Bucket List

Writing that blog post last week sent me down a rabbit hole and well, I think I'm back!  It felt good to be banging out words again.  Even if no one reads them, it's just nice to have my thoughts documented, especially since my memory isn't so great these days and I don't anticipate it getting better as I get older.

While searching for an old recipe in the archives, I stumbled upon my 30 by 30 posts and realized it's about time to start working on a 40 by 40 list. This got me thinking about an original bucket list I made many moons ago of 101 things I want to do in my life. (what can I say, I like lists) I was sure that list was lost forever on an old computer, not backed up or stored on a cloud like we do these days, but, thankfully, I had shared it here on my blog and I found it with minimal digging. Let me tell you, it was eye-opening. First of all, I'm a very different person than I was 15 years ago when I made that list and so many of the things I listed are obsolete or just flat out don't interest me at all. (I thought I wanted to skydive???  NOPE!)  I think I added things to that list that you're "supposed" to do but my days of doing things just because society says to are long gone. Second, it made me so incredibly thankful for the life I've lived!  When I wrote that post over 10 years ago, I never imagined that just a few years later I would have over 60 of the 101 things checked off already!  A lot of the things I put on that list I never believed I would actually do (travel to China – I’ve done that twice now!). It's truly mind blowing! While it reminded me of the amazing life I have lived, it also showed me exactly how much more I still want to do and accomplish in my lifetime. Also, I was not a very detailed goal setter back then and many things on that list are so astonishingly vague that they needed some tweaking. "Learn about spices and herbs", what did I mean by that?

I decided to update the list and share it here, again. In hopes that I can look back in 10 years and be reminded once more of how extraordinary a life I've lived. (And probably wonder what I was thinking when I sat here making this list.) I admit I added some "bucket list" items that weren't on this list when I made it, even though I've already done them, because I felt deserve the honor. I've also extended the list and will probably continue to add to it as the years go on.

1. visit every continent

*2. watch a sunrise and sunset on the same day

*3. travel to China

4. become a mother Learn to French braid my own hair

*5. travel in Europe

*6. spend a week in a national park

*7. buy a polaroid or two before it’s too late

*8. go to a major league sports all-star game (NHL 08)

9. read the entire Bible Experience Holi in India

10. ride a mechanical bull Get a Henna tattoo

11. learn to play a musical instrument Float in the Dead Sea

*12. go skydiving Road trip across Canada

*13. get out of debt

*14. get married

*15. exercise regularly

*16. lead a group

*17. donate to a charity

*18. attend a group exercise class

*19. read about something going on in another country regularly

20. ride bathe an elephant

*21. send a care package to someone who is NOT deployed

22. talk to my sister once a week Take a trip with my sister(s)

*23. drive across the country (California to Ohio counts)

*24. learn to be more resourceful/handy/creative

25. become fluent learn 50 words in ASL

*26. make time for more DIY projects

27. travel to every state in the US (only 11 2 left)

*28. graduate college

29. keep up with my scrapbooks Prepare a will

*30. pay for the next person in line

31. organize personal photos

*32. take a photography class

*33. meet Jason’s extended family (I LOVE THEM!)

34. visit the Grand Canyon

*35. go on a service trip out of the country

36. complete Project365 Take a trip with my mom

*37. donate hair

*38. organize my iTunes library

*39. not be addicted to Coke

40. learn to speak a foreign language fluently

41. learn to sew (other than a button)

*42. read 50 books in a year

43. learn a dance See the Northern Lights

*44. incorporate more organic food into my daily meals

*45. create a meal from scratch

46. learn about spices and herbs Run a sub-10-minute mile

*47. make a meal using only ingredients I grew myself

*48. do some kind of mission work (whether in town or not) every year

49. save up enough money to buy Jason a motorcycle with cash Learn to stop on ice skates

*50. have my photo taken with the Stanley Cup

*51. donate time and or money to a natural disaster

*52. grow my own produce

*53. go to a Super Bowl game Figure out what I want to do when I “grow up”

*54. do something nice for someone I don’t know

*55. get in good shape

56. learn more about investing and invest more money

57. spend time with God every day attend a Kentucky Derby

*58. find out my blood type

*59. take a cooking class

*60. back up all old photos onto external hard drive

*61. keep up with bills/receipts once a week

*62. get a facial

63. be a mentor

64. contribute to the savings account every payday Save $20k

*65. document my life via photos and journaling

66. volunteer somewhere other than church regularly Make pasta from scratch

*67. take a yoga class

*68. set up a recycling system in my home

*69. no unnecessary purchases for one month

*70. go on a real vacation (not just a weekend trip)

*71. eat 5 fruits and veggies every day

72. learn to shoot a gun (again, it’s been a while) Throw a dart at a map and go!

73. go on a safari in Africa

74. photograph Go to an Olympic event

*75. learn to surf (at least try to) Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef

76. design clothing and have it made and sold (or make it and sell it myself) Learn brush lettering

77. blow the whistle on a train Pass the APFT

*78. meet the president (I shook George W’s hand at WP in 02, that counts!)

*79. organize and order wedding photos (in the process of doing it this weekend)

80. go whale watching

*81. visit Disney World

82. see all 7 modern wonders of the world

*83. own a house

*84. complete a 5K

*85. spend time with Jason in the “city of love” AKA Paris

86. become a millionaire

*87. be paid for a photo

88. pray at the Wailing Wall Go to the hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque

89. visit Cuba

*90. spend Oktoberfest in Munich

91. own a convertible

92. watch all the movies on the top 100 of all time list

93. go to a rodeo

*94. learn to box

95. be in NYC to see the ball drop

*96. get CPR certified

97. experience Mardi Gras in NOLA

*98. be on the front page of a newspaper

99. learn to drive a stick

*100. create a blog and update it every week

101. donate $10 for each number accomplished

*102. Attend a Cincinnati Reds Opening Day

*103. Climb Mt Fuji

*104. Sleep in an overwater bungalow

*105. Swim with sharks

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