Bucket List
Do any of you have a bucket list, a list of things you want to do before you "kick the bucket?" I've been cultivating my bucket list for years. I turn 40 this month, and for the past year I've been creating, learning, and accomplishing items on my bucket list. My goal was to do 40 things before I turned 40. #40before40. It may have been a mid-life crisis thing, but I finished my list and had a blast!
2. Meditate: I'm not great at sitting down and stopping my mind. Neither is anyone else, I gather. I tried it with an app from my phone. I promptly fell asleep.
12. Camp in a Tent with Ollie: We slept outside when we bought our tent, and then slept outside at Scout Camp this past summer. I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it. It's a lot of stuff to take and set up and keep maintained. I put up that tent faster than I expected and with absolutely no help (after learning how to do it the first time). It was fun, it was hot, it was buggy, it was dark, I got lost, I got scared, I was filthy, and Ollie had a grand time.
13. Write a Children's Book: Did. It's kind of good, too. I spoke with a friend about how to publish it and promptly stopped the process dead in its tracks. But who knows what the future may bring?
What I also tried was the canoe:
18. Hold a chicken: I mean, it happened. It was a new thing to try and now I probably have chicken lice. (The chickens are behind a cute picture of Ollie and my nieces)
19. Write Healthcare Directive: Some things have to happen!
21. Take O to a Drive-In Movie: This was lovely! Doug took me to my first drive-in movie, or should I say experience, because I have no idea what the movie was. (Bowchicka.) Ollie ADORED getting to sit in the car with the back open and watch a movie. I think he got more of a kick out of the little store though.
22. Donate a Bookbag of School Supplies: We will be making this a thing every year. Everyone who has the means should do this. Absolutely without a doubt, do this.
26. Get Genetic Testing: As you read in the previous post, I have a gene called MSH6 and I'm now having a "baseline year" and being proactive with the information I have and will learn.
29. Eat at A Restaurant People Keep Suggesting: Doug and I took a daytime date to eat at Fika, a restaurant located in the American Swedish Institute that features Swedish dishes. Neither of us was essentially wowed, but it was nice to see it all dressed up at Christmas time.
33. Throw a Pizza in the Air: It's all in the knuckles. And the wrists.
34. Sketch my Self-Portrait: Look at this nymph.
35. Learn How to Downhill Ski: Despite my hideous entrance into winter sports at the beginning of 2019, I was ALL IN to learning how to downhill ski. Doug said it was easier to learn (it is), there would be less falling (not completely correct), and with ice running not being my thing, I needed a winter sport. My first of the three lessons found me at the bottom of the hill after having just caused my instructor to jump out of my way, lurching to a stop. I took a breath, straightened, looked up at my fellow adults in the class, put my hands up and yelled, "YAY!" Then they put their arms up and yelled, "YAY!" too. It was straight out of a sitcom and now I've found my tribe.
36. Take Ollie Roller-Skating: I thought roller-skating wasn't something the youngs do anymore, but I was wrong. Some roller rinks around the area have held on strong to their skates and their Madonna-esque arcade prizes (think "lace" gloves) and are still in operation! Circling the rink, now with Ollie in tow - and I do mean in "tow" because he held onto me like a life line - has not changed. There's still that one tall, be-mulleted, jobless twenty something who thinks he's the king of skating doing laps around you, it's still slippery to step onto the ice from the flattened party-themed carpet, the walls are still fuzzy to aid in cushioning blows, and the tables, seats and doors are all sticky.
37. Buy Someone's Groceries: The object of this activity was to actually buy the person's groceries who was standing in front of or behind me in line. But what the object came to be was handing someone a $20 gift card to a different grocery store than the one we were physically in. But it's fine. I got to speak in halting Spanish to a new dad in Walmart.
41. BONUS! Fly a Plane: Doug's 40th birthday was in November, and his birthday present was a scenic flight in a 4 person Cessna out of our town's airport. We had a blizzard the morning of the originally scheduled flight, so I rescheduled it for this past weekend. I've always wanted to learn how to fly and have looked into flying lessons at this airport. When the pilot asked us where we wanted to sit - both in the back or one of us in front, Doug said that I could ride in the front because I've always wanted to learn how to fly. The pilot asked if I wanted to fly that day, and without hesitation, I said, yes! Long story short, flying is an experience I'll never forget and I can't believe Doug let me bogart his birthday present to get in another life experience!
Other items on my bucket list: ride in a hot air balloon, experience zero gravity, aerial slings, ride on a segway, swim in an infinity pool, walk behind or swim under a waterfall, take a kickbox class, take a boxing class, go stargazing with pros, ride in a helicopter, ride in a bi-plane, go whitewater rafting, hold a monkey, work on a pottery wheel, attend a luau, ride a mechanical bull, have a mud bath, finish a 1000 piece puzzle, go snowshoeing, take a self-defense class, sleep in an overnight train, walk a suspension bridge, send a care package to a soldier, publish my children's book, learn to skate backwards, visit a ghost town, see Obama speak, stay in a tiny home, go whale or dolphin watching, climb a mountain over 1000 feet, see a shooting star, see an active volcano, plant and grow a tree, drive a cross-country road trip, learn sign language, learn how to crochet, fence, learn how to play the drums, learn how to juggle, take a burlesque or pole-dancing class, write my will, get acupuncture, sleep in a yurt or teepee, make soap, hug a redwood, swim in a natural hot spring, go dog sledding, blow or stain glass, be on a podcast, go social media-less for a week, play a blues song on a harmonica, jump off a cliff into the water, read one book a week for a year, learn to be fully happy in my body, learn how to change a tire, drive a zamboni, backpack through Europe, see the Northern Lights, drive Route 66, go mountain biking, find a favorite piece of art, find a favorite poem, have or attend a clam bake, bake homemade pretzels, watch a meteor shower, travel on a trip (like vacation) alone, go to a masquerade ball, take the Chicago Prohibition tour, take a food tour, take my parents to Europe, ride in a sailboat, visit a whole bunch of places in Minnesota and Michigan, Hawaii, Alaska, National Civil Rights Museum, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Prince Edward Island, Mexico, Caribbean, stay in an overwater bungalow, Monument Valley, Mesa Verde National Park, Alcatraz, Napa/Sonoma Valley, experience Mardi Gras, Grand Ole Opry, take a Viking River Cruise, Amsterdam, Ireland, Scotland, Austria for a Sound of Music tour, Switzerland for the Gelmer Funicular, Sweden, Italy for a grape stomp, gondola ride and Colosseum, Greece, Stonehenge, York, Bath, Wimbledon, see the Eiffel lit up at night, dance in the Moulin Rouge, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Mediterranean, FIFA cup match, Australia for the Sydney Opera House and Coral Reef, South Africa...I'm always looking for more things to add!
Items I've done before my 39th birthday: ran a race, was in a TV audience, went to a music festival, caught a fish, threw a surprise party, trapeze, skydive, started a theatre company, was on stage in New York, flew a kite, flew first class, was part of a flash mob, rode an elephant, went on a zipline, surfed, got a tattoo, climbed a tree, made a snowman, rode on a horse-pulled buggy, swam in the ocean, saw a solar eclipse, was a bridesmaid - and a maid of honor!, wrote a blog, met someone famous, had a drink with someone famous, ice skated at Radio City Music Hall, visited West Point, took a train up Hudson Valley, walked on a frozen lake, skinny dipped, made origami, wrote a song, was in a commercial, wrote a poem, was on a radio show, met someone with the same name, danced on a bar, went to a drive-in movie, attended the Renaissance Festival, sumo wrestled in a suit, went wine tasting, made a gingerbread house, was on a jumbotron, found a pearl in an oyster, used a paddle to bid at an auction, wrote in wet cement, walked on stilts, rock climbed, went to a World Series game, went to a US Open match, drove a snowmobile, drove a boat, drove a jet ski, waterskiied, cross country skiied, rode a camel, vacationed on a houseboat, stayed in a Bed and Breakfast, protested at the state capitol, spoke to my representatives on issues I care about, baked a cake from scratch, sent my parents on a trip, camped in a camper with my family, camped in a tent, saw the Dalai Lama, rode in a tram, ran 10 miles, ran a Color Run, learned stage combat, went backstage at a concert, won a radio contest, went to the opera, bought a house, took a salsa lesson, took a ballet class, bought a car, went axe throwing, visited a castle, gave a sermon, explored a cave, visited the Statue of Liberty, Visited Ellis Island, went ballroom dancing, met a hero, gave blood and gave platelets.
So tell me, what's on your bucket list?
1. Try Snowboarding: Ollie was taking snowboarding lessons last winter and he offered to teach me. So this fool (me) decides that if a seven-year-old can do it, so can I. Can you see the claw marks in the snow from where I tried to stop?
2. Meditate: I'm not great at sitting down and stopping my mind. Neither is anyone else, I gather. I tried it with an app from my phone. I promptly fell asleep.
3. Analyze my handwriting: This was a neat little website, and they're not paying me to advertise for them. I didn't learn anything I don't already know, but it was fun! Get yourself a felt tip pen and sit down with some paper.
4. Take Ollie to Disney World: My parents took us to Disney World when we were little but I was ill for a lot of the vacation. I've always wanted to take my family and we got to do it in March! See here for our Turk Family Tips and Tricks.
5. Try an Escape Room: Ollie and I visited an Escape Room while we were in Orlando at the VOID. It was spectacular and I highly encourage everyone to try it!
5. Try an Escape Room: Ollie and I visited an Escape Room while we were in Orlando at the VOID. It was spectacular and I highly encourage everyone to try it!
6. See a 3-D movie: I'm going to use the 3-D ride, Flight of Passage, at Disney World as my 3-D experience here. Have you done it? EXCEPTIONAL.
7. Go on a Safari: We went on a wonderful safari at Disney World's Animal Kingdom. I'm never passing up a South African safari, of course, but this one will do if I never get to go!
7. Go on a Safari: We went on a wonderful safari at Disney World's Animal Kingdom. I'm never passing up a South African safari, of course, but this one will do if I never get to go!
8. Make popovers: Did not expect them to be so easy and delicious. Absolutely added some homemade honey butter and was transported to an easily accessible heaven.
9. Learn How to Play Euchre: My sisters and dad taught me Euchre, and while I was brilliant at it that night, they're going to have to keep teaching me each time they want me to play. Because that game is very hard to keep straight.
9. Learn How to Play Euchre: My sisters and dad taught me Euchre, and while I was brilliant at it that night, they're going to have to keep teaching me each time they want me to play. Because that game is very hard to keep straight.
10. Make ice cream: Um...delicious. An ice cream maker is now on my Amazon wish list.
11. Attend a Rodeo: I grew up loving country music and hearing about the rodeo, so I couldn't wait to attend. Not my cup of tea, it turns out.
11. Attend a Rodeo: I grew up loving country music and hearing about the rodeo, so I couldn't wait to attend. Not my cup of tea, it turns out.
12. Camp in a Tent with Ollie: We slept outside when we bought our tent, and then slept outside at Scout Camp this past summer. I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it. It's a lot of stuff to take and set up and keep maintained. I put up that tent faster than I expected and with absolutely no help (after learning how to do it the first time). It was fun, it was hot, it was buggy, it was dark, I got lost, I got scared, I was filthy, and Ollie had a grand time.
13. Write a Children's Book: Did. It's kind of good, too. I spoke with a friend about how to publish it and promptly stopped the process dead in its tracks. But who knows what the future may bring?
14. Finish a Challenge: My pastor wrote a Lenten challenge and it's just phenomenal. With lots of determination and grit and God love and self love, I finished it. Like a boss. And only a month past when it was supposed to be completed.
15. Get New Windows on the House: A bucket list is about doing new things. This happened and I'm very glad it did!
16. Attend a High School Reunion: Oh, now this was a funny story. I put it out there on the socials that I was coming to town and my year hadn't had one for a while. A million and one people "liked" the post. Twenty showed up. But the people who did, I love 'em.
17. Learn How To Paddleboard: LOVE THIS AND IS NEW SUMMER HOBBY. Turns out I'm just darling at this.
17. Learn How To Paddleboard: LOVE THIS AND IS NEW SUMMER HOBBY. Turns out I'm just darling at this.
What I also tried was the canoe:
18. Hold a chicken: I mean, it happened. It was a new thing to try and now I probably have chicken lice. (The chickens are behind a cute picture of Ollie and my nieces)
19. Write Healthcare Directive: Some things have to happen!
20. Spin a Basketball on my Finger: It wasn't successful.
21. Take O to a Drive-In Movie: This was lovely! Doug took me to my first drive-in movie, or should I say experience, because I have no idea what the movie was. (Bowchicka.) Ollie ADORED getting to sit in the car with the back open and watch a movie. I think he got more of a kick out of the little store though.
22. Donate a Bookbag of School Supplies: We will be making this a thing every year. Everyone who has the means should do this. Absolutely without a doubt, do this.
23. See a Horse Race: I only had time for a quick two second race because I had to jaunt over to a work thing, but I'm going back to Canterbury! Those horses are beautiful and I want to place my bets like the Roaring Twenties gal I am.
24. Run an Important Race: I ran the Medtronic 10 Mile and all of you were very involved in my training. Thank you!
25. Make a House of Cards: I did this and it took more patience, focus, sweat and cursing than I'd like to admit. But I did it and now I don't ever have to do it again.
25. Make a House of Cards: I did this and it took more patience, focus, sweat and cursing than I'd like to admit. But I did it and now I don't ever have to do it again.
26. Get Genetic Testing: As you read in the previous post, I have a gene called MSH6 and I'm now having a "baseline year" and being proactive with the information I have and will learn.
27. Milk a Cow: WHAT A FUN EXPERIENCE! A great friend and book clubber of mine, Anna, has a teacher friend who owns a dairy farm. She got me connected and I am now one of many people in the world who have milked 90 cows. Ollie helped, but he was green-gilled about it and spent much of his time in the other barn chasing the kittens. Thank you to Bremer Farms for the experience!
28. Run a Half Marathon: I mean, when you work so hard to finish a 10 mile run, you may as well continue until you've completed the half marathon that is just 3 weeks later, right? At the third or second to the last mile, I passed a guy walking and eating a gel, so I called to him, "Come on! You can do it, get running!" And he smiled, finished his gel and then ran to catch up to me. At first I was put off - I don't like to talk while running and making small talk sounds like the worst way to cap off an already draining time - but actually, it was exactly what we both needed. We encouraged each other, raced to the finish line, and hugged when we crossed! Thanks Abdi, wherever you are!
28. Run a Half Marathon: I mean, when you work so hard to finish a 10 mile run, you may as well continue until you've completed the half marathon that is just 3 weeks later, right? At the third or second to the last mile, I passed a guy walking and eating a gel, so I called to him, "Come on! You can do it, get running!" And he smiled, finished his gel and then ran to catch up to me. At first I was put off - I don't like to talk while running and making small talk sounds like the worst way to cap off an already draining time - but actually, it was exactly what we both needed. We encouraged each other, raced to the finish line, and hugged when we crossed! Thanks Abdi, wherever you are!
29. Eat at A Restaurant People Keep Suggesting: Doug and I took a daytime date to eat at Fika, a restaurant located in the American Swedish Institute that features Swedish dishes. Neither of us was essentially wowed, but it was nice to see it all dressed up at Christmas time.
30. Explore a Famous Person's House: On the same date day, Doug and I took a tour of the James J. Hill house. James J. Hill was a railroad king who started the Minneapolis to Seattle line. It is so fascinating to see how others lived, isn't it? One day people will come through my ranch style home and peruse such things as my chip clips and sticky doorknobs and think the same thing. I'm positive of it.
31. Ring the Bell for the Salvation Army: I've seen those Santa hatted well-wishers ringing their bells and thanking people for their donations every Christmas. This year, despite their politics, I gowned up for the Salvo and did the same. For two hours, I sang carols at the tops of my lungs outside a JCPenney and made a lot of people smile. I don't know how much I made for them, but they got a good amount of cash and coin. And I didn't have to drop my values in the bucket (do you get it) because I wore my rainbow earrings and wished everyone Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. Because there are other holidays that others are celebrating and they deserve love too!
32. Learn to Cross Stitch: I am just fabulous at this shit.
32. Learn to Cross Stitch: I am just fabulous at this shit.
33. Throw a Pizza in the Air: It's all in the knuckles. And the wrists.
34. Sketch my Self-Portrait: Look at this nymph.
35. Learn How to Downhill Ski: Despite my hideous entrance into winter sports at the beginning of 2019, I was ALL IN to learning how to downhill ski. Doug said it was easier to learn (it is), there would be less falling (not completely correct), and with ice running not being my thing, I needed a winter sport. My first of the three lessons found me at the bottom of the hill after having just caused my instructor to jump out of my way, lurching to a stop. I took a breath, straightened, looked up at my fellow adults in the class, put my hands up and yelled, "YAY!" Then they put their arms up and yelled, "YAY!" too. It was straight out of a sitcom and now I've found my tribe.
36. Take Ollie Roller-Skating: I thought roller-skating wasn't something the youngs do anymore, but I was wrong. Some roller rinks around the area have held on strong to their skates and their Madonna-esque arcade prizes (think "lace" gloves) and are still in operation! Circling the rink, now with Ollie in tow - and I do mean in "tow" because he held onto me like a life line - has not changed. There's still that one tall, be-mulleted, jobless twenty something who thinks he's the king of skating doing laps around you, it's still slippery to step onto the ice from the flattened party-themed carpet, the walls are still fuzzy to aid in cushioning blows, and the tables, seats and doors are all sticky.
37. Buy Someone's Groceries: The object of this activity was to actually buy the person's groceries who was standing in front of or behind me in line. But what the object came to be was handing someone a $20 gift card to a different grocery store than the one we were physically in. But it's fine. I got to speak in halting Spanish to a new dad in Walmart.
38. Tip 100%: Oh this was so cool. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Ollie and I decided to to a #dayofservice and make the world a little bit of a better place. We did #37, bought a family new toiletries, went out to lunch where we gave 100% tip to an excellent server, and then...
39. Donate Items to a Homeless Shelter: ...took our items to Mary's Place in Minneapolis. They were very appreciative.
40. Ice Skate on a Lake: And then we finished it off with ice skating at Centennial Lakes. It was glorious, Ollie and I had a sensational day, and we helped ourselves and others.
41. BONUS! Fly a Plane: Doug's 40th birthday was in November, and his birthday present was a scenic flight in a 4 person Cessna out of our town's airport. We had a blizzard the morning of the originally scheduled flight, so I rescheduled it for this past weekend. I've always wanted to learn how to fly and have looked into flying lessons at this airport. When the pilot asked us where we wanted to sit - both in the back or one of us in front, Doug said that I could ride in the front because I've always wanted to learn how to fly. The pilot asked if I wanted to fly that day, and without hesitation, I said, yes! Long story short, flying is an experience I'll never forget and I can't believe Doug let me bogart his birthday present to get in another life experience!
Other items on my bucket list: ride in a hot air balloon, experience zero gravity, aerial slings, ride on a segway, swim in an infinity pool, walk behind or swim under a waterfall, take a kickbox class, take a boxing class, go stargazing with pros, ride in a helicopter, ride in a bi-plane, go whitewater rafting, hold a monkey, work on a pottery wheel, attend a luau, ride a mechanical bull, have a mud bath, finish a 1000 piece puzzle, go snowshoeing, take a self-defense class, sleep in an overnight train, walk a suspension bridge, send a care package to a soldier, publish my children's book, learn to skate backwards, visit a ghost town, see Obama speak, stay in a tiny home, go whale or dolphin watching, climb a mountain over 1000 feet, see a shooting star, see an active volcano, plant and grow a tree, drive a cross-country road trip, learn sign language, learn how to crochet, fence, learn how to play the drums, learn how to juggle, take a burlesque or pole-dancing class, write my will, get acupuncture, sleep in a yurt or teepee, make soap, hug a redwood, swim in a natural hot spring, go dog sledding, blow or stain glass, be on a podcast, go social media-less for a week, play a blues song on a harmonica, jump off a cliff into the water, read one book a week for a year, learn to be fully happy in my body, learn how to change a tire, drive a zamboni, backpack through Europe, see the Northern Lights, drive Route 66, go mountain biking, find a favorite piece of art, find a favorite poem, have or attend a clam bake, bake homemade pretzels, watch a meteor shower, travel on a trip (like vacation) alone, go to a masquerade ball, take the Chicago Prohibition tour, take a food tour, take my parents to Europe, ride in a sailboat, visit a whole bunch of places in Minnesota and Michigan, Hawaii, Alaska, National Civil Rights Museum, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Prince Edward Island, Mexico, Caribbean, stay in an overwater bungalow, Monument Valley, Mesa Verde National Park, Alcatraz, Napa/Sonoma Valley, experience Mardi Gras, Grand Ole Opry, take a Viking River Cruise, Amsterdam, Ireland, Scotland, Austria for a Sound of Music tour, Switzerland for the Gelmer Funicular, Sweden, Italy for a grape stomp, gondola ride and Colosseum, Greece, Stonehenge, York, Bath, Wimbledon, see the Eiffel lit up at night, dance in the Moulin Rouge, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Mediterranean, FIFA cup match, Australia for the Sydney Opera House and Coral Reef, South Africa...I'm always looking for more things to add!
Items I've done before my 39th birthday: ran a race, was in a TV audience, went to a music festival, caught a fish, threw a surprise party, trapeze, skydive, started a theatre company, was on stage in New York, flew a kite, flew first class, was part of a flash mob, rode an elephant, went on a zipline, surfed, got a tattoo, climbed a tree, made a snowman, rode on a horse-pulled buggy, swam in the ocean, saw a solar eclipse, was a bridesmaid - and a maid of honor!, wrote a blog, met someone famous, had a drink with someone famous, ice skated at Radio City Music Hall, visited West Point, took a train up Hudson Valley, walked on a frozen lake, skinny dipped, made origami, wrote a song, was in a commercial, wrote a poem, was on a radio show, met someone with the same name, danced on a bar, went to a drive-in movie, attended the Renaissance Festival, sumo wrestled in a suit, went wine tasting, made a gingerbread house, was on a jumbotron, found a pearl in an oyster, used a paddle to bid at an auction, wrote in wet cement, walked on stilts, rock climbed, went to a World Series game, went to a US Open match, drove a snowmobile, drove a boat, drove a jet ski, waterskiied, cross country skiied, rode a camel, vacationed on a houseboat, stayed in a Bed and Breakfast, protested at the state capitol, spoke to my representatives on issues I care about, baked a cake from scratch, sent my parents on a trip, camped in a camper with my family, camped in a tent, saw the Dalai Lama, rode in a tram, ran 10 miles, ran a Color Run, learned stage combat, went backstage at a concert, won a radio contest, went to the opera, bought a house, took a salsa lesson, took a ballet class, bought a car, went axe throwing, visited a castle, gave a sermon, explored a cave, visited the Statue of Liberty, Visited Ellis Island, went ballroom dancing, met a hero, gave blood and gave platelets.
So tell me, what's on your bucket list?
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