What's on YOUR list?
ETA: As soon as I published this post, I immediately thought of more things I want to do and places I want to see. Rather than keeping track of them elsewhere, I will add them to the lists here. I will also cross them off when I’ve completed them (except for the last list, because most of those things are ongoing rather than one-time).
For my 300th post, I decided to write a Bucket List – things I want to do before I die. I divided the list into three (loose) categories of 100 each: 1) Places I Want to Visit, 2) Things I Want to Do (many of which include specific places), and 3) Ways I Want to Make a Difference in the World.
Making the first list was a snap. I did not allow myself to include places I’ve already visited but want to see again, and even so, I had no trouble choosing 100 places. I could never travel enough or see enough of the world. I would go to every last corner of the earth of I could. So I guess it’s good that I now have priorities!
The second list was more difficult. I really had to stretch myself and give myself permission to dream big without allowing the censor to whisper, “Oh that’s not possible!”
The third list was by far the most difficult. I always think in the nebulous terms of, “I want to make a difference,” but I never specify HOW exactly. Now that I’ve reached 40, I realize it’s time I start not only thinking about it but doing some things. For that reason, this was a very good exercise for me. I think we should all think about not just what we want to do for ourselves but what mark we want to leave on the world.
One final comment: I did not include things that would require others to make specific choices. For instance, I could easily have put, ‘See my kids get married’ or ‘Watch Michigan win a National Championship Game live’, but that would require outcomes I have no control over. So I kept the list tightly focused on things that I would be capable (theoretically) of doing without being dependent on the decisions or actions of others.
Places to Visit
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine
- Kenya – Masai Mara
- Egypt – Cairo, Pyramids, Red Sea, Nile
- Morocco – Marrakech, Fez, Tangier, Sahara
- South Africa
- Tanzania/Mt. Kilamanjaro
- Mauritius
- Namibia – Etosha National Park, Skeleton Coast
- Zimbabwe
- Bwindi National Park, Uganda
- Seychelles
- Australia
Sydney Harbor
- New Zealand
- Madagascar
- Japan – Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Indonesia/Bali
- China – Shanghai, Beijing, Great Wall
- Tibet
- Nepal
- Bhutan
- The Taj Mahal, India
- Mumbai, India
- The ghats of Varanasi, India
- Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur
- Windsor Castle, England
- Cornwall, England
- The Lake District, England
- Scottish Highlands
- Ireland
- Crete, Greece
- Santorini, Greece
- Zakinthos, Greece
Zakynthos, Greece
- Rhodes, Greece
- Symi, Greece
- Barcelona, Spain
- Sevilla, Spain
- Valencia, Spain
- Cordoba & Granada, Spain
- Provence, France
- Carcassone, France
- Normandy, France
- Amalfi Coast, Italy
Bologna, Italy, March 2012- Siena, Italy
- Tuscan countryside, Italy
- Sicily, Italy
- Lake Garda, Italy
- Salzburg, Austria
- Vienna, Austria
- Berlin, Germany
- Black Forest, Germany
- Swiss Alps
- Lucerne, Switzerland
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Croatia
- Budapest, Hungary
- St. Petersburg, Russia
- Sweden
- Norway
Norway Fjord
- Iceland
- Hebrides Islands
- Rio de Janeiro
- Amazon Rainforest
- Argentina – Buenos Aires
- Chile
- Peru
- Macchu Picchu
- Patagonia – Argentina and Chile
- Alaska
- Many Glacier Lodge – Glacier National Park
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Savannah, Georgia
- Cape Cod, Massachussets
- New Hampshire in the autumn
- Moab, Utah
- Monument Valley, Utah
- Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
- Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
- Florida Everglades
- Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan
- Hawaii – Big Island, Maui, Kauai
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Finger Lakes Region, New York
- Badlands, South Dakota
South Dakota Badlands
- Yosemite National Park, California
- Santa Barbara, California
- Quebec City, Canada
- Niagara Falls, Canada
- Banff National Park, Canada
- Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
- Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
- Baja California, Mexico
- Chiapas, Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Belize
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent & the Grenadines
- Basque Region of Spain
- Cuba
Things I Want to Do
“Life is either a great adventure or nothing.” — Helen Keller
- Publish many books for children
- Write and publish travel articles
- Write and publish personal essays
- Make The New York Times Bestseller list
- Write a novel (at least one). I almost don’t even care if I ever publish one. I just want to write one.
- Write down my father’s “Greatest Hits” (i.e. his best stories)
- Dive the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
- Dive in the Red Sea, Egypt
- Dive in Palau, Micronesia
- Camel-trek in the Sinai desert
- Go cage diving to see Great White Sharks
- Dive in a kelp forest
- Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu during a full moon
- Ride in a hot air balloon
- Take my kids to Disney World
- See a wolf in the wild
- Go to the Rose Bowl when Michigan is playing
- Ski Jackson Hole
- Ski at every resort in Colorado
- Ski the Dolomites in Italy
- Ski the Alps
- Learn to ski moguls like an expert
- Learn to ski in powder like an expert
- Go heli-skiing
- Take a photography course
- Stand on the field at The Big House
- Perfect Adho Mukha Vrksasana (handstand) pose in yoga
- Take an Italian language immersion class in Italy
- Take a flamenco dancing class in Spain
- Learn to speak fluent Italian
- Read The Divine Comedy in Italian
- Take surfing lessons
- Touch an elephant
Photo from my brother
- Swim with dolphins
- Attend an Eckhart Tolle retreat
- Meet the Dalai Lama
- Attend an Olympic Games
- Spend Hogmanay in Edinburgh
- Spend a few nights on The Royal Scotsman
- Compete in a “mini” triathlon
- Run another half marathon
- Oktoberfest in Munich
- Take cooking classes in Italy and France
- Do wine-tasting tours in Italy and France
- Wine-tasting tour in South Africa
- See the Northern Lights
- Successfully grow broccoli in my garden
- Learn how to build an Excel spreadsheet
- Perform in a play
- Become a writing coach/teacher
- Attend at least one World Cup game
- Earn a living from writing and writing-related work
- See a whale in the wild
- Take my daughter to Rancho la Puerta
- Attend the Yoga Journal conference in Estes Park
- Do yoga in India
- Make meditation a regular practice in my life
- Write and e-publish a travel memoir
- Finally read David Copperfield to the end
- Learn Colorado history
- Polar Bear safari in Cape Churchill, Canada
- Bake a cake at altitude that doesn’t sink in the middle
- Go Deep Sea fishing
- See an opera at La Scala in Milan
- Carnavale in Venice
- Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
- Stand on the North Pole
Absolut bar at the Ice Hotel
- Stay at the Ice Hotel in Sweden
- Take my kids to see Les Mis
- Sleep under the stars in the Sahara desert
- Take a helicopter ride to see a live volcano
- Walk on the Great Wall of China
- Bush-walking in Seven Spirit Bay, Australia
- Hike in Tasmania, Australia
- Hike The Grand Traverse and Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
- Stay in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora
- See the Iditarod – Anchorage, Alaska
- Kayak in The Inside Passage and Glacier Bay, Alaska
- Ride the Durango and Silverton steam train
- Swim with Manatees in Florida
- Attend the Highlights Foundation Writer’s Workshop at Chautauqua
- Go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras
- Go to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, NM
- Go back to Camogli, Italy for the Sagra del Pesce
- Cruise the Antarctic Peninsula
- Learn to play poker
- Ride a zipline in the jungle
- Put all of our home movies together so we can watch them on TV
- Digitize all of my “paper” photos
- Organize all photos into digital albums
- Complete all twelve weeks of The Artist’s Way
- Go on a yoga/meditation retreat
- Bag one of Colorado’s “Fourteeners.” Preferably Long’s Peak, which I can see from my front window
- Write poetry more often – not for publication, just for myself
- Climb a 50 ft. indoor rock wall (which my daughter can do!)
la Tomatina - Bunol Spain
- Ride the Trans-Siberian Railway
- See a meteor shower
- See every Michelangelo sculpture
- Participate in la Tomatina – Tomato fight!
- Learn more about my family history/geneology
- Attend a local “festa” in rural Italy
- See a Harp Seal in the wild
Ways I Want to Make a Difference
“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” – Mother Teresa
- Raise responsible, independent, compassionate children. If I fail at this, nothing else will matter.
- Ensure my children receive a good education so they can contribute to the world.
- Love my children boundlessly
- Teach my kids to be appreciative
- Encourage the kids in their natural sense of wonder
- Expose my kids to as many experiences in the natural world as possible
- Expose my kids to as many cultures as possible
- Read as many books to my kids as possible
- Look my kids in the eyes when I speak with them
- Be as good of a mother to my kids as my mother was to me
- Donate a portion of my personal proceeds from the sales of my (future) books to benefit related charities
- Make an annual donation of food and blankets to the Humane Society
- Adopt another dog or two (eventually – Rocky is enough for now!)
- Continue teaching critical thinking skills via the Junior Great Books program
- Help bring healthy, whole food to all school cafeterias by supporting the School Food Project and Food, Family, Farming foundation
- Donate annually to National Public Radio and PBS
- Donate annually to National Resources Defense Council and Defenders of Wildlife
- Donate annually to The Sierra Club
- Shop for gifts through organizations such as Unicef and National Wildlife Federation
- Advocate sexual and reproductive health education and rights for women around the world – through donations and Kiva lending
- Continue making micro-loans through Kiva
- Vote in every election
- Take Volunteer Vacations
- Teach creative writing to children
- Teach writing workshops for adults
- Mentor new writers
- Lead writing retreats that inspire women to give time to their creativity
- Create a scholarship for these retreats
- Help others live creative lives with passion
- Support small, family-run businesses as much as possible
- Grow vegetables in my garden every year
- Plant trees in my yard and in the community
- Each time I shop, buy one item for donation and put it in a box. When the box is full, take it in to the food bank.
- Buy organic food as much as possible
- Shop at farmer’s markets more often
- Continue serving on the PTO at my kids’ school
- Support fellow writers by buying their books
- Be “responsible for the energy I bring” – from Jill Bolte Taylor – more info here
- Be a better listener
- Practice patience
- Do a better job of keeping in touch with people who are important to me
- Volunteer to spend time with an elderly person
- Practice living in the present moment so I can bring my full attention to the people I am with/what I am doing.
- Participate in a Polar Bear Plunge for charity
- Complete A Course in Miracles
- Continue my Gratitude Sunday posts
- Consistently donate clothing, toys and other items that we no longer use
- Sponsor families in need at Thanksgiving and Christmas every year
- Find ways to volunteer with my kids
- Write letters to authorities advocating my views on issues that are important to me
- Help Em sell Girl Scout cookies
- Pick up litter at every opportunity
- Participate in 5K, 10K and other runs that benefit charity
- Donate my talents (writing critiques, editing, etc.) to online auctions to benefit charity
- Make eye contact with people and smile
- Whenever possible, say people’s names out loud to them
- Remember to say “thank you” for each and every kindness and courtesy
- Use my blog to create awareness of important issues
- Read banned books and make sure my kids read banned books
- Support the arts by providing funding for Kickstarter projects
- Use my public speaking skills to motivate people
- Recycle and compost as much as we can
- Solar power our home
- Use only non-toxic cleaning products
- Always take re-usable bags when I go shopping
- Tip well for good service
- Give compliments often
- Do nice things for strangers for no reason
- Promote the good work of others
- Don’t ignore people who are suffering – instead reach out to them
- Conserve energy – turn off unused lights, unplug appliances, etc.
- Write more Thank You notes
- Get my Christmas cards out every year
- Participate in Crayons to Calculators each year
- Participate in Turn Off the T.V. Week each year
- Start collecting Box Tops for education
- Write notes to authors of books I love letting them know
- Volunteer in a disaster recovery effort
- Keep the computer turned off from the time my kids come home from school until they go to bed
- Once a month, have a family game night
- Read out loud to the kids as a family activity more often
- Treat my family with respect
- Do not buy meat from factory farms
- Give without expecting anything in return
- Observe the beauty in the world aloud to others
- Practice forgiveness – work on forgiving those who have hurt me
- Invite a neighbor over for a cocktail
- Talk to my aunts and uncle so I can record stories of their childhood
- Cook meals for friends more often
- Teach the kids how to cook traditional family recipes
- Volunteer in a women’s shelter
- Volunteer, at least once, among the very poor
- Volunteer to promote literacy among both children and adults
- Read, with an open mind, articles and books written by people whose views are very different from my own
- Value experiences over stuff and teach my kids to do the same
- Help educate others about the importance of wild predators in the food chain
- Write more book reviews to support books (and authors) I love
- Learn about Feng Shui so I can apply some of it to my house
- Do a better job of remembering the birthdays of friends and family members and to actually send cards
- Advocate for art and physical education in public schools
Do you have a Bucket List? If not, do you want to make one? Here are some additional resources to get you started:
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