Racing The Clock To 24

The days are getting closer and closer to the 24^th of April, and reaching the age of 24 seems so crazy to me. My life in the past year has had major life changes, and I feel like post-grad these changes are normal. Some of them I had dreamed of always, but others I did not expect to happen ever. I have included a five-minute podcast about me reflecting on a major change I made and how it has impacted me. 

Before this tattoo, I had five tattoos, and all of them are dainty enough that they can be easily hidden or missed. I always loved the idea of having tattoos and especially small ones that have a lot of meaning to me. 

My first three tattoos I got at 18, which was then followed by one at 22, and the next two at 23. I have some basic tattoos, but all of them have a special place in my heart. My first tattoo was the basketball on my wrist because the sport has gotten me through the hardest times and was the light I needed.

The one that I got reads, “tada gan iarracht”, which is an Irish saying meaning “nothing without effort”. This is probably one of my most meaningful tattoos because without the effort that I poured into basketball and my life, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I have pushed myself to the limit and even more when there was nothing left to give, so it just seemed fitting when I heard it. 

I placed it on my wrist near my basketball tattoo because they complement each other. There wouldn’t be one without the other. After I got the tattoo, I got the need for another one, so eventually I will get another tattoo to express another experience that I have had.  

When I was making this list, I didn’t know if I would be able to complete this one, not out of accessibility but out of realistic expectations. I would mention it in passing to people that I had running ten miles on my list, and they said I was crazy because I don’t run like that daily, or that people must prepare themselves to run ten miles. 

I am proud to say that I have run ten miles. With a time of 1 hour and 43 minutes. I was shocked by how fast I achieved the run in because I don’t run at all. I mean, during basketball, I obviously run, but it isn’t for miles. 

The first five miles were decent. I ran at a good pace and tried to stay steady. Once I hit around five and a half miles, I got my runner’s high that lasted through mile 8. It allowed me to pick up the pace, but as soon as that high went away, I thought why did I ever do this. 

I got home as soon as possible and lay on the floor of my room. My legs were dead, and for the next two days, my hamstrings and quads were the tightest I have ever felt them. 

I will not be running ten miles again unless I sign up for a marathon or for a good cause. 

Moving to Melbourne, Australia, was truly not anything I ever thought I would be doing. Let alone after moving to Ireland. I have been here for about two days now, and the atmosphere is unmatched. I will say that I have been struggling mentally just being in a new place and not knowing anyone, but taking care of myself has been the biggest help.

I know that with this new adventure, there will be a ton of new experiences, and I have to be willing to put myself out there. I recently went through a break-up, and finding who I am through this during this change has allowed me to really push myself.

This experience is going to allow me to grow professionally as well as personally, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me.

Since I was moving to Australia, I had loads of flights to catch to make it across the world. In total, my travel day was going to total 33 hours, four different airports, and three flights in total. 

My first flight was from Dublin to Chicago, which was about eight hours long. It was a nice and easy flight. I watched Love on the Spectrum’s newest season and got some schoolwork done to get ahead while I am away. The meal on my flight was a seven out of ten. I had a chicken casserole with mashed potatoes and lentil salad, followed by a great apple custard with cinnamon dessert. 

My second flight was from Chicago to Los Angeles. I have never been to California before or flown over the United States that way, even though I have lived there the majority of my life. The flight was five hours long, and for the majority of the time, I decided to read to finish another book.  

My third and final flight was from Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia, travelling 16 hours in the air and missing all of Tuesday basically since I landed Wednesday morning. For this flight, I had a window seat because I was determined to see as much as I could out the window. I was also lucky enough to have a row to myself, so when I slept, I could lie out.

@flightsaroundworld

Los Angeles to Melbourne. One of the longest ocean flights in the world #losangeles #melbourne #australia #usa #flight

♬ original sound – Flights Around The World – Flights Around The World

I have had picnics before with my grandma, but I wanted to have one again at an older age so that I can add to my great memories of them. My ideal picnic would be somewhere on a beach, but when in Ireland, I thought, why not St. Stephen’s Green? 

I took my two friends, Layla and Georgia, with me because they had never had a picnic, and I wanted to have this cute memory with them. And we made a unique picnic because why not bring takeaway to a picnic? Since Georgia has never had the Dublin favourite Bambino, we had to grab a couple of slices for our picnic. 

The pizza, company, location, and weather just made the picnic so much better. I loved every moment of it. It was the perfect picnic to cross off my bucket list. 

Now, I am not always into people watching, but when you are in such a place with high foot traffic, it’s kind of a given. 

https://www.tiktok.com/@mariafhermann/video/7417539621380214048?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7612290229654996502

As I was enjoying my picnic, I took a moment to just sit back and observe those around me. I loved that so many people were out of work, taking a walk or eating their lunches, just enjoying the nice weather, which can be hard to come by. I also saw tons of cute dogs that were out for their afternoon stroll. I swear the dogs in Ireland are ten times cuter than those in the United States. 

Although I was enjoying my company and picnic, there was loads to look at and just watch for pure entertainment. It was nice to put the phone down and be present in the world around me. It is crazy how many people you cross in a day with no idea what they are going through, who they have talked to, or where they are heading. 

Based on my Kindle, it appears that I completed this achievement months ago. I love to read and never thought that I would be able to read 24 books from September to April. In actuality, I think I achieved this back in February, which is even crazier to me. 

To date, I have read 26 books in 6 months, which makes me feel great about my reading pace and the growth of my love of reading. The main category of books that I enjoy reading is fantasy. It allows me to escape the real world and imagine what it would be like to live in a world with dragons or faeries. 

My favourite book series, Empyrean, which is written by Rebecca Yarros, I reread back in September. That then drove me to read Sarah J Maas books. I read the five-book ACOTAR series, which was then followed by her Throne of Glass series, which was eight books. I will say that Throne of Glass changed my reading journey and gave me the worst reading hangover. I still am trying to recover from the series. 

I took a break from fantasy books and went into series that my friends were recommending, like Chestnut Springs and A Not So Cute Meet, but I was still craving the rush of thrill I get from fantasy books. 

I am always taking reading recommendations, so feel free to recommend. I think my next book will be either The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or Angels and Demons. 

And then there were seven. Seven items are left to complete on the list, and two weeks are left to complete them. 

24 Before 24: 

1. Eat Sashimi 
2. Meditate
3. Visit Cork 
4. New Tattoo
5. New Piercing 
6. Journal for 15 days straight 
7. Try a Flat white 
8. Run 10 miles
9. Cliffs of Moher
10. Kiss the Blarney Stone
11. Move to a new country
12. Sea Swim 
13. Pilates
14. Bake and decorate a cake from scratch 
15. Go to a pop-up market 
16. Catch a flight 
17. Read 24 books 
18. Do a rope course 
19. Compliment a stranger 
20. People watch in St Stephen’s Green
21. Have a picnic 
22. Watch Forest Gump 
23. Get ice cream with a friend 
24. Go to the Cinema