30 Things to do before I'm 30 - American cities and Wine tours

One item on my '30 Things to do before I'm 30' list was to visit certain cities in America - I've always been curious about the extravagant, over-the-top feel of Vegas, dreamed of riding a tram car in San Francisco and loved the glamour of LA. Luckily, a friend was more than happy to keep me company on a trip this month to all these fantastic cities; we also managed to add in a few days in New York to finish off the holiday in style.

Another item on the list also got ticked off while I was away - a wine tour. I knew nothing about wine, other than the fact that I liked it; but have always been curious about how wine is fermented and how grapes can make so many different variations of one drink. While in San Francisco, we signed up for a tour of California's best wine valleys: Napa and Sanoma. We visited three beautiful wineries, sat in the sunshine sipping wine, learning all about the process and the history of the valleys. It was such a sight to see vineyards stretching as far as the eye could see and the experience even changed my opinion of dessert wine - I can now appreciate that a good moscato can really make a dessert pop.

So, two down, only 28 to go...

30 Things to do before I'm 30

A few months ago I read an article in Company magazine by the writer of blog 23 Things To Do Before 23... Grace Collins wrote about the death of her older brother, who sadly died in his sleep at the age of 23, and how since his death she had been determined to live life to the full. This feature was both awfully sad and utterly inspiring.

With only four and a half years until I reach the grand age of 30 and enter another decade of my life, now seemed like the opportune moment to set myself a similar task. I've spoken to various friends - keen to discover what would be on their 'to do' lists, and have found numerous blogs full of suggestions online. I still haven't decided on the final 30, but below are a few that have made it onto the definite list:

30 Things to do before I'm 30:
1) Visit Italy - I love love love Italian food, and can easily get on board with a lifestyle that involves sipping coffee or wine while watching the world go by. And although Rome is definitely on the list, Cinque Terre looks so beautiful with all the multi-coloured house fronts, that I can't help but dream of hiking along Lover's Lane (the stretch between two of the small towns looking down on the coast).

2) Swim with Dolphins - ever since I fed Dolphins in Florida at the age of 12 I've known this is something I want to do.

3) See Adele live - I get goosebumps just watching the dvd of her Albert Hall performance; every single member of the audience looked like they were having a blast, and of course that's what this is all about: having fun! Plus I know every word to every song.

4) Learn a language - A fairly standard one on a lot of people's lists. I don't just want to learn the basics though, I want to be able to hold a full conversation (possibly about something really random). So far I've narrowed the possible language of choice down to three: Spanish, French and Italian. It's a toughie.

5) A hot air balloon ride - I think this will be a peaceful and truly relaxing way to view the beautiful English countryside.

So, there's my first five. I'll keep you updated on how the list is coming along and will report back when each one is ticked off the list. Here we go...