Years ago, well before the term Bucket List was coined or the blogosphere existed, I read an essay by Stuart McLean about a man who, dismayed at the regret he saw in his parents and their peers, decided to make a list of the things he wanted to do in his lifetime and set out to accomplish them. That inspired me to start a list of my own. It’s very dynamic and I reserve the right to change it as I grow and evolve, but it’s always amazing what you can accomplish once you commit yourself to it.
My Life List
- Visit all 7 continents before my 42nd birthday
- Learn to surf
- Write a book
- Try karaoke
- Learn to speak French properly
- Learn to speak German properly
- Learn Spanish
- Learn Esperanto
- Fly on an A380
- Eat pancakes at the Hoito in Thunder Bay
- Take some serious ukulele lessons in Hawaii
- Find out the truth about my Chinese ancestry
- Stay at Madonna Inn
- Eat at Jack’s Cosmic Dogs
- Try kitesurfing
- Try hanggliding
- Try skydiving
- Compete on a roller-derby team
- Celebrate Hogmannay in Edinburgh
- Celebrate Guy Fawkes Night in Britain
- Live abroad
- Visit the Hermitage
- Visit Taliesen
- See a concert at Red Rocks
- Visit all the places named in the song Get Your Kicks on Route 66
- Attend ComicCon
- Do the Big Lap
- Take a road trip on Route 66
- Publish something in National Geographic
- Tour the Empire State Building
- Visit the Grand Canyon and do the Skywalk
- Make a quilt
- Celebrate Day of the Dead in Mexico
- Try long-track speedskating
- Attend SXSW
- Fly on a Lancaster
- Stay at every ice hotel in existence
- Busk on Grafton Street in Dublin
- Visit the North Pole
- Visit the South Pole
- Traverse the Northwest Passage
- Overwinter in Antarctica
- Take a road trip across Canada
- Visit all of Canada’s provinces and territories
- Create a mural
- Work on a Habitat for Humanity build
- Buy and use an Around the World (RTW) ticket
- Get shot out of a cannon
- Go to trapeze school
- Attend a tailgate party
- Visit the Neon Museum
- Fly in an Electra
- Visit the Velveteria
- Visit L’anse aux Meadows
- See Polar Bears in the wild
- See Pandas in the wild
- Go whalewatching
- Ride in a submarine
- Experience Holi in India
- Attend a music festival
- Take a beach holiday
- Attend an opera
- Read all of the books on the 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read list
- Tango in Buenos Aires
- Visit Coca-Cola World
- Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin
- Attend the Pride Parade in Toronto
- Visit Montreal
- Attend a ballet
- Eat at Garde Manger
- Eat at The French Laundry
- Eat at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo
- Try bobsledding
- Try snowshoeing
- Ride in a hot air balloon
- Learn to dance bhangra
- Try queso rellenos in Merida
- Try dogsledding
- Visit Arcosanti
- Visit Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump
- Attend a pow-wow
- Participate in a think tank
- Wear a bowler hat
- Watch a cricket match
- Participate in a historical re-enactment
- Learn to be a chocolatier
- Become internet famous for something non-cringeworthy
- Meet a female stuntperson
- Jump off a cliff
- Participate in a world record attempt
- Learn to dance flamenco
- Attend a Buffalo Bills game
- Attend a lacrosse match
- Attend Burning Man
Done:
- Do the CN Tower Edgewalk
- Visit the Prado
- Visit Park Guell
- Visit Easter Island
- Visit Stonehenge
- Visit the Pyramids
- Celebrate Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney
- Visit Antarctica
- Eat at Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles
- Photograph the Randy’s Donuts sign
- Visit Luna Parc
- Get my picture taken with the Sphinx
- Attend the Earth Summit
- Visit the Smithsonian
- Visit Taliesen West
- Visit the British Museum
- Visit the Victoria & Albert Museum
- Visit the Guggenheim
- Visit the Museum of Modern Art
- Visit the Egyptian Museum
- Visit Pompeii and Herculaneum
- Visit the Colosseum
- Visit the Jell-O Museum
- Hold a python
- See penguins in the wild
- Touch an iceberg
- Go inside a volcano
- Climb the Eiffel Tower
- Take a spin on the London Eye
- Learn to tango
- Visit Fallingwater
- Visit the Andy Warhol Museum
- Ride in a helicopter
- Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Boston
- Try the wings at the Anchor Bar
- Eat at Dinosaur BBQ
- Stay at the Library Hotel
- Eat at Lolita
- Visit Book Thing of Baltimore
- Tour the Library of Congress
- Live with Mennonites
- Visit Windsor Castle
- Appear on television
- March in the Santa Claus Parade
- Try sake
- Go on a chocolate tour
- Go Zip-lining