Wishes, not Buckets #wishlist

Hi, I'm Pippa Jay, author of scifi and the supernatural. And I really hate the term bucket list. This past year the phrase 'kicking the bucket' has been on my mind a lot because I turned 44 last August. That's one birthday more than my mum got to see. She passed away aged 43 when I was just 19, so as I approached my forties that fact was very much with me. Not that I expected to drop dead at 43 simply because she did, but I was more conscious of things undone, of the fact that I'd had my children later in life so they were much younger than I was when I lost my mum. Now I remember each day that I'm that extra day more fortunate than she was. That I'm having the extra time she never got. But I still don't want to think about dying or kicking the bucket.

So I call mine a wishlist. I have some odd things on it. I'd like to live long enough to see human beings land on Mars, though I doubt it. Some days I'm not even sure the rest of humanity will last that long. Having written a book set in Louisiana, even though I've never been there, and with my husband having read lots of books set there, we'd both like to see the place for real. I've used good old Google Maps to tour virtually along Route 31 through Arnaudville (the Louisiana town that I based my fictional Peaceville on), and cruised the Bayou Teche via YouTube. It's still not the same as actually going there. The research I've done has only left me more eager to visit.

I'd also like to go to New Zealand. I have an old school friend there, and Lord of the Rings was filmed there. It's also about as far away as I can travel before I start getting closer to home again (Australia has too much toxic wildlife for me to consider. Especially the spiders).

Travel makes up a huge part of my list. On the more homely side, I'd like to live long enough to see what my kids decide to do with their lives. Not necessarily marriage and kids unless that's what they want from life. I'd also love to see one of my books turned into a film, but that's probably hoping for too much. I'm a realist. :P

But really, I'm pretty happy with my life as is. I've been in love and married. I've had children. I've travelled. I've never been in debt or seriously incapacitated in hospital (no broken bones, no major surgery unless I count my three C-sections). I've been to see most of the bands I like, and met some of the authors and celebrities I admire. In July I'm off to the Star Wars Experience in London with some US friends, and fingers crossed I might get an autograph off my first crush--Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker). Maybe it's a bit sad that I don't have a huge list of exciting things on my list, but unless someone builds an actual X-wing or I suddenly develop Jedi mind powers and get a lightsaber, some of my wishes are not very realistic.

Want to know more? Come chat to me on Twitter as @pippajaygreen