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….that gives me 5 years as of 2022- can I do it?
The Top 40 before I’m 40
- Visit all 50 US states (only 3 left)
- Frolic through tulip fields in the Netherlands
See a Santorini sunset2022Swim with Humpback whales in Tonga2023- Car Camp through New Zealand
- Go Gorilla trekking in Rwanda
- See the BIG 5 on an African Safari
Take a photo in front of Machu Picchu2022- 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 Palm Island in Dubai
- See the Northern Lights
Stroll through the villages inspiring Beauty & the Beast in Colmar, France2023See a Sahara desert sunrise2023- Release a lantern at the Pingxi Lantern Festival in Taiwan
Explore the ancient ruins in Egypt2022- Scuba dive in the Red Sea
- Car camp through Alberta, Canada
See a hot air balloon sunrise in Cappadocia, Turkey2022- Hike to Petra and see it illuminated at night
- Visit India during Holi
Stay in an overwater bungalow in the Maldives2022Road trip along the Croatian coast2022- 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! (Maybe Hamilton Island AUS?)
- Explore the Galapagos Islands by boat
- Swim through the lakes of Coron Philippines
Go on a dog sled ride2021- Hike the W trek in Patagonia
Road trip through the Dolomites in Italy2023- See Iguazu falls in Argentina
- Go waterfall chasing in Java, Indonesia
Visit the Middle East2022- Paddleboard through glaciers in Antarctica
“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 many road trips to see the Fall foliage in the US
Bucket List Continued
- Eat Sashimi in Japan
- Live abroad for 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 DubaiDone 2/2022- Visit all the US’s National Parks (I’ve been to 36)
- See penguins on South Georgia Island
- Shave my head for a good reason (I know that sounds crazy- but I want to do it!)
- Visit Austria in the wintertime
- Soak in the beauty of the Amalfi Coast
- Explore the Amazon Rainforest
Fly my drone in Kauai12/2022- Road trip through the Faroe Islands
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 with 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.
