30 Day Blog Challenge – Day 10 – Your Top 20 Bucket List Items

Ever since I saw the movie The Bucket List with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, I found myself mulling over what things I would want on my own bucket list, should I ever create one. Here I am today faced with that exact challenge, so I am looking back on my previous thoughts and seeing which ones still deserve a place on my list.

Since that movie came out, there have been a few thing from my list that I have managed to achieve. Walking along the Great Wall of China was one of them, and I did that back in 2016, when I travelled to China with a group of students for a two-week tour of various cities throughout the country. It was an incredible experience, and I will never forget standing on the Great Wall, thinking to myself, “Remember this moment, this is definitely a bucket list moment!” Another item from my list that I achieved during that trip was to enter the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. That was quite an overwhelming experience for me, the huge crowds of people, the history behind the Forbidden City, it was truly amazing.

There are many other things that I have added to my bucket list over the years. Today, I decided to focus on my Top 20 bucket list items, as I tend to like to have a number to stick to, so my posts don’t get too long-winded! Here they are (in no particular order):

• Go in a shark cage to observe great white sharks. Everyone I have ever mentioned this to thinks I’m crazy, but I think it would be an exhilarating experience to be down in a shark cage (therefore protected) and get to observe the incredible power of the great white shark up close and personal.

• Ride a camel. Ok, so this isn’t an overly exciting idea, but nonetheless, it’s something that I have always wanted to do. I think it would be pretty neat to ride on a camel through the desert. Perhaps I could tie this experience in with my next item…

• See the pyramids of Egypt. Egypt made it on to my Top 10 Places to Visit list, and one of the main reasons it did is because I have always been fascinated with the pyramids. I love the history behind them, what the ancient Egyptians used to believe happened in their afterlife, and how they cared for their dead. I would love to be able to see the pyramids and explore inside them.

• Go sky-diving. I always thought this would be an amazing thing to do, so when I found out that my older brother had done it, I was very jealous! Although, if you were to hear him tell the story of how that experience went for him, you might think otherwise.

• Drive the Cabot Trail. Oh, the beauty in this great country of ours! Canada has so many gorgeous, unique places to see. One such beauty is the Cabot Trail, a stunning scenic drive along Cape Breton’s coastline. We now live virtually beside Cape Breton, so this is a bucket list item that I look forward to checking off this summer!

• Ride in a hot air balloon. Hot air balloons are the neatest things! I always thought it would be so fun to travel in one. It would be so peaceful floating up above looking down at the landscape below.

• Go deep-sea scuba diving. Marine life amazes me, it is literally a whole other world in our oceans, and one that I would love to explore. I would love to travel to some of these exotic locations where you can go scuba diving and see some of the breath-taking life that is down there.

• Backpack through Europe. Many people I know have done this, and I have always thought it would be an incredible experience. Just to pick up and head out, not necessarily knowing where you’ll end up or how long you’ll stay. But just to travel through all the different places, taking time to absorb the culture, taste the food, see the sites, partake in the activities. What an experience!

• Go on an African Safari. Africa is definitely one of those places that I would love to see someday, and going on a safari when we’re there would be a must. It would be incredible to see some of these great animals, like elephants and lions, up close and personal.

• See Holland in bloom. Holland is world-renown for its gorgeous display of tulips every spring, and being Canadian, I know that Holland sends stunning assortments of tulips to Ottawa every spring, as a ‘thank you’ for Canada’s role in helping them during the World War. I would love to see Holland’s fields in bloom, it would be gorgeous.

• Clear my debts. Who wants debt? No one. It’s something that’s just got to go, and something that we are working hard to eliminate from our lives. I want to someday live completely debt-free. Ambitious? Probably. But certainly doable.

• Go on an Alaskan or Mediterranean cruise. Cruises are such a great way to see a variety of places in one holiday. They’re not for everyone, but I love them. You get to dine in luxury, enjoy endless pampering, and wake up in a new location every morning. Visiting either of these places via a cruise would be an incredible experience.

• Own or rent an RV. Yes, I’m one of those people. I think RV’s (or Campers) are so cool! I always thought it would be such a fun way to travel, literally driving your home from place to place. The convenience of having everything with you, and being able to pick up and change locations whenever you want. My idea of camping!

• Go zip lining somewhere exotic. I have seen many tourist locations offering zip lining as one of the activities you can do when staying there. It would be a beautiful way to see some of the stunning landscapes that are in some of these locations. I would love to go zip lining through the jungles of Costa Rica, or through the lush mountains of Hawaii.

• Volunteer abroad. Ever since I completed a service trip to the Dominican Republic back in 2008, where we rebuilt schools and helped local villagers, I have always said that I wanted to do more trips like that. There is so much need in our world, so many people in need of help. I would love to volunteer abroad with my whole family, as I would love for my children to be a part of that experience as well. It would need to be a safe environment for them to be in, but what an incredible experience it would be for all of us and what a fantastic learning opportunity it would be for my children.

• Sleep in a medieval castle. We almost accomplished this when we travelled to Scotland last summer, however the castle we were wanting to stay at did not allow small children. Boo 😦 So, that idea was tossed aside. But perhaps someday, the hubby and I can travel on our own and stay in a castle. Pretend to be royalty for a night!

• Visit Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Alberta. Being an avid horseback rider for most of my life, I have always wanted to visit Spruce Meadows, home to world-class show jumping competitions. If I wanted to really fancy up my list, I’d also add that I would love to compete at Spruce Meadows myself!

• Stay on a cattle ranch for a week. Yup, just like the movie City Slickers, I think it would be so fun to stay on a ranch for a week, helping to care for the horses and cows, and then traveling and herding the cows from one location to another. Sleeping under the stars at night, cooking your meals over a campfire, and riding your horse to travel. What could be better?

• Sing in front of a large audience. I love to sing, but not many people hear me sing very often because I’m shy about it. If my husband happens to catch me singing, he’ll quickly turn the song down to try to catch a moment of me singing on my own, rarely with much luck. I would love to have the confidence and ability to stand up in front of a large audience and belt out a song, Celine Dion-style!

• Host a family reunion. Now that we live miles away from our family, I often find myself thinking of ways we could all get together. I would love to host a family reunion here at our new home. There have been some arguments that have taken place over the years between different family members, and I would love to somehow find a way past all of that and have everyone together again. The last time we were all together for a big family get-together was for my grandmother’s 90^th birthday, back in 2006. It would mean the world to me to have everyone out here (from both my side and hubby’s side) to visit our new home and celebrate family all together.

No matter what items are on your bucket list, make an effort to tick some (if not all!) of them off your list throughout your life. Keep adding to your list, reinventing it, making new adventures, and ensuring that the life that flashes before your eyes one day is one that’s worth watching.