So, I went skydiving yesterday for the first time. It was
definitely one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. However, rather
than regale you with all of the details of my adventure, I am going to ask you all
a simple question. What is the coolest thing you have done in your life so far?
A few days before the skydiving experience, my husband asked
me about my bucket list. I was honest with him when I said that I don’t have
one. Travel is something I want to do more of in my lifetime, but it doesn’t
really fall into the “things I need to do before I die” category. As for
skydiving, that was something I wanted to try, but not because I wanted to
cross it off some death list.
To me, bucket lists contain things you do once, then cross
it off and move onto the next item. I have an issue with that. What I have
accomplished, so far, are things that I do not necessarily want to stop doing. I don’t want to cross anything off in life. Putting
a line through something seems so final. What if I want to skydive ten more
times?
So instead of being depressed because I haven’t completed
#59 off my bucket list, I created a “life list” consisting of notable things
that I have already accomplished (and may do again). Having a life list is a
similar concept, but it instead focuses on achievements. I named mine the “My-Life-is-Awesome-Look-At-All-the-Cool-Shit-I’ve-Done-So-Far”
list. I encourage each of you to make one of these, rather than succumb to the
pressure of fulfilling a bucket list.
Trust me when I tell you that it’s much more satisfying
seeing the things you have done and how you have lived your life so far, rather
than the things you have yet to achieve.
So, my friends, live on and enjoy the cool shit along the way!
Feel free to peruse my list below or share your own lists
with me! And remember that the little things count just as much as the big
things! Happy list making!
My-Life-is-Awesome-Look-At-All-the-Cool-Shit-I’ve-Done-So-Far
List
- 1. Had two awesome daughters
- 2. Have seen my daughters succeed (even the small stuff counts!)
- 3. Married the love of my life
- 4. Said yes to my then-boyfriend’s marriage proposal at Pont de Artes (the lock and key bridge) in Paris
- 5. Have seen family and friends get married and have children
- 6. Skydiving from 18,000 feet
- 7. Slingshot bungee jumping
- 8. Rode in a helicopter
- 9. Started a blog (and have been published!)
- 10. Joined a book club
- 11. Witnessed a space shuttle launch from a beach (where I met a family who I am still friends with to this day)
- 12. Walked the San Francisco Bridge
- 13. Drove down Lombard Street, San Francisco
- 14. Did a color run
- 15. Ran a half marathon
- 16. Cycled a half century
- 17. Adopted a dog from the Humane Society
- 18. Lived in Texas…and Pennsylvania…and New Jersey…and Florida
- 19. Vacationed in Hilton Head, SC
- 20. Been to Washington DC (The Monument, Abe Lincoln Memorial, Museum of Natural History, the Vietnam Wall)
- 21. Went to a wolf preserve
- 22. Been on a road trip-Florida to New York
- 23. Visited the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Central Park, FAO Schwartz, Freedom Tower, MOMA, Flat Iron
- 24. Have ridden in a subway
- 25. Have hailed a cab, NYC style
- 26. Have eaten the best pizza ever (Sal and Carmines, New York, New York)
- 27. Have eaten at Carlos’ Bakery in Hoboken before it was famous
- 28. Been to the World Trade Center when it still stood
- 29. Learned to make French macaroons from a French chef in Paris
- 30. Sat in the grand stands at the Tour de France 2012 (Bradley Wiggins won)
- 31. Tried French Onion soup in Paris
- 32. Visited the Lourve
- 33. Rode on the Metro
- 34. Vacationed in Spain (Ibiza & Madrid)
- 35. Hiked through the El Yunque rain forest & stood underneath La Mina Falls
- 36. Walked through the Rio Camuy caves
- 37. Went on a Biolumenscence boat tour in Fajardo, Puerto Rico and got to touch the plankton
- 38. Snorkeled in Xcaret-Cancun, Mexico
- 39. Saw a live bull fight-Cancun, Mexico
- 40. Got my hair braided in the Bahamas
- 41. Did a short hike at the Grand Canyon
- 42. Ate ribs at BB Kings in Memphis, TN while attending the International Blues Challenge
- 43. Visited Graceland
- 44. Been to the International Food and Wine Festival at Epcot with my friends from grammar school
- 45. Got a tattoo (4 times and counting…)
- 46. Got piercings (ears, tongue, hand, belly button)
- 47. Graduated from college
- 48. Have attended a foam party
- 49. Smoked strawberry tobacco from a hookah
- 50. Been to a professional baseball game
- 51. Played laser tag
- 52. Have been to an indoor trampoline park
- 53. Started happy jars for myself, my girls and my husband
- 54. Went to Woodstock 1999
- 55. Have been to a few concerts (Hall & Oates, Madonna, Live, Barenaked Ladies, Aerosmith, Alanis Morissette/Tori Amos, Katy Perry, Train/Maroon 5)
- 56. Have seen multiple shows on Broadway-Les Miserables (three times), Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Rent (three times), Miss Saigon, Cyrano: The Musical, Jekyll and Hyde, Wicked
- 57. Sang to an audience
- 58. Have been to a real recording studio in SOHO and watched a producer work his magic
- 59. Touched a stingray
- 60. Touched a snake
- 61. Fed a dolphin
- 62. Visited Winter the dolphin in Clearwater, FL
- 63. Gone horseback riding on a beach
- 64. Volunteered for Habitat for Humanity (helped build a house in Fellsmere, FL)
- 65. Have donated food to the local food pantry on a regular basis
- 66. Watched the sunset
- 67. Went on an airboat ride in the Everglades
- 68. Have ridden on the back of a motorcycle
- 69. Dyed my hair blond, red, lighter brown, and pink (not at the same time)
- 70. Donated my hair (twice) to Pantene Beautiful Lengths
- 71. Took ballroom dancing classes as an adult
- 72. Crocheted a scarf
- 73. Have grown my own strawberries and basil
- 74. Have been to a corn maze
- 75. Been to Medieval Times (and actually loved it)
- 76. Been to Disney World close to 60 times in the past 4 years
- 77. Seen fireflies light up a bottle
- 78. Bought food for a homeless man
