Are you living your bucket list?
When somebody tells you that things in your bucket list are “impossible” or “never gonna happen,” don’t believe them. Anything can happen in life, and YOU are in charge of your own experiences and destiny more than anyone else. I have trust in you, you can make your bucket list come true.
When you think of words “bucket list”, or “adventure” or even “luxury,” it’s often small things that make the something a bucket list-worthy, or an event more adventurous, and luxury is often a sum of very small things (think extra inches flying on 1st class). I am not a real adventure girl, nor an adventure traveler. Yet when I look back what I have done, I know I AM an adventurer, I am testing my
own limits, even if it isn’t mountain climbing or para-sailing. I was looking at old photos and found these 10 things that qualify for bucket list-worthy adventures for me.
I grew up in a small town in Finland only hoping someday to move to the capital of Finland, two hours away, and hoping to see some world too. I thought my dreams were big when I was young, but heck, I didn’t even know what dreaming big was! I never have really had a written bucket list, but if I did, all of these would be on it. So glad that I realized it – after I had already done them.
1. Take the ski lift – on the summertime!
Did you know that many ski resorts operate their ski lifts also during the summertime? It gives you the perfect opportunity to explore the mountain high, without actually having to hike up. In fact many ski resorts let you take your mountain bike up in the mountain with the ski lift for ultimate thrill ride down. Me? I took the ski lift up at the Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah and without a mountain bike. In fact, I was going up to the mountain for a cocktail party. Yes, I admit, my adventures often include wine.
2. See Thanksgiving Parade – in New York City
Who all like starting cooking early on Thanksgiving morning and watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on TV? Me too. We did adventure to NYC one year for the parade in person. It was a cold day, we were not close enough to the parade, and got tired just standing on the side of the street, and after the parade it took us forever to get lunch in the little restaurant in the Upper West Side, not the best experience. The rest of the time we lived in New York we just watched the parade at home, on TV. If you go to see the parade in person make sure to do some planning where to watch it, and get there early enough to get a good spot!
3. Take a helicopter ride
Everyone has to experience a helicopter ride at least once in a lifetime. I recommend it for checking the views of your favorite travel destination, or to take you to the mountain top so you can ski it down. My one and only helicopter ride was after a date with my husband, who also let me sit in the front seat of the helicopter while he was flying it. We circled to see our hometown of the time, and the Christmas lights in our house. This romantic date idea is only recommended if your hubby has a few thousand flight hours under his belt.
5. Visit Elvis – in Graceland!
Years ago… we visited Graceland in Memphis and for any fan of the King, it is a must see. From Elvis-impersonators gatherings, to best milkshakes I’ve ever had (in the 50’s style diner), to shopping Elvis-memorabilia for a friend who loves Elvis, it’s an experience to remember.
6. Swim with the sea lions – in Mexico
Swimming with the sharks is too adventurous for me, but I have swum with stingrays. The most memorable swimming encounter is the
swimming with the sea lions in the islands of Sea of Cortez in Mexico. The sea lions are huge and their size worried me a little, and I admit, I was just swimming the same waters watching them from afar, not really swimming
with them.
7. Go to the Oscars and meet George Clooney
There are days I just sit at home and write, and think my life is so boring. Then there are days like today when I just sit at home and write, and think wow, what all have I experienced in my lifetime! Like the time I was reporting and live tweeting from the
Academy Awards red carpet and George Clooney came and touched my hand. It was
beyond even thinking of putting into my bucket list, until, you know, it happened. A reminder for all of us that even the weirdest wishes sometimes come true.
8. Horseback riding – in the Wild West
I took horseback riding lessons when I was a kid. I wore the fancy black helmet, and black long boots, and it was English style riding. While that to may sound exotic to many, that’s just the way we do horseback riding in Scandinavia, and the rest of the Europe. For me the real deal was getting to go horseback riding in the “Wild West.” The first time was on another romantic date with my husband at the Presnal family ranch in Texas (about 15 years ago) and the second time was at
Paw’s Up mountain resort in Montana.
9. Beach vacation – with Minnie Mouse
If you know me, you know I have a weakness for
Disney travel. I can’t say a Disney Cruise to me is a “once in a lifetime” bucket list thing, because I have been on several cruises. However, cruising the seas and visiting tropical islands like Disney’s own Castaway Cay with Mickey and Minnie Mouse is something that should be on every Disney-lovers bucket list.
10. F1 Race – in Singapore
Whatever your sports is – nothing beats watching the sport live instead from a screen at home. I’ve liked Formula 1 racing ever since I watched the races with my dad when I was just a kid, and seeing F1 race live was a phenomenal experience, especially because I got to do it in Singapore, on my first trip to Asia.
Your turn. Make a list of 10 bucket-list-worthy
things you have done in your life!
