“In the end, it’s not
the years in your life that counts, it’s the life in your years”

-Abraham Lincoln

As the lockdown slowly starts to lift, our minds begin to race over all the things we dreamt of but never got round to doing. The pins placed into maps of countries that were never visited, the endless texts sent to friends vowing to catch up one day, the countless times a car has driven past a destination with the driver uttering a pledge to visit it, the overworked employee that puts off visiting relatives until things have calmed down at work. So many plans made and promises broken, but we are determined that things will be different from now on; turning moments into memories has become our new mantra and creating a bucket list, our latest mission.

For those running out of things to do at home, it is well worth watching the legendary Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman on your screen for the 2007 Hollywood tearjerker, The Bucket List. You will need tissues, plenty of chocolate and then a pen and paper to start making the most out of life. There’s a moment in the film when the main protagonist says to his friend “one day your life will flash before your eyes so make sure it’s worth watching”. If life were to play itself out on screen, there would undoubtedly be scenes we’d want to relive again and again and there will inevitably be those we’d rather skip. We can’t avoid mistakes, but we can reduce regrets and here at Happy Valley, we have a bucket list of ideas for you to complete while you stay with us:

Watch the sun rise and set
Take time to appreciate nature
Try yoga or another type of relaxing therapy
Spend time with people who make you happy
Be hot and cold at the same time (a hot tub at night = cool head, warm heart)
Read a book with the sound of birds in the background
Switch off your phone
Try a new sport (5 minutes down the road is tree climbing, zip lining, quad biking etc)
Ride horses or build sandcastles on the beach
Write a letter or postcard to someone special
Paint a piece of art from the view around you
Take a spontaneous road trip (we have several suggestions if you need ideas)
Recreate camp (think melting marshmallows and mugs of hot chocolate)
Have a slumber party - of no more than your government designated two households ;-)
Gaze up at the stars
Write a book, short story, diary or a poem
Kiss in the rain (in your household couple of course), dance under the moon or run in the sun
Make a gratitude journal
Meditate
Hike a new trail (with 200 acres surrounding us, we have several routes to explore)
Complete 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle, do a crossword, learn to play chess, or do an outdoor photoshoot
Sing Karaoke
Start a camp fire without matches
Write a letter to your future self
Hug a tree
Take a household group selfie
Go 24 hours without Internet, Television or Radio
Go make-up, cosmetics or designer free for the day
Design a bug-hotel or fairy house for our grounds
Make a new memory

*Glamping is open from 4th July 2020 and King Nutkin, Denver Rest and Tawny Hut are still available to book*

Competition time!! If, during your stay with us, you successfully complete all 30 tasks, evidenced with photographs, and shared on Instagram (please tag as @happyvalleynorfolk #happyvalleybucketlist), you will receive a complimentary prize to congratulate you on living a Happy Valley Lifestyle.

We can’t wait to see what you come up with,

With love,

Katy, Kirsty and the team at Happy Valley xx