My Bucket List
Someone 30 years older than me told me I was too young to have a bucket list. Ha! You got to be kidding me, I thought. Who cares how old you are? Isn’t it just a list of experiences and achievements you want to accomplish before you die? I’m pretty sure I started compiling my “bucket list” before I even knew what one was and then changed the title of it.
“Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.”
Anonymous
Growing up, I always said I wanted to visit all 50 US states, explore all seven continents, and experience the 7 Wonders of the World. My list has grown a lot since then, and I am not even sure what is considered a world wonder these days. Over the years, I realized I was continually adding a lot more things than I was doing and decided to change that.
Instead of going wherever the cheap airfares are or agreeing to random trips, I decided to narrow down my travel bucket list and start focusing on my bucket list dreams. I am hoping to see and experience as much of my top 40 before I’m 40 as I can. That gives me 5 five years (I just turned 35 in December), can I do it?
The Top 40 before I’m 40
- Visit all 50 US states
- Frolic through tulip fields in the Netherlands
- See a Santorini sunset while exploring Greece
- Swim with Humpback whales in Tonga
- Take a very long trip to New Zealand
- Observe Gorillas in their natural habitat
- Experience an African Safari and see the BIG 5
- Take a photo in front of Machu Pichu
- See my reflection in the Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia
- Meditate in Bhutan
- Eat Thai food in Thailand
- Go bike riding through Tuscany, Italy
- Hang glide in Switzerland
- Skydive over the Swiss Alps
- See the Northern Lights
- Stroll through the villages inspiring Beauty & the Beast in Colmar, France
- Spend the night in the Sahara desert
- See a lantern festival in person
- Explore ancient ruins in Egypt
- Scuba dive in the Red Sea
- Camper van through Alberta, Canada
- See a hot air balloon sunrise in Cappadocia, Turkey
- Hike to Petra, Jordan and see it illuminated at night
- Try Sandboarding- maybe in Peru?
- Stay in an overwater bungalow in the Maldives
- Hike to Mt. Everest base camp
- Paddle Board through Glaciers in Antarctica
- Cliff jump in Croatia
- Swim in Jellyfish Lake, Palau
- Walk along the great wall of China
- Stay in a castle in Ireland
- Sail through the Whitsunday Islands, Australia
- Watch baby sea turtles hatch- ANYWHERE!
- Explore the Galapagos Islands by boat
- Swim through the lakes of Coron Philippines
- Go on a dog sled ride
- Hike the W trek in Patagonia
- Road trip through the Dolomites in Italy
- See Iguazu falls in Argentina
- Explore the waterfalls and islands of Indonesia
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do”
Mark Twain
What I have already Experienced
- Visited 47 States: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nor Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming
- Visited 5 Continents: Australia, Asia, North America, South America, Europe
- Been to 18 Countries: USA, Canada, Mexico, Columbia, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Curacao, Panama, Costa Rica, Spain, France, Italy, Scotland, England, Iceland, Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia, India
- Enjoyed an Opera at the Sydney Opera House-2019
- Dived the Great Barrier Reef- 2019
- Held a Koala Bear- 2019
- Scuba dived in the Philippines- Coron 2019
- Visited the Isle of Skye in Scotland- 2019
- Ziplined in Costa Rica, Maui, and Puerto Rico -2009
- Walked over the Golden Gate Bridge- 2016
- Climbed the Statue of Liberty- 1996
- Kayaked in Fajardo Bioluminescent Bay, Puerto Rico- 2016
- Free dived with dolphins- Kona, Hawaii 2008
- Swam with Whalesharks- Mexico 2019
- Saw the Mona Lisa-Louvre 2005
- Wore a sari in front of the Taj Mahal- 2019
- Wandered around Stonehenge- 2005
- Saw the sunrise above the clouds on Haleakala, Maui- 2006
- Relaxed in the Blue Lagoon, Iceland- 2017
- Caught a bill-fish- 190 lb Black Marlin 2006 Kona Hawaii
- Free dived for lobsters in the FL Keys- many times since 2008
- Saw the David in Florence, Italy- 2018
- Took a photo in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris- 2005
- Drove over 17,000 miles while car camping the USA
- Took a road trip to see the Fall foliage in the US
Bucket List Continued
- Eat Sashimi in Japan
- Live abroad for at least a year
- Take a long distance sailing voyage
- Explore Romantic Road in Germany
- Spend too much money in Monaco
- Go on a Sand safari in Dubai
- Visit all the US’s National Parks (I’ve been to 32)
- Visit Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil
- Shave my head-for a good reason (I know that sounds crazy!)
- Visit Austria in the winter time
- Soak in the beauty of the Amalfi Coast
- Explore the Amazon Rain forest
- Fly my drone in Kauai
- Cage dive with Great White Sharks
That is all I can think of for now, of course, I can’t help but keep adding!
Why do I Travel?
I travel for the experiences, the adventures, the thrill of meeting new people, and immersing myself in fascinating cultures. I thrive on the positive energy I get when seeing something unique, learning something new, and overcoming challenges I’m often faced when landing outside my comfort zone.
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory”
Dr. Seuss
I am grateful for all the experiences I have had and can’t wait to keep exploring this big fascinating world! I hope you will join me on my journey by subscribing to my email list to stay up to date on where all my travels take me.
