I thought it would be appropriate to follow my last post with some discussion on bucket lists. You may think you don’t know what I’m talking about, but most people have one, even if they don’t know it by that name or have it written down – a Bucket List is all the things you really want to do before you die. Think of it this way. What would you be really disappointed to have never done if you died tomorrow? The name comes from ‘kicking the bucket’.
I’m no motivational guru, but I think having your dreams and aims written down can be very useful in helping you to achieve them, just by reminding you that it’s something you still haven’t done.
The list can change over time. It’s very personal. Just because everyone has ‘Swim with dolphins’ on their list doesn’t mean it has to be on yours. Conversely, if you really want to do something, don’t leave it off your list because everyone has it on theirs. What you have on your list is completely up to you. Travel might feature heavily, or career goals may dominate. Making this list will force you to think about what’s really important to you.
I plan to keep updating this page as I add new things and complete items. On that note, and in no particular order…
My Bucket List
Travel
- Go on safari in Africa
- Visit the Grand Canyon
- Road trip around California and into Nevada (for Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon)
- See the Northern Lights
- Travel around Australia and New Zealand
- Visit New York
- Hike the Inca Trail in Peru
- See New England in Autumn
- Travel to every inhabited continent (
Europe, Asia, Africa,North America, South America, Australasia – and the Antarctic too, if I can!) - See the Earth from space!
NASA Blue Marble 2007 East, by NASA Goddard Photo and Video
Experiences
- Spend a night sleeping in the open (without tents etc)
- Sleep in a hammock
- Swim with dolphins
- Sail a boat
- Have a helicopter ride
- Learn to scuba dive and dive in the sea
- Skydive
Climb the 3 Peaks (Mt Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis)- Climb Mt Kilimanjaro
Events
- Go to Wimbledon
- Attend the Olympics (I have tickets for London 2012 so I will be able to tick this one off!)
- See a show in the
West Endand Broadway
Financial
- Own a house outright
- Be financially secure
- Have enough money to do everything on this list without having to worry about how to afford it
Personal
- Have a job I love
- Have a happy, stable, lasting and loving marriage
Other
- Have one of my photographs published/in an exhibition
Remember that you have (hopefully!) a full lifetime to complete the items on your list. Some items will be easier than others. For example, I fully intend to go to the London Olympics in 2012 and I might even head to Wimbledon this year and queue up for a grounds ticket for the early rounds. Some are better done when you’re young (such as hiking the Inca Trail), others you could easily do when you’re much older (such as visiting New York). They might even be better done when you’re older as you will probably have more money to spend. Of course, some of the items can be combined. If I slept in the open on a hammock, I’d be ticking off two items at once. Ditto having a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon on my California/Nevada roadtrip.
It can be quite disheartening to see the number of things you want to do written down like that with no upcoming possibility of completing them. That’s why I also recommend you write what I call a ‘Done List’. These are things that would be on your list if you had not already done them. It’s not quite as satisfying as crossing items off your Bucket List once you’ve achieved them, but it should help you feel better. Here is mine:
Done List
Ride a horseAbseilVisit the Niagara FallsGo rock climbingGo skiingKayakTry archeryGo to ParisGo wild swimming(I have done this in Lake Huron, Canada, but I would like to do it in the UK)SurfGo white water raftingGo to Venice
The Grand Canal, Venice, by Elentari 86
Niagara Falls From The Air, by Elentari86
Time to share! What’s on your list?
There’s just one thing on my list, and it’s too private to share.
Fair enough, Bel!
Thanks for reading!
After seeing your gorgeous photo of Venice, I should add “visiting Venice” to my list.
(And it helps my boyfriend’s dad lives just outside of Venice, and it would be great to see his family again!)
Thanks! Venice is definitely worth a trip. Take 3 or 4 days but don’t go in the height of summer – apparently it smells terrible! Not to mention, I went in October and there were plenty of tourists then, it must be overwhelming in the summer!
Glad to say I’ve done the 3 peaks both in Winter and Summer. Abseiling and rock climbing I’ve also done. I’ve bivouacked in the mountains of Scotland and Wales and also spent a night in a purpose dug ‘snowhole’ on the Cairngorms overnight. I’ve been up in 2 Helicopters but never flown in a plane. Never been abroad in me life.
Hmmm, best stop there and start my own blog me thinks.
Love the pics.
BMT.
Thanks for reading, BMT.
You’re quite the outdoorsman! I didn’t realise.
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