I actually loathe the term “bucket list,” but it’s the easiest way to summarize what I need to say. Let’s face it — “Things I Would Like to See, Experience and Accomplish Before I Die or Am Too Old to Enjoy Them” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.
Basically, I set out in July 2010 with a lot of things to see and do as I traveled around the world. Some of them seemed so far beyond my grasp, I didn’t even dare to dream about them. Some of them weren’t even on my list, because I didn’t know they existed yet.
Call them what you want: Hopes. Wishes. Goals. To me, they just became life.
In one year’s time, I had more than 100 incredible experiences. I posted 25 of them a couple days ago. Yesterday I posted 25 more. Below is the next installment.
How many of these are on your Things I Would Like to See, Experience and Accomplish Before I Die or Am Too Old to Enjoy Them list?
50. Witnessed two deadly puff adders doin’ it on a hiking trail. I think it’s the equivalent of a black cat crossing your path … while it is humping another black cat.
49. Hiked through a Malaysian jungle to see the world’s largest flower.
48. Studied yoga at an ashram.
47. Learned that wildebeest are real.
46. Waded in holy waters.
45. Hunkered down in a hut with African women, learning about their lives.
44. Sampled the goods at a rum distillery in the Peruvian rainforest.
43. Watched the World Cup finals in South American bars.
42. Hiked up Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Took the tram down.
41. Tangoed in Argentina.
40. Cared for hundreds of monkeys at a sanctuary in Bolivia. Was only attacked once.
39. Had dinner cooked by Bedouins in the middle of the Little Petra desert. They roasted eggplant and potatoes on hot coals, and served it with canned beers they pulled from their coat pockets.
38. Drank a shot called a “shit bucket.”
37. Rode a camel.
36. Tried SCUBA diving. Hated it.
35. Bought fresh sugar cane on the street.
34. Climbed to the top of a mountain to pray at a monkey temple.
33. Hitchhiked.
32. Learned to harvest rice in Uganda.
31. Hiked up to the highest pub in Africa.
30. Saw a lion in the wild.
29. Communicated with people in languages I don’t speak.
28. Ate “American corn” at a movie theater in Mumbai. (It was a cup of sweet corn.)
27. Danced in a parade.
26. Had my heart stolen. More than once.
