My Bucket List

A lot has happened lately that has made me think of my life in the bigger picture. More specifically, things that I want to accomplish or see in the short time I have on this earth. Which I don't think is too uncommon these days--especially after "The Bucket List" was made into a movie.

This delightful little dramedy from 2007, starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, centers around two men who meet in the hospital. They are both terminally ill, but decide to embark on one last hoorah, completing their "before we kick the bucket" list. It was a combination of laughs and tears, leaving the viewer feeling both sad and fulfilled at the movie's conclusion.

I'll be honest, I don't think I saw the whole movie. It was one of the in-flight options on my trip to Ireland a few years back. The flight was about 8 hours long and I may have slept through a good chunk of the middle. But the ending was extremely heart-warming and left me remembering that life is really short and we should live everyday like it's our last.

With all this in mind, I decided to compile my own Bucket List. I decided on 26 items, one for each year I've been alive. Some are sentimental, some are serious but all are things I'd love to do before I "kick the bucket."

1. Live in London or Europe for an extended amount of time or permanetly
2. See Paul McCartney perform live 
3.Touch Dorothy's ruby red slippers
4. Travel to every continent in the world
5. Author a book on the New York Times Best Sellers List
6. Learn to surf
7. Explore the Black Forest of Germany
8. Attend the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games
9. Run a 5k 
10. Take a risk in love and see it pay off
11. Take care of my parents financially
12. Meet J.K Rowling and Tim O'Brien
13. Sing the National Anthem at a sporting event
14. Mardi Gras in New Orleans
15. Visit Pearl Harbor
16. Be invited back to my high school as a guest speaker
17. See a New Zealand sunrise
18. Forgive old grudges
19. Find inner peace within religion
20. Drink a beer at Ernest Hemingway's house in Key West
21. Be completely debt free and financially independent
22. Walk on Abbey Road
23. Throw a quarter off the Great Wall of China
24. Get my MFA
25. Spend an entire summer down the shore
26. Witness a miracle


This is just a short list--what I can think of off the top of my head. As I grow, I think I'll add more and maybe change things but for now, this is good.

Now to start completing it!