Last Bucket List Update
Why a Bucket List?
I’ve found through years of traveling that experiencing new things often leads to growth and learning. By simply embarking on an adventure, we open ourselves up to new people, new places, and new activities, all of which have the potential to change the way we view life. A trip may be planned to check off your dream to see the Hagia Sophia, but you may return cherishing the most a conversation you had with your tour guide about Turkish culture. This is ok. This is why we get out and pursue dreams!
Contrary to popular belief, I don’t view my bucket list as an end-all-be-all source of my happiness. Happiness truly comes from within and anyone has the potential to be happy even if they are incapable of checking off their bucket list. Instead, however, I view my list as a simple source of inspiration to, quite frankly, get out and do things. The more we get out and pursue our life dreams, the more we will get back in return.
So why a bucket list? Its not a list of things to do to obtain happiness, but rather a list of inspiration to put yourself in positions, places, and experiences, that you otherwise would never be in.
How I Organize My Bucket List
Creating a travel/life bucket list can be challenging. There are so many countries/states to visit, and within each, there can be many bucket list experiences to partake in. Instead of trying to make a bucket list that includes every possible place to visit, with every possible thing to do in each place, I like using my bucket list as a rolling document of ideas – almost like a notepad of dreams.
My list is broken down into several categories:
- International Travel: Destination-specific dreams and ideas
- Domestic Travel: U.S specific dreams and ideas
- Experiences: Based on a specific experience and not location
- Festival/Party: A more specific travel list based on Festivals + Parties I’d like to experience
- Food and Drinks: A list with a mix of restaurants and gastro-related travel experiences
- Sports: With my love for sports and athletics, I keep my own sports-specific bucket list
- Lodging: A list focused on unique stays
- Skills + Accomplishments: A list of skills and things I wish to accomplish
How Do I Make My Bucket List
So how do I go about actually putting together my list? Through some trial and error, I have found the below steps work best for m:
- It all starts with a big idea! When a dream-like idea comes to me, I put it on the applicable list. This item tends to be the inspiration or reason behind what I do and where I go in life
- For destination-specific bucket lists (international/domestic), I often find that there can be several related/smaller bucket list ideas that come with the main one (almost like sides to a main dish). I like to call these the “inspiration from the inspiration”. I list these as sub-items underneath my main item.
- This step typically only happens once I begin further planning a trip
- A great example of this is my Inca trail item. I’ve always dreamt of hiking up to Machu Pichu so it’s always been on my list. However, now that I have started planning a trip to Peru, I’ve added visiting Cusco (interested after reading about its history), as a sub-item below the inspiration.
- Sometimes a destination may also have several “big ticket” dreams, in which case I list them out as separate entries.
- For example, visiting Patagonia, and Easter Island in Chile are two big dreams of mine, so I’ve entered them as two separate items
- This step typically only happens once I begin further planning a trip
- I review my list occasionally and remove items that no longer interest me
- When I complete a bucket list item, I cross it off (the most satisfying feeling!) and move it to my “completed” section.
So, without boring you further on technicalities, here is my latest bucket list!
International Bucket List
Bucket Item | Country |
| Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu | Peru |
| Visit Machu Pichu | |
| Visit City of Cusco | |
| Visit Antarctica | Antarctica |
| See The Great Migration | Kenya |
| Road Trip through Kyrgyzstan | Kyrgyzstan |
| Road Trip through Mongolia | Mongolia |
| Torres Del Paine National Park | Chile |
| See the Pyramids of Giza | Egypt |
| Learn About Indigenous People of Papua New Guinea | Papua New Guinea |
| Road Trip through South Island of New Zealand | New Zealand |
| Angkor Wat Sunrise | Cambodia |
| Great Wall of China | China |
| Amazon Rain Forest | South America |
| Island Hop Philippines | Philippines |
| Road Trip Through Namibia | Namibia |
| Star Gaze in Namibia | |
| Namib-Naukluft National Park | |
| Scuba Dive in Great Barrier Reef | Australia |
| Learn about Bhutan Culture | Bhutan |
| Explore Indonesia | Indonesia |
| Everest Base Camp Hike | Nepal |
| Iceland Golden Circle/Iceland Road Trip | Iceland |
| Petra Ancient City | Jordan |
| Uyuni Salt Flat | Bolivia |
| Hike the Dolomites Italy | Italy |
| Moi on Easter Island | Chile |
| Wild Life Exploring Galapagos Island | Ecuador |
| Gorilla Trekking | Uganda |
| See The Northern Lights | Nordic Countries |
| Iguazu Falls | Argentina |
| Biking Southern Part of France | France |
| Hot Air Balloon over Bagan Temples | Myanmar |
| Zhangjiajie National Forest Park | China |
| Visit Atamatca Dessert | Chile |
| Climb/Hike Mount Kilimanjaro | Tanzania |
| Hop Through Thai Islands | Thailand |
| Salsas Dancing in Cuba | Cuba |
| Flamenco Dance Lessons | Spain |
| Visit Zermatt | Switzerland |
| Ride Glacier Express | Switzerland |
| Banff National Park | Canada |
| Water Bungalow Stay | Maldives/Bora Bora |
| Visit Faroe Islands | Denmark |
| Stay In Cinque Terra | Italy |
| Visit small towns of Germany | Germany |
| Visit Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau | Poland |
| Trans Siberian Railway | Russia/China |
| Chichén Itzá, | Mexico |
| Prague Christmas Markets | Prague |
| See Surfing at Nazare | Portugal |
Domestic
Bucket Item | City/Specific Location |
| Yellowstone | Wyoming |
| Glacier National Park | Alaska |
| Smokey Mountains | Tenessee |
| Acadia National Park | Maine |
| Yosemite | California |
| Savanna (Moss) | Georgia |
| Redwood National Park | California |
| Sequoia National Park | California |
| Napa Valley Wine Tour | California |
| Havasu Campers | Airzona |
| Mount Rushmore | South Dakota |
| Drive Big Sur | California |
Experiences
Bucket Item |
| Skydive |
| Attend a Music Festival |
| Hang Gliding |
| Huskey/Dog Sled Tours |
| Country Randomizer Trip (Only if Safe and havent been before) |
| Go Camping |
| Live in Another Country for a Year |
| Be an Extra in a movie |
| See Northern Lights |
| Sand Dunning |
| Full Moon Party in Koh Phanang |
| Go on A Yoga Retreat |
| Multi-Day Hiking Tek |
| Luxury Overnight Train Ride |
Festival/Party
Bucket Item | Country |
| Holi in India | India |
| Oktoberfest | Germany |
| Carnival | Brazil |
| Day of the Dead Festival in Mexico | Mexico |
| Yi Ping Lantern Festival in Thailand | Thailand |
| Songkran | Thailand |
| Mud Festival | South Korea |
| See Or Participate in Running With the Bulls | Spain |
| Mardi Gras | United States |
| NYE in Another Country | Anywhere |
| St Patrick’s Day Ireland | Ireland |
Food + Drink
Bucket Item |
| Mini Bar |
| Dirt Candy |
| JaJaJa Plantas |
| Tian |
| Seven Swans |
| Have Guiness in Dublin |
| Try Tacos In Mexico City |
| Fine Dine in Lima |
| Cooking Class in Italy |
Sports
Bucket Item |
| Go to a World Series Game at Yankee Stadium and watch Yankees win it |
| Attend the Summer Olympics |
| Go to a Super Bowl game |
| Run NYC Marathon |
| U.S. Open Tennis Tournament |
| Go to Soccer World Cup |
| Michigan vs. Ohio State at The Big House |
| See Homerun Derby |
| Yankees RedSox at Fenway Park |
| Yankees Orioles at Camden Yards |
| NBA Playoff Game |
Sit Behind Home Plate Yankee Stadium
Lodging
Bucket Item |
| Stay at Giraffe Manor |
| Stay on Overwater Bunglow |
| Sky Lodge Peru |
| Ice Hotel |
| Stay At a Underwater hotel |
| Stay In An Igloo |
Skills + Accomplishments
Bucket Item |
| Yoga |
| Lear to Surf |
| Buy a Home |
| Become a Landlord |
| Perfect Your Own Tomato Sauce |
| Learn to Ski/Snowboard |
| Learn to Juggle |
| Donate 10K |
| Donate 50K |
| Run a Marathon in Under 4hrs |
| Run a Half in Under 2 hours |
| Triathlon |
| Run Marathon on Great Wall of China |
| Million Dollars in Wealth |
| 100 Pushups |
| Learn a New Language |