Honouring 60 - Trying 60 New Things This Year (May to September)

As I approached turning 60, I decided to challenge myself to try 60 new things during my 60th year. The idea was to push myself outside my comfort zone, try things I might normally say no to, and hopefully discover some new interests and experiences along the way. If you’d like to see how the challenge began, there are a couple of earlier blog posts below that share the first 23 things on my list.

View from a helicopter over the Rocky Mountains

I turned 60 in September. I spent my birthday in the Azores, exploring the island, swimming in natural rock pools, and having dinner and drinks at a jazz club. It was an incredible day!

I find myself regularly thinking “no” when it comes to doing something - both new experiences and things I’ve done before. This challenge has made me pause and really consider that “no.”

Am I really too tired? Is it really too hard or too scary? Is it really too expensive?

Sometimes, I stick with my no. But more often than not, I decide to say “yes,” even when I’m not completely sure I want to. And I am always glad that I did. (Or at least, I can’t remember ever regretting saying yes!)

I’ve learned that doing something often energizes me, so I don’t feel as tired as I thought I would. I’ve learned that I can do hard and scary things - and actually enjoy doing them. I’ve learned that I deserve to spend time and money on myself. And I’ve learned that trying new things makes me feel much younger than my 60 years.

Here’s my list of new things I tried from May through September:

24. Stayed in a new Ontario Provincial Park - Pancake Bay

It was beautiful. I walked along the sandy beach on the shores of Lake Superior and enjoyed the scenery.

25. Saw dinosaur fossils at Dinosaur National Park

This park was amazing. It felt like stepping into the “land before time.” We hiked among different rock formations and saw fossils in the actual locations where they were discovered.

26. Visited a new province - Alberta

The Rockies were awesome - in the true sense of the word. We spent a week exploring, and I think we said “Wow!” hundreds of times.

27. Drove through a hailstorm outside Calgary

This happened in June. The hail was about the size of golf balls, but thankfully it was slushy and the storm only lasted about five minutes. It was so loud inside our van that my husband and I could barely hear each other, even though we were yelling. By the time it stopped, there were several inches of slushy ice covering the road. 

28. Rode in a helicopter in the Rocky Mountains

This is something I will never forget. It was several hours of sensory overload - stunning views, dizzying heights, and the incredible roar of the helicopter blades. We stopped in the mountains and hiked to a waterfall. Our pilot told us it had been quite cold and that this was the nicest day they had had in a long while.

29. Walked on the Athabasca Glacier and drank glacier water

It was cold, windy, slippery, and amazing. How often do you get the chance to actually walk on a glacier?

30. Did a Skywalk on a glass-bottom walkway over a canyon

Have I mentioned my fear of heights? This was really scary - and really exhilarating.

31. Went on a food tour in Victoria

I’ve wanted to do a food tour for a long time, and I loved it. The food was delicious, especially the ube from a Filipino bakery, and I learned so much interesting information along the way.

One of the things I learned was about Victoria’s Chinatown. It was originally built for workers on the railway, and those workers eventually left to continue building the railway farther into Canada. Today, the neighbourhood is quite multicultural but with very few Chinese people living or working there.

32. Learned to play Mahjong

I learned both the American and Chinese versions. (American Mahjong is definitely more complicated!) I took lessons, practiced by playing online, and then spent an afternoon playing several rounds with some experienced players.

33. Visited a new country—Portugal

Portugal was incredible. There were stunning views and amazing rock formations along the coast, wonderful food, and friendly people.

And São Miguel, in the Azores off the coast of Portugal, may be the most beautiful place I have ever been.

34. Did a Port tasting

We went to Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Porto, for a Port tasting. It was 10:30 in the morning, but it was so hot that we were mostly just happy to get into some air conditioning!

I had tasted Port once before and didn’t like it. This time, we tasted five different ones, and I liked three of them. We bought several bottles to enjoy during our trip and bring home.

We discovered that Port is really good with dark chocolate - the chocolate seems to mellow out the bitterness. We also had a white Port spritzer in the Douro Valley that was delicious.

35. Went sea kayaking from Benagil Beach in the Algarve

This quickly became one of my favourite activities. Kayaking along the coast and seeing the caves and rock formations from the water was amazing.

36. Swam under a waterfall

We found this little swimming hole in the middle of the forest and swam under the waterfall. It was surprisingly difficult to stay underneath it because the force of the water kept pushing me back out.

37. “Swam” in the biggest waves I have ever experienced

At Santa Bárbara Beach in the Azores, I spent about an hour going back and forth between thinking “No, those waves are too big” and “Yes, I really want to try it!”

Eventually, I said yes and had a blast.

And then I had to be helped out by a pair of lifeguards while the waves smashed me into the sand. My swimsuit was filled with sand when I showered afterward!

38. Ate a meal cooked underground using geothermal heat

São Miguel has several hot springs, and on our last day we had lunch at a restaurant that uses this ancient cooking method. The food is slow-cooked underground for 8–12 hours. My husband had the traditional dish of the region, Cozido das Furnas, made with various meats and vegetables. I had a beef Furnas stew, which was incredibly tender and delicious.

Looking back at this list, I’m struck by how many of these experiences started with some version of “No.”

Too scary. Too hard. Too tiring. Too expensive. Too unfamiliar. Too uncomfortable.

And yet, saying yes has taken me on a helicopter ride over the Rockies, onto a glacier, into giant waves, under a waterfall, through Portugal, and into experiences I never would have had if I had listened to that first instinct to say no.

I’m falling a little behind, though. I still have 22 more new things to try in the remaining three months of the year!

I have several ideas, but I’m a little short. If you have suggestions for things I should try, please leave a comment or send me a message.

Who knows? Maybe your suggestion will be the next thing that makes it onto my list.