Most people have a bucket list; a list of things they want to do before they are a certain age or before they die. Sometimes they are wild things they wouldn’t normally do or things that force them to overcome their fears, but a lot of times they are just life goals they hope to accomplish in this lifetime. I’ve happily completed a lot of my bucket list so far, but I’m always adding to it every day. I hope to live a life without regrets by actively achieving my goals on my bucket list. Somethings though aren’t so easily achieved and require fate or luck or whatever you want to call it has to step in.

Here is my bucket list, including things I’ve already completed and things I’m hoping to complete in this life.

1. Study Abroad– Check…I was able to live in a castle in the Netherlands through my college Emerson.
2. Go skydiving– Check…during that study abroad, I went to Interlaken, Switzerland and skydived over the Swiss Alps.
3. Visit the Amazon– Check…I was able to stay in the Amazon in Ecuador at an animal rehabilitation center. I played with monkeys and parrots all day long.
4. Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef– Check…While in Australia, we went on a day trip around the Whitsunday Islands near Airlie Beach and snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef. The fish were spectacular. 
5. Visit Angkor Wat– Check…on our visit to Cambodia, we had to stop at the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat, especially because I taught a class about it at OSU.
6. Publish a book– Check…In summer of 2014, I published my first book “Sisters, Sunsets, and Self Discovery.” You can purchase it here: Sisters, Sunsets and Self Discovery
7. I would like to one day publish a book through a real publishing company, not self-publish. This is something I have not done yet. 
8. Find my soulmate– Check! It only took 28 years, but I found the one I’ve been looking for all this time. He makes life just that much better!!
9. Ride an elephant– Check…my sister and I got to ride elephant’s bare back in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We made sure that the company was respectful and treated the elephant’s well. These elephants aren’t tied up at night, but are free to roam around in the fields.
10. I would like to swim with dolphins. I have taken a boat tour where we watched dolphins, but I’ve never swam with them.
11. See famous landmarks like Eiffel Tower, Alhambra, Wailing Wall, Sydney Opera House, the Equator line, London Tower and Big Ben, Cliffs of Moher, Roman Colosseum, Greek Parthenon, Ayers Rock, Stonehenge, the Great Barrier Reef, Angkor Wat etc. etc.- Check…I’ve managed in my travels to hit up lots of great destinations.
    

    

    

    

    
12. All the places still on my bucket list are : Taj Mahal, St. Petersburg Cathedral, the Great Pyramids, Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Sahari Desert, The Great Wall of China, Chichen Itza, Himalayan Mountains, the Grand Canyon, Arches National Park, Glacier National Park, Niagara Falls, Iguazu Falls, machu picchu, salt flats of Bolivia…I’m sure I’m missing more. I want to see them all!!
    

    

    

    Pyramids of Giza on a clear day

    

    
13. Countries on my bucket list that I have visited– England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Repbulic, Jamaica, Israel, Ecuador, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Indonesia (Bali), Singapore, Cambodia, and Thailand- Check!!!
    

    

    

    State of Israel – vector map

    

    

    

    
14. Places I want to go– All of Africa, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, Vietnam, Laos, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Philippines, India, Nepal, All of Central and South America, Turkey, Budapest, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Antarctica…Pretty much everywhere before I die!
15.  I want to live abroad for a whole year. I’ve lived abroad for 4 months in the Netherlands, 3 months in Ecuador, and 5 months in Australia. But I want to teach English or work abroad for a year or more.
16.  I want to start a nonprofit.                    
17.  I want to be fluent in Spanish and French. 
    

    
18. I want to make an impact on the world in a positive way.
19. I want to live without regrets!
20.  I want to love as much as possible. And smile as much as possible! 
21.  I want to say Yes more than NO!
22.  Most of all, I want to be happy! I want to live my life to the fullest and take chances and enjoy every day. I want to be present in every moment and not lay on my death bed wishing I had done things differently.