And thanks go to Rumnique for accompanying me on my London rooftop night. We drank at the Oxo Tower, near Southwark, and then moved on to the National Portrait Gallery rooftop terrace.

It was a fantastic night and it was great to catch up with an old friend.

I met Rumnique at University of Leicester when we were both studying economic and social history in our first year. I later switched courses to read sociology but we kinda kept in touch.

Once he knew I’d been to DC, he was anxious to meet up and hear about my trip. He’s quite the traveller and had previously been to DC. He gave me some great tips BEFORE I went so it was nice to meet up for a catch up extraordinare. In fairness, I think the last time we saw each other was in Barcelona in 2006.

It was a perfect example of the whole purpose of my 30:30 Challenge. To do things with friends, while ticking off some must do activities in the challenge.

And it made me realise that friends are so important. We effortlessly slipped into friend and catch up mode. Five years was WAY too long.

After seeing the skyline from the Oxo Tower (south of the river) it was lovely to then move to the National Portrait Gallery Rooftop Terrace. The gallery is my favourite gallery in London.
The view was amazing, sharing the same outlook as Trafalgar Square’s most famous resident, Nelson.

Facing out to the ‘sea’ I could also see the Houses of Parliament, St Martin In the Fields, the London Eye…

It was lovely to see the city from such an unusual vantage point.

And to top it off the food and drink was brilliant, even for a vegetarian.

But what made it was the company, and that view. Perfect.

After such dizzy heights of the Oxo Tower and the National Portrait Gallery we headed back to more familiar sea levels, and wandered down the Strand looking for a final drinking spot for the end of night out.

One Aldwych fitted the bill. I promise myself, and Rumnique, it won’t be five years until we next see each other.

Another challenge ticked off. Still rather a lot to go.
Nic

Ah yes, slight problem here in that when I went to DC it was the off season of both these sports…
However, eager to see some sport to carry on the flavour of the challenges I went to my first basketball in DC.
I rocked up at the Verizon Centre a few days before the game to purchase a ticket and was first offered one at $800 or one at $10. Confident they weren’t the only prices available, I asked her to check again and bought my ticket for the Saturday night, Washington Wizards v Boston Celtics.

Everyone told me the Celtics would win, but I kept the faith. I told the guys at my hotel I was going (they were Celtics fans) and cab drivers and anyone who I spoke to that I was going to the game and that the Wizards would win.

I was on team Wizard for the simple fact that, no matter who had been playing against the Wizards that night I’d have still gone to watch. As it happens the Celtics are a bloody good team, but still the Wizards sealed the deal to win, with the final shot of the game. Woo go team.

But game aside, the sheer entertainment value of the game was something to behold. I’d tell anyone heading to the states to take in a game. Best $50 I spent. Most fun I had while I was there I think and just wow. Hopefully my enthusiasm for what I saw shines through.

It’s not just the game but the whole, razzamataz, that goes with it, the cheerleaders, the half time entertainement, the time out entertainment, stand up till we score, kiss cam, dance cam… G-man.

In years to come, maybe someone will notice me checking the basketball score and smiling when I see that yet again, the Wizards have won. And they’ll ask me why I support them, and boy will I have a story to tell.

Thank you 30:30 Challenge. I am now a basketball fan, the proceeding challenges of #7/8 of football and baseball will be amalgamated, so the list will forever more have 31 things on it.

That’s a quirk I’ll have to live with.
Nic x

In no particular order… here’s what I did

See the White House
Tour the Capitol Building, home of Congress
See protesters outside the Supreme Court
Go to the top of the Old Post Office Tower
Go to the Washington Memorial
Stood where Martin Luther King made his I have a Dream speech
Saw the Lincoln Memorial
Visited Mount Vernon, home of George Washington
Went to my first Basketball game Washington Wizards v Boston Celtics
Nipped to Philadelphia
Went to Independence Hall
Saw the Liberty Bell
Ran up the steps outside the Art Museum a la Rocky
Ate at Ben’s Chilli Bowl (a la Obama)
People watched at Busboys & Poets
Visited the Watergate.

I missed both dates. I think, by definition I am seriously good at procastinating but then I realised that the list needed to have some sort of flexibility built into it. Take #6 Go to Washington DC, I actually ended up going when both the Football Season and the Baseball Season were in close. But the idea was to go to a sport overseas, so I went to a basketball game and it was the most fun.

I think the list is about DOING. As long as I’m doing things then it’s good. If I’m sat at home then that’s bad.

I’m not going to be so artificial as to just put things on my list because I’ve just done them, but flexibility is a good thing to have.

It’s my challenge, and I’m loving it.
Thanks for the continued support.

Read that as a big ol’ fashioned wam like in Batman from the 80s circling around and then suddenly pow, wam, eeks! It’s -24 hours from a challenge day.

Way back when this all started I remember saying, this is hard work, not the doing the challenges but the planning. Hey presto, it’s worked a treat.

I jet out to Washington DC on Wednesday to complete Challenge No 6: Visit Washington DC. Hopefully I’ll pick up a few others along the way too.

Pictures, blog and an altogether more enthusiastic nci1 will be heading to DC, and returning home….

I do love a challenge.

Big shout out to people who have asked how the 30:30 has been going while I’ve been languishing in winter/Christmas and fatigue. You really kept my spirits up!

Nic. x

All part of my mad 30:30 challenge, and #14 Read the entire work of Shakespeare, which I’ve widened out to be read, watch and listen to all of Shakespeare.

Can’t wait to see it…. even if it is three hours. Hope the seats are comfy.

Updates on the progress of other challenges to come soon.

And it’s not just friends and family that have got in on the act. I’ve found some lovely support online from people doing similar type of bucket list / birthday / challenges I should give a mention specifically 40before30 where Miss G is trying to visit 40 countries before she turns 30, and Elleswim who has a bucket list so long I could add ‘read Elle’s bucket list’ as a challenge. But it’s witty and well-written with a healthy dollop of photos for good measure. I’ve invited both to do challenges with me if they should overlap. Then there’s 52newthings where Nick is trying to do 52 new things in 2010. It’s great to see other people on a similar mission to my own. Yeah for them.

I put out links to my blog on gumtree in the sport and activity partners and the travel and language partners section. I’ve had a few emails and comments as a result which is a boost.

Once the list is set in stone (November 1) I will have some little mini business cards printed so I can give them to people when they ask for an update and spread the word even more.

I’m still in debate about the Shakespeare challenge and he sheer mountain of work involved but I’m excited about seeing Anthony and Cleopatra next weekend and I’m grateful for a friend for dropping off Love’s Labour Lost….

As always, anyone who wants to join in with a challenge is of course welcome. Check out the list, add suggestions via The Challenges page.

Why this particular version? Could it have anything to do with Kim Catrall of Sex And The City fame in the female lead… Quite possibly it does.

Tickets are £18… Defo can’t watch them all as plays! The library version of Hamlet on CD cost £1.60.

The play, set in Denmark, recounts how Prince Hamlet exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet’s father, the King, and then taken the throne and married Hamlet’s mother.

I’ve got to say my favourite quote is “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all” Act 3, Scene 1.

I wonder what I shall go for next?

Nic
October 2010.