“Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.”  -Robin Sharma

There was a social experiment where a large blackboard was placed on a sidewalk in New York City and passersby were encouraged to write down their biggest regret.  It didn’t take long for a theme to emerge – people’s biggest regrets were words not spoken, deeds left undone, and dreams not pursued.

I was bound and determined to not let that happen to me.  I wanted to take chances, be open to new opportunities, and (most importantly) write down my bucket list so I could start to chip away at it.  After all, it’s a proven fact that when you write down your goals you are far more likely to achieve them.

So I sat down with a glass of wine and some fancy paper (because nothing makes it more official than gold foil-accented stationary) and I started to write.  In no time, I had 100 things I wanted to see and do before I die.  And every year, I make a point to check off at least a few.

I hope this inspires you to start your own bucket list (or gives you some ideas of things to add to one you have!)

So without further ado, here is mine:

My Bucket List

1.  Cage dive with great white sharks, South Africa

2.  See the sunset in Santorini, Greece

3.  Hike around Machu Picchu, Peru

4.  Visit Chefchaouen (Blue Pearl), Morocco

5.  Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef

6.  Volunteer at a shelter (homeless or animal)

7.  Listen to live music at a pub in Ireland

8.  Zip line through a rainforest

9.  See lava flowing from an active volcano

10. Visit an elephant sanctuary, Thailand 

11.  Swim between two continents in the Silfra Fissure, Iceland

12.  Horseback ride on the beach

13.  Skydive

14.  Stroll through Plitvice National Park, Croatia

15.  Ride on top of a double decker bus in London

16.  Live abroad (anywhere for any length of time)

17.  Become fluent in another language

18.  Win big in Vegas and give the money to charity

19.  See the umbrella street in Agueda, Portugal

20.  Eat at the restaurant in the Eiffel Tower

21.  Visit the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris

22.  Go on a safari in Africa

23.  Dive next to a whale

24.  Take a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey

25.  Learn to take a compliment

26.  Take a tour through Chernobyl, Ukraine

27.  Float in the Dead Sea, Israel/Jordan

28.  See the glaciers in Antarctica

29.  Climb to the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, Australia

30.  Try everything on a sushi menu (not necessarily all at the same time)

31.  Foster dogs waiting for a home

32.  Walk the Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia

33.  See the beehive buildings in Alberobello, Italy

34.  Enjoy wine country in Colmar, France

35.  Go to the top of Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest building), Dubai

36.  Learn to say “no” without feeling guilty

37.  Drive across the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

38.  Learn to play the guitar

39.  Go to the bottom of the steps in Chand Baori, India

40.  Listen to music at a jazz club in the French Quarter, New Orleans

41.  Learn about wine in Napa Valley, California

42.  Scuba dive through a shipwreck

43.  Visit all 7 continents

44.  Walk across fire

45.  Stay in an overwater bungalow in the Maldives

46.  Walk through the rice terraces in Ubud, Bali

47.  See the glow worms in New Zealand

48.  Take a road trip down California’s Highway 1 (preferably in a convertible)

49.  Ride on one of the world’s largest ferris wheels

50.  Experience zero gravity

51.  Ride a dog sled and stay the night in an Ice Hotel, Sweden

52.  Fly a helicopter

53.  Sleep at the top of a redwood tree, Oregon

54.  Photograph Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend

55.  See the Northern Lights at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Finland

56.  Go spelunking in the Hang Son Doong Cave, Vietnam

57.  Have a book published

58.  See Van Gogh’s Starry Night at the MoMA, New York City

59.  Hike the Stairway to Heaven, Hawaii

60.  Walk the lake in Hallstatt, Austria

61.  See New York from the top of the Empire State Building

62.  See the temples in Bagan, Myanmar

63.  Eat at the Pike Place Market, Seattle

64.  Volunteer in a disaster relief effort

65.  Visit the major holocaust sites (Auschwitz, Anne Frank Huis, Washington DC Holocaust Museum)

66.  Rent a houseboat for a week of aquatic adventures, Lake Powell

67.  Hike through the Zhangjiajie National Park, China

68.  Go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City

69.  Swim in the Algarve caves, Portugal

70.  Buy something on Rodeo Drive, Hollywood

71.  Ride a camel through the desert and sleep under the stars

72.  Experience bliss

73.  Go on a girl’s trip somewhere fantastic

74.  See the Marble Caves, Chile

75.  Smoke a cigar and ride in a classic convertible, Cuba

76.  Visit Mont Saint Michel, France

77.  Eat at the Grotta Palazzese, Italy

78.  Be in a TV audience (preferably on Saturday Night Live or The Tonight Show)

79.  Visit the Red Square, Russia

80.  Go backstage at a concert

81.  Eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant

82.  Get a tattoo

83.  Walk the treetops in the Supertree Grove and see the Kinetic Rain, Singapore

84.  Take photos at Deadvlei, Namibia

85.  Stay at the Giraffe Manor, Kenya

86.  Stand on “The Ledge” at the former Sears Tower, Chicago

87.  Walk down the Avenue of Baobabs in Menabe, Madagascar

88.  Go on the Maid Of The Mist boat tour, Niagara Falls

89.  Swim in Jellyfish Lake, Palau

90.  Visit Mount Everest Base Camp

91.  Watch a movie at the Sundance Film Festival

92.  Take pictures along a Red Carpet

93.  Ride on the Orient Express

94.  Swim in one of the Pink Lakes

95.  See all the Wonders of the World

96.  Visit the Neuschwanstein (Disney) Castle, Germany

97.  Go to Carnival in Venice, Italy

98. Help a complete stranger in a significant way

99.  Establish an animal welfare foundation

100.  Walk the streets of Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia

And there you have it – 100 of my greatest hopes and dreams from my own bucket list.  I have many more, of course, and I add to my list as I cross things off.  It’s never too late to decide what you want out of life, and to make plans for achieving it!

What are some of the things on your bucket list?  Comment below, I’d love to hear them!

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