Blog Archives

My Bucket List

A couple weeks ago, on a road trip to San Francisco, my friend and I started to talk about our bucket lists…

The conversation started when we were reminiscing about how we really need/want to apply to be a team on the next Amazing Race. (Something we have talked about for YEARS). The conversation reminded me about the time I auditioned for the Real World when I was in college because it was “one of those things on my bucket list”. That is when my friend jumped in and said, “we need to write out our buckets lists, see which items match, then go do them together!”

Normally, I am not one for writing down lists. I never write down new years resolutions, usually struggle at the grocery store because I can’t remember what I needed and forgot to write a list, etc. The only lists I am good at are letters to Santa with what I want for Christmas. But the idea of a bucket list intrigued me.

As defined by Urban Dictionary, a bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you die, or more specifically, before you kick the bucket.

So, as I started to day dream about my bucket list, I realized that everything I want to do/accomplish before I die generally ties into travel.

So here it is. My Travel Bucket List. This list is by no means exhaustive. I plan to add to it as inspiration hits.

  1. Audition for the Amazing Race
  2. Go on a hot air balloon ride
  3. Go on a safari in the Serengeti
  4. Go to Yellowstone National Park
  5. Walk on the Great Wall of China
  6. Go to the Galapagos Islands
  7. Attend a music festival in the UK
  8. Attend Coachella
  9. Hike to Machu Picchu
  10. Buy a summer home in the UK
  11. See the Northern Lights
  12. See penguins in their natural habitat
  13. Visit Luang Prabang, Laos
  14. Visit Meteora, Greece
  15. Visit all 7 continents (Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia)
  16. Take a cruise to Alaska
  17. Go to Hawaii and hike to a volcano
  18. Learn a 2nd language
  19. Attend the Olympics
  20. Learn to tango… in Argentina
  21. Practice yoga in India
  22. Grow some cojones and go cliff diving

Does your bucket list look similar to mine? Should we go plan a vacation together and check some of these off the list?

Advertisement

Beauty In Your Own Backyard

All too often I find myself daydreaming about my next travel adventure. I would say 95% of the time, my mind wanders to international lands where I can find food, culture, and environments vastly different from my regular life.

But, then the financial reality of paying for these exotic trips that I dream of hits and I realize that the only way I can experience them as soon as I would like to is if I a) win a trip or b) win a trip. Seeing as I likely tapped out my trip winning luck for life, it’s time to look for alternatives.

Thankfully, last week I had the pleasure of attending the 2012 International Pow Wow in Los Angeles where Brand USA launched its first official marketing campaign for Discover America. Their ads are based on the four senses and how you can experience America through them.

See it. Hear it. Taste it. Touch it.

I got goosebumps when I saw this ad. Almost immediately my traveling mind started to wander to lands in my own backyard. Exploring the stunning landscapes of Yellowstone National Park. Enjoying the food, music, and culture of New Orleans. Experiencing the autumn glow of Vermont maple trees. I was excited about traveling and exploring the beauty and wonder that my own country as to offer.

Have you been surprised by what travel adventures your own backyard has to offer?

%d bloggers like this: