Excluding the births of DC if you have them & getting engaged etc, what are the 3 best things that have ever happened to you?

[SophiaLovesSummer]

I'm feeling pretty miserable ATM so need some aspiration and motivation, and that suddenly got me thinking about the best moments in live and how they often stemmed from unexpected sources or train of events.

So, utterly shamelessly, I'm being nosy enough to ask - what would you list as the 3 best things (barring those obvious ones) that have happened in your life?

Okay, apart from the Big Things, I would say...

1. An impromptu picnic in the mountains with some friends when I was about 15. It was a perfect day. I have never forgotten it.

1. Completing a really hardcore 18k obstacle race with my friend. We jumped over the fire at the finish line holding hands and screaming with sheer joy.

1. A wilderness camping trip with my husband and kids. Literally nothing and no one for miles in every direction. We slept on the beach under the stars for 5 nights.

They're all perfect moments I guess, rather than life changing things that happened to me.

Oooh that's actually quite hard.

I would say backpacking after university and seeing some of the most beautiful places on earth.

Seeing friends get married.

Doing something really boring but the children are so happy and delighted. One trip to the park really stands out for me.

Getting my second degree - I was surprised to even be accepted onto the course. I had an amazing time both academically and socially

Meeting my closest friend. As an army brat I was always the 3rd wheel. She was also a child who moved around a lot due to her dads job so same. We met in our 30's and our dds were toddlers and they were and still are close friends too. She has been so supportive and amazing through some really tough times.

Coming out as a bi woman. Really I had known since I was a teen but never truly explored or thought about it beyond knowing and a little "experimentation" then I was going through a phase of old and just having a really crap time of it as every man I spoke to ended up being married/involved, only interested in sex (nothing inherently wrong with that but it wasn't what I was looking for at that time), or had other flaws. So I reset and joined a lesbian/bi women dating site and went on some lovely dates. One became a friend but not lover and she invited me on a night out to a gay bar and I met and fell for someone there. Didn't work out long term but it made me realise I needed to be more honest about who I was. So I came out! I'm not out to everyone yet, it's been a process rather than a big one off thing, but generally it's been a really positive experience.

Snorkelling in the Red Sea. Nothing like floating about in warm water looking at tropical fish.

Easy least
Divorcing me ex h
Divorcing my ex h (still smiling 11 years on)
And moving to the coast.

Hmmm. One of mine sort of lead onto awesome things. But after a tough year last year, and a wall of depression looming, a friend told me to create a list of things I've always wanted to do. Ignore practicalities/cost etc. Just write them down. So I started to do that. More have been added.
It's made a huge difference to my life. So much more positive and I'm ticking things off. They all make me smile each time I do them. (They've included things like watching a sunset from a hill in the Peak District, taking my DD on an amazing holiday, taking up martial arts). That's probably been one of my most life changing things to be fair. I'd highly recommend it. It helped me hugely as it gave me w focus when I felt like you.

Two others (which by default come from my list sorry).

Attending a concert of a group around in my teens. The cheesy pop, the old dance routines. I've never felt so alive or so completely care free as I did in that 2 hours.

Getting my red belt in my martial art. I'm not skinny, nor particularly co ordinated, but I passed with merit and still love it now.

Purchasing my first home post divorce and refurbing it myself with 3 small dc.
Being offered a job after spending 7 years as a sahm, i was doing voluntary work for them.
Completing a 50k ultra trail marathon, loved it but never again!
All of the above has been completed in the last 2.5 years, i have others from years ago but these are the ones that stand out for me because i have done them all myself with no help or support.

1. Being able to travel and see so many amazing cities.

1. Reaching a healthy weight last year after a lifetime of disordered eating and obesity. Sadly I’ve regained the weight but I have finally referred myself for therapy to break the cycle. I know how amazing and healthy I can feel so I want to get back to that and stay there.

1. Returning to study. I left school at 17 with two Highers (the equivalent of one A Level, I suppose) and I went into full time work. At 24 I went to evening classes at college, at 26 I got advanced entry into an online degree via a brick uni. I graduated last week at 28 and I’m now doing a part time masters with the promise of a place on a doctoral programme in 2020.

School qualifications are important but they are not the end of the world. There are other ways.

That's really hard. I could say getting my degree and masters as a mature student but that doesn't mean anything. I could say doing my paintings but ditto, I'm no Hockney.
Off to ponder the meaning of life now 

Love positive threads like this!

Buying our 'forever house'.

Completing my first half Ironman.

Winning blades at 2 consecutive Bumps (a rowing thing) at Cambridge.

Being brave enough to move overseas for 2 years

Learning to swim properly as an adult

Supporting my mum through some tough times. Felt like I could pay her back a bit for her amazing single-handed parenting

Getting back into fitness in my 50s. Had been sporty but as dropped off teams due to age had resorted to walking a few miles now and then. Now into circuit training and feel young again.
Not a one off but having counselling..also in my 50s. There is a trend here!!

The birth of my DGD is the best thing. She's 10 now and wonderful, she's interested in wildlife and cooking, she comes to stay regularly and we look forward to every visit.

I've managed to get down to a sensible weight and now do 10,000 steps plus on a daily basis. The first time I managed that target we were on holiday in Wales and had a wonderful view of the Wye valley with Red Kites flying above.

Seeing East Germany from the West and appreciating the freedom we have. Lots of people skiing on the West side, then the barbed wire, and nobody to be seen in the other side. We visited what was east Germany after the wall came down and it was interesting to say the least.

getting a min wage job where I met my best friend and ended up doing what I'm doing now in a work sense (which I love so much) - that's all 3 in a sentence!

Getting divorced, getting offered a temping job which four years later has turned into a career, and taking up running.

Ex-p leaving
Kayaking down a Norwegian fjord
Winning a Pointless trophy

Become a foster carer And genuinely changed lives xx

Living and working in the Far East, Middle East and Europe in my 20s and early 30s (although this prevented me from buying a property here until this year at the grand old age of 45!)

It was the best time ever!

I meet people from all over the world every day in my job and I love that too.

1/Being a mature student with the OU and graduating.
2/Travelling and seeing different places.
3/ Meeting people who became good friends.

A working holiday I went on just after I graduated, it was just the most perfect, fun week.

Seeing the 1999 solar ecliise with not a cloud in the sky from a ship in the English channel.

Seeing Queen at Wembley in 1986.

Starting running on my 50th birthday.
Working fulltime after 20 years as sahm.
In general, having a huge brilliant circle of friends.

And you weren’t thinking of it when you asked OP. But good health. I don’t think you can beat having good health. It’s a life changer as you age

Travelling the USA and Canada for a few months with my DD2

Achieving my Black Belt in Taekwondo at 48

Seeing my beautiful DD1's face as her girlfriend came down the isle to be her wife.. such a look of sheer love and happiness.

Going to my first festival in my teens. I felt like I was in heaven. Festivals are still probably my favourite thing.

Getting my first office job where I discovered I had a head for numbers after all, which set me on my career path.

Going to uni as a mature student. The degree, while fun, has been fairly useless, but I made 3 fantastic, lifelong friends and had loads of mad adventures.