Several weeks ago a group of bloggers started writing lists of things they want to do before they die.
I read their lists and in some cases nodded my head in agreement and in others sort of wondered what they found interesting but that is ok.
Life would be quite dull if we all liked and or disliked the same things. I expect people will have a similar reaction to my list.
A couple of points of interest to mention before I share my list with you. This is not a complete list and there are several reasons for that.
- This is what interests me at age 43. Some of these are things that have always held my attention and others are new. I expect that life, age and experience will continue to exert an influence that may make me add or subtract things from this.
- There are boundaries in blogging so I won’t share everything. Some goals are things I keep just for me.
- These things aren’t listed in order of importance.
And now on to our “show”
- I want to qualify, enter and complete the “Big” Ironman in Hawaii. Going to be painful getting in shape for it, but how rewarding will it be to say I have done it.
- I want to write and publish multiple works of fiction.
- Visit every single continent.
- Live in another country for an extended period of time.
- Learn how to speak five languages.
- Attend the Kentucky Derby, Superbowl and World Cup.
- Own a home that has a room that serves as a library with built in shelves, overstuffed shelves etc.
- Go to culinary school.
- Assorted train trips and cruises.
- Own a private jet.
Yes, I know that was more than ten things but I already told you I retain license to adjust and or modify this list. Now when I tell you that I want to live to be a 1,000 you understand that I am not afraid of dying but of running out of time to do everything I want to do.
If I could guarantee that my life would be extended like that I would become a doctor and a scientist as well as a historian. Who knows, I may still do those things.
What Other People Shared
If you are interested in what some other bloggers have listed you are welcome to use the links below to check them out.
What is on your list?
I’m with you on #2!
@twitter-111710312:disqus The opportunity is just waiting for us to take it by the throat.
You’d better get busy, Josh!
@MeetAna:disqus I am all over it. No time to waste.
🙂 I read all those lists and they’re fascinating. And as hard as it seems to get started, it picks up steam like crazy once we do. I have big dreams and have started living them. 🙂 I’ve had such a pleasant time reading this post and the comments!
@vidyasury:disqus It is fun to see what sort of dreams people have. Sometimes they are the same or similar to ours. Sometimes their dreams move us to do more too.
Very glad you enjoyed the post and the comment. I appreciate your spending time here.
I haven’t created my list yet, and I haven’t even started thinking about it. But, some of the stuff on your list will be on my list too. But I am not sure about the private jet part, because I am really afraid of flying. Just being in a plane makes me worried even though it’s on the ground. But I do travel by plane, and I have even been to the US (but it’s more than 10 years ago).
I really like the part about the library. I own a house, a fairly big one too, but it doesn’t have room for a library, and that’s something I’d love to have.
Great list.
@berget:disqus Part of the reason I want the private jet is to make me more comfortable with flying. It is not that I hate it because I don’t, but it would be nice to not have to deal with some of the security and seating issues.
Mostly I like the idea of being able to really stretch out and enjoy a long flight without some of the other stuff that goes on now.
Let me know if you make a list because I’d like to read it.
I wrote about this here in my blog post, “This is not a Bucket List”, and called it my “Aspirations List”. http://www.kaarinadillabough.com/not-bucket-list/
First:
Live a long and healthy life so I can experience the rich,
rewarding, healthy lives of my two sons and my husband, long into the
future
Touch as many lives as possible and leave those lives a little
happier, brighter, more confident and inspired than before I had the
pleasure of connecting with them
Those two came easily. The following are the more “practical”, which I really had to think about.
Hike the Camino de Santiago. When the movie “The Way” came out, it inspired me even more to one day…walk the Camino, and hike the Sedona Vortexes
Write my book. Ahem…FINISH writing my books…plural
Visit Finland, Land of the Midnight Sun
and country of my heritage. Go for sauna (and it’s pronouned sownuh,
not sawnaw:) and roll naked in the snow. I do that at home (yes, we have
a good old-fashioned sauna and most of the time, lots of snow, haha!),
but I want to experience Finland, snow…and beer:)
Drink 100 year old single malt. (Yes, I stole this one from Danny Brown, from his comment over at Spin Sucks. We’re birds of a feather on this one Danny.)
Meet Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman
in person. I’ve seen them perform live more times than I can count, but
I’d like to meet them, talk to them, hear their stories in person.
Experience an Orient Express journey
Spend one week in a silence-only environment: a retreat at which there is no speaking or sound, save for the sounds of nature.
Collect rocks and shells from all over the place. Oh wait…I already do that:)
Ride in a hot air balloon. I’m afraid of heights, but I will do
this. It’s similar to when I went outside my comfort zone and learned to
ride a motorcycle, was gifted with a bike for Mother’s Day one year,
and rode with abandon for several years. Sold the bike a few years ago.
It had accomplished its purpose.
Ramp up my speaking engagements. I used to do a lot of these. When I
underwent a painful 2 1/2 years of TM litigation with my clothing
company (which I’ve since closed down), my speaking engagements calendar
went to a hot place in a handbasket. I yearn to ramp up this love of
mine again.
Pursue my painting, sketching, jewellery design, photography and share the results with all who find it of interest
Are you sorry you asked? 😉 Cheers! Kaarina
@kaarinadillabough:disqus Nope, Not sorry at all that I asked.What kind of bike did you own?
I want one but have been hesitant to get one because I remember what I did on my dirt bike and that kid lives inside me still. I jumped off of and on things- could see myself trying some crazy stuff on the bike.
But still the idea of that kind of freedom…
That Orient Express journey is right up my alley. Has to be a great inspiration for writing.
Finland sounds like a must as does that single malt. I like your list- it is solid.
Thanks 🙂 I had a Honda Shadow 750: fun at the time, but it had its day. Although I am re-reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and an interesting book by Mark Richardson entitled “Zen and Now, On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”, where he re-traces the route of Pirsig and comments on places and people Pirsig would have encountered.
Orient Express, Finland and single malt…definitely on the list. Cheers! Kaarina
Nice. Been thinking about the motorcycle thing for a while and then I forgot about it. Of course things happen, I read this post:
http://www.sugarjonesblog.com/1288/no-cages/
and then you shared your story.
What is that you say about the teacher appearing when the student is ready. 😉
So cool:) Brought to mind a line from Trooper’s song, “with only fear and good judgment holding us back” … http://youtu.be/pf_z4opZv-k
Love the list and why not have it be more than 10? It’s all about taking life leaps, right? Your jet will certainly take you to those 7 continents. 🙂
It is absolutely longer than 10 items but in the interest of space I kept it short. Besides I might revisit and share it again later.
I especially like the own a private jet!
Great list, and thanks for sharing mine 🙂
I enjoyed your list so it seemed natural to share it here.
Hello!
Thanks so much for the mention 🙂
Doing this is just so awesome right? I came up with 20 and I found it tough. Looks like we share things in common – I need to work on languages too. I know three but would love to learn some more.
I like the idea of that home! Good luck in checking them off soon! 🙂
I love languages. I speak fragments of many but need to focus so that I can turn that into fluency. I just think it is very cool and that it provides an education the likes of which is hard to find in any other way.
I love this list! I’d love to hold you to the Ironman…what a freaking great experience! I’ve run three marathons, done countless bike races, and a few triathlons. But I started small…I started running. Then I did a 5K, then a 10K, and so on. You can totally do it!
@ginidietrich:disqus
You can’t tell by looking at me now, but I swam competitively in high school. I haven’t any doubt that I can get myself in shape to do the swimming. Will be hellish training, but I can do it.
The biking and running concern me a bit. I have never particularly enjoyed distance running, but I figure if i set my mind to it and establish a proper training routine there is no reason why I can’t do it.
I guess what I am saying is that the only one holding me back is me, so all I need to do is set my mind to doing it.
Do you enjoy running as much as you enjoy biking?
I hated running. It flared my asthma badly. But I had a goal to accomplish and then, once I finished my first marathon, I decided to do it two more times. I wasn’t good at it. I couldn’t compete. But I did it. And so can you!
@ginidietrich:disqus A big part of the draw here is that this is a case of will versus ability. It is a chance to prove that we are mentally tough and that is something that I see as being quite valuable.
Let’s see, you said 7 things in headline and jotted more than 10 or 10? But, once you get started, hard to shut off the wish list, eh? I have done a few things on your list…volunteering for the Women’s World Cup in Chicago was the most amazing thing ever; that counts, right?
It is so cool to see these lists; you learn a bunch about folks. Not get to your training!
To be honest I was pretty sure I would find more than 7 things to list but I used that because I thought it would make it more enticing to read.
The volunteering sounds like it was pretty cool. I am assuming that meant you got to see some of the games.
We all need dreams and then we need to try to live them. It is what makes life interesting.