Friday, April 30, 2010

Life list.

There have been numerous websites, countless articles and even a movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman that was created on the idea.

A bucket list is a list of things to do before a person dies, and is derived from the term "kicked the bucket."

However, I don't associate the list with death so much as with a celebration of life.

Such is the reason why I spent the last many weeks putting my list together! The following are the top 100 items on my life list, and in no particular order:
  1. Skydive [2009]
  2. Live overseas for an extended period of time
  3. Scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
  4. Qualify for the Boston Marathon
  5. Learn a second language fluently
  6. Marry my true love
  7. Experience the birth of my children
  8. See a Galapagos tortoise
  9. Complete graduate school
  10. Learn to cook well
  11. Lead a successful career
  12. Run a marathon in all 50 states [wip]
  13. Run a marathon in all 7 continents [wip]
  14. Ride an elephant in Thailand
  15. Go on a safari in or near South Africa
  16. See Angkor Wat in Cambodia
  17. Climb a big mountain, be it Mt Hood, Ranier, Kilimanjaro or Everest
  18. Surf a big wave
  19. Walk along the Great Wall of China
  20. Go on a volunteer vacation
  21. Ride a camel to the Great Pyramids of Giza
  22. Climb the Eiffel Tower in Paris [1997, 2009]
  23. Stay at a villa in Tuscany
  24. Devote more time to community service
  25. Maintain a healthy and active lifestyle [wip]
  26. Pay respects to The Buddha in Nepal
  27. Visit the Taj Mahal in India
  28. Visit Acropolis and the Greek islands
  29. Go on a road trip by car in the US
  30. Visit the US National Parks, including Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite [wip]
  31. Hike the Incan Trail in Macchu Picchu
  32. Dance the tango in Argentina
  33. Scuba dive in a Mexican cenote [2009]
  34. Scuba dive with sharks [2008]
  35. Have a heartfelt conversation with my dad
  36. Explore my spirituality
  37. Visit Vietnam again
  38. Achieve my ideal weight [wip]
  39. Buy a home
  40. Learn to play a sport well
  41. Explore my artistic side and display my artwork
  42. Go camping
  43. Participate in the Tour de France
  44. Organize a charitable event
  45. Explore a live volcano [2000, 2005, 2007]
  46. Learn to play an instrument well
  47. Ride on a helicopter
  48. See the glaciers in Alaska
  49. Rock climb
  50. Learn to drive a car [wip]
  51. Zipline in Costa Rica [2007]
  52. Witness the Northern Lights in Norway
  53. See the Grandfather Clock in London
  54. Experience every 3-Michelin star restaurant in the US (awarded 3 consecutive years)
  55. Snowboard in powder out West
  56. Visit the Holy City of Jerusalem
  57. Hike through the Amazon Rainforest
  58. Go on a gastranomy tour of Europe
  59. Visit New Zealand, the land of the LOTR
  60. Start my own business in something I love
  61. Win the lottery [wip]
  62. Live each and every day to the fullest [wip]
  63. Always listen before I speak [wip]
  64. Show my family and friends how much they mean to me everyday [wip]
  65. Practice yoga
  66. Shake hands with President Barack Obama
  67. Watch a live taping of Oprah
  68. Meet the Dalai Lama
  69. Write an article for a major publication
  70. Receive a scholarship or grant for literary or humanitarian work
  71. Become a millionaire [wip]
  72. Donate unwanted clothes and shoes to charities
  73. Make a difference in at least one person's life
  74. Buy organic and/or local food when given the choice
  75. Maintain a blog on an aspect of my life [wip]
  76. Sail or cruise around a part of the world
  77. Sleep in a castle
  78. Become a cheese connoisseur
  79. Go on a wine tasting in Napa
  80. Lead an extraordinarily creative life
  81. Send my children to college debt-free
  82. Retire early
  83. Read books whenever I have free time
  84. Go on a backpacking trip
  85. Scuba dive in the Egyptian Red Sea
  86. Swim with dolphins [2006]
  87. Go whale-watching
  88. Plant a garden
  89. Watch an Olympic event live
  90. Eat sushi in Tokyo
  91. Photograph the Sahara desert
  92. Pursue my passions
  93. Watch a concert from the front row
  94. Experience weightlessness
  95. Break a Guiness world record
  96. Complete the Iron Man
  97. Trace my ancestry
  98. Celebrate Chinese New Year in China
  99. Ride a bicycle in lieu of public transportation or a car for short distances
  100. Seize the day [wip]
wip = Work in progress, where I've either completed at least 1 component of the goal if it has different components or I'm actively attempting to complete the goal if it doesn't

I hope to be able to really enjoy completing this entire list, and create another in the not too too distant future!

-S