Bucket List

Towards the beginning of my career, I read a book entitled “50 Things to Do With the Rest of Your Life” written by fellow lawyer Robert Pearce Wilkins. The book’s premise is that planning is key to taking control of your life, and that neither time nor money constraints should deter your enjoyment. Wilkins encourages people to make a list and plan to do the things they really want to do in life. He inspired me to start thinking and to create a bucket list of things I want to do before I leave this planet. Slowly but surely I’ve been crossing off items on my list (and adding a few more), and my life has been better for it. I hope my list inspires you make one of your own and get to work on making it happen.

1. Drive the Pacific Coast Highway from LA to San Fran
2. Visit all 54 countries in Africa (in progress – 11 down, 43 to go)
3. Go on an African safari
4. See the Great Pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt
5. Ride along the Nile River
6. See the slave castles in Ghana
7. See the mountain gorillas in Rwanda
8. Visit South Africa
9. Visit Ghana
10. Visit Senegal
11. Visit Mozambique
12. Visit Tanzania and Zanzibar
13. Visit the Seychelles
14. Visit Kenya and Maasai Mara
15. Visit Robben Island
16. Visit Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe and Zambia)
17. Visit Mexico
18. Visit Jamaica
19. Visit U.S. Virgin Islands
20. Visit British Virgin Islands
21. Visit Puerto Rico
22. Visit St. Maarten
23. Visit Turks and Caicos
24. Visit Dubai/UAE
25. Visit Petra and Jordan
26. Go to Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago
27. Go to Carnival in Brazil
28. Learn to Tango in Argentina
29. Ride along the Amazon River
30. Visit Iguazu Falls (Brazil and Argentina)
31. Visit the Pantanal in Brazil
32. Visit Machu Picchu
33. Visit Thailand
34. Visit Cuba
35. Visit the Taj Mahal in India
36. Visit the Blue Mosque in Turkey
37. Visit Dubai
38. Ride the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia
39. Visit the French Riviera
40. Visit Paris
41. Visit Rome, Italy
42. Visit Venice, Italy
43. Visit the Amalfi Coast
44. Visit the Italian Riviera
45. Visit Croatia
46. Visit Spain
47. Visit the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
48. Visit the Fiji Islands
49. Visit Hawaii
50. See Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park
51. Visit the Arches in Utah
52. Go houseboating in Lake Powell, AZ
53. Visit Antelope Canyon
54. Visit the Grand Canyon
55. Visit Sedona
56. Go to Alcatraz Island in San Francisco
57. Go to Napa Valley
58. Visit Alaska
59. Visit Iceland
60. Volunteer abroad for 1+ months
61. Live abroad for 3+ months
62. Learn to speak Spanish fluently (in progress)
63. Learn to speak Portuguese fluently (in progress)
64. Visit all 7 continents (5 down, 2 to go)
65. Ride on a yacht
66. Go white water rafting
67. Learn to scuba dive
68. Go water skiing
69. Go horseback riding
70. Write a book
71. Get published in a newspaper or magazine
72. Create a travel blog
73. Create a travel-related business
74. Create a charitable foundation
75. Get DNA testing to learn my genetic ancestry