So what’s this?

This is my life list.  Aka my reaper list, my bucket list, my list of things to do before I die.  A long time ago, I was inspired by Mighty Girl’s list – Mighty Life:Things To Do Before I Go – and started working on my own.  I’ve kept it mostly under wraps, but at some point I started actively working on crossing some items off and bringing other items closer to fruition so I decided that it’s time to unveil it to the world…or just to put it in a public place that I can use to manage it: add to it, make changes, cross things off, and document my progress.

That’s great. Where’s the list?

Well! Someone’s impatient today. It’s below and you can scroll ahead if you must…but here are few notes first:

First, when I first created this list I decided not to add things that I have already completed.  Partly because I was not convinced I had done anything yet worth noting, and partly because I felt like that was cheating.

Second, I reserve the right to add or take things off at any time.  I’ll be fleshing the list out as time goes by, and changing my mind about some of the items.  Maybe next year I’ll decide I’m okay with seeing only some of the 50 states and alter the list to reflect that.  And maybe a few years later I’ll decide that I really do want to visit all 50 states, and I’ll change it back.  I’m a grown ass woman, I do what I want!

Third, I tried to make all of the items on it achievable.  It’s not about unrealistic goals that I’ll never achieve, or need to win the lottery in order to afford.  It’s about creating a list of experiences I want to savor.  There are some items on my list that look at first like it’s just about acquiring some material thing (furniture, clothes, home, dog), for me it’s really about having the experience of living with that thing. Seeing it every day and experiencing its beauty.

And without further ado:

1. Travel to Cuba
2. Road trip across the US (aka: Get my kicks on Route 66!)
3. Go kayaking Done, again, and again
4. Become conversational in Español
5. Visit all seven continents (42% done)
   1. North America
   2. Europe
   3. Australia
   4. South America
6. See all fifty states (46% done)
   1. California
   2. Connecticut
   3. Delaware
   4. Florida
   5. Georgia
   6. Illinois
   7. Lousiana
   8. Maine
   9. Maryland
   10. Massachusetts
   11. Minnesota
   12. New Hampshire
   13. New Jersey
   14. New York
   15. North Carolina
   16. Ohio
   17. Pennsylvania
   18. Rhode Island
   19. South Carolina
   20. Tennessee
   21. Vermont
   22. Virginia
   23. West Virginia
   24. Wisconsin
7. Visit Tibet
8. Rescue a giant, snuggly Bernese Mountain Dog
9. See the Grand Canyon
10. Attend the JP Lantern Festival Done
11. Move to a city I’ve never lived in
12. Create a reading nook in my house
13. Go on a National Geographic photo expedition
14. Have professional portraits shot (Kinda done)
15. Volunteer regularly
16. Complete a sprint triathlon
17. Drive the PCH in a convertible
18. Live in a foreign country
19. Go on a yoga/wellness vacation
20. Spend an entire day at the spa with a girl friend
21. Make my own wine
22. Visit Martha’s Vineyard
23. Learn to take the top off a soft boiled egg
24. Have a guest room that visitors look forward to staying in
25. Attend a black tie benefit dinner & gala
26. Visit Kangaroo Island
27. Cruise the Mediterranean
28. See the Corn Palace
29. Experience a full minute of free fall while skydiving
30. Learn to rock climb
31. See the Aurora Borealis
32. Walk the Freedom Trail Done
33. Hike Mt Washington Done
34. Learn to surf
35. Live in a green (eco, not color) home
36. Spend a week building a house with Habitat For Humanity
37. Attend the Olympics
38. Attend a game at every MLB ball park (40% done)
    1. Fenway Park, Boston
    2. Camden Yards, Baltimore
    3. Nationals Park, DC
    4. AT&T Park, San Fran
    5. Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
    6. Progressive Field, Cleveland
    7. Wrigley Field, Chicago
    8. Citi Field, New York
    9. Sun Life Stadium, Miami
    10. Target Field, Minneapolis
    11. Yankee Stadium, New York
    12. SunTrust Park, Atlanta
    13. Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay
39. See a show on Broadway
40. Attend a NASCAR race
41. Visit the Hearst Castle
42. Live without worrying about $$$
43. Dip my toes (or more!) in all of the (Modern) Seven Seas (57% done)
    1. North Pacific
    2. South Pacific
    3. North Atlantic
    4. Indian Ocean
44. Fly first class
45. Visit all of the Boston Harbor Islands (18% done)
    1. George’s Island
    2. Long Island
    3. Nut Island
    4. World’s End
    5. Brewster Island
    6. Spectacle Island
46. Visit Cedar Point
47. Start crocheting something and actually finish Done
48. Buy a house, make it a home
49. See a live taping of Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me Done
50. Visit Berlin during the Festival of Lights
51. Have Thanksgiving Dinner at Plimouth Plantation
52. Hike all of the White Mountains 4,000 footers (52% done)
    1. Washington
    2. Monroe
    3. Jackson
    4. Lafayette
    5. Lincoln
    6. Madison
    7. Adams
    8. Jefferson
    9. Eisenhower
    10. Pierce
    11. South Kinsman
    12. North Kinsman
    13. Cannon
    14. Galehead
    15. South Twin
    16. Bond
    17. West Bond
    18. Zealand
    19. Tom
    20. Carter Dome
    21. Middle Carter
    22. South Carter
    23. Wildcat
    24. Wildcat, D Peak
53. Go dog sledding
54. Ride a camel in the desert