do have places I’d like to travel to. Thanks for sharing!
I think that’s a much better way to do it! I have places I want to travel to as well, but I’m not going to set a timeframe for when I need to travel
I agree that bucket lists put too much pressure on yourself when it often involves things you have no control over. Thanks for sharing, I loved reading this!
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Thanks! Bucket lists do put a lot of pressure on yourself to complete as much as possible, and when I did both the 25 before 25 and 30 before 30 lists, I did regret not being able to complete that much (especially for my 30 before 30 list even though a lot was out of my control)
I think if I had the resources, then yes, I would make a bucket list, especially a travel one! I love that you were able to cross so many things out though! Have a great weekend!
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Thanks!
I’ve never been a fan of making bucket lists, there just feels like pressure to get those goals achieved, and then you feel bad when you don’t do those things on the list! x
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I agree! I do still have things I would like to do, but I’m not going to make a bucket list and try to achieve them before a certain time anymore
I detest the term “bucket list”. It’s so negative. “Things I want to do before I kick the bucket.” Seriously? Even so, I am working my way through a “60 before 60” list that I made when I turned 59 last year. I’m not putting any pressure on myself to complete all 60. For me, it’s just a fun way to mark a major milestone. It’s not a bucket list. It’s a list of things to do while I’m still alive and well enough to do them. There’s a big difference.
Yes, the term bucket list does have a negative origin, but people have been using it more recently for a list of things to do before a certain time. For example, before their next birthday or for families to do during the summer. That’s great you’re doing a 60 before 60 list, and you’re not putting any pressure on yourself. When I did the 25 before 25 and 30 before 30 lists, I put pressure on myself to complete as much as possible, which isn’t good. I have also done numerous things that were not on my list, such as going to Sweden for my 29th birthday and starting a YouTube channel, and I believe they should be celebrated too.
That is such a great point and one of the reasons I moved away from big annual goals or resolutions in favour of smaller monthly goals. I often didn’t get done that big thing I set out to do, but I did so much other stuff instead. Life is ever-changing and we need to be flexible.
I love this! I think so often we set these goals for ourselves and when we don’t meet them we feel as if we’ve failed when ultimately it didn’t really matter in the first place! Also as someone who has also attempted to learn Danish – I don’t think I will ever get my head around the pronunciations so I feel you!
Thank you! Yes it does make it seem like we failed when we don’t reach our goals by a certain time, but it does not matter!
I’m glad to hear you can relate with learning Danish haha. The pronunciation is difficult because half the letters aren’t even said & I can’t make the Danish “r” sound