I have so many lists scribbled down in random places itemizing things that I want to see and countries that I want to visit. I have digital files of things to investigate and things that I would like to do at some point in the future. I even have a couple of more structured lists (I took a lot of inspiration from Mike Gayle) where I started noting down everything, regardless of how silly or insignificant, that I wanted to do (some of which are far too personal to ever be made public!).
Some of these I have already crossed off, such as staying in Portmeirion, visiting Meiringen, going on a cruise, walking the High Line, seeing Dolly Parton live and watching penguins on Phillip Island. But there are still so many things that I want to see and do that I figured it wouldn’t hurt to make a proper list here and see how I do crossing things off. So here goes, in no particular order…
1. See the cherry blossom in Japan
This seems like a good place to start as I will be heading to Japan next week. I may end up being there too early in the year to really see the cherry blossom but, still, there’s a chance.
2. See the Northern Lights
I may be able to combine this with No. 3.
3. Go to Iceland
The country, not the frozen foods store!
4. Go to Hampton Court
And get lost in the maze.
5. Go to the Maldives
Apparently it is possible on a budget.
6. Go on the Orient Express
Blame this one on Agatha Christie. Oh and my mum.
7. Play tennis again
8. Visit Lapland
And Santa. And the elves.
9. Go to a Grand Prix
Spa? Monaco? Circuit Gilles Villeneuve?
10. Learn to snowboard
11. Snowboard in Whistler
12. Go up in a hot air balloon
13. Travel on the Rocky Mountaineer
14. Visit Petra
15. Go up the Statue of Liberty
16. Go on a tree walk in Costa Rica
17. See Jon Richardson live
18. See the Goo Goo Dolls live
19. Walk across Morecambe Bay
20. Ride in a gondola
Venice or Las Vegas.
21. Have afternoon tea at the Ritz
Or some other swanky London hotel. Or Fortnum and Mason.
22. Go to the Grand Old Opry
23. Take the Emirates Air Line to Greenwich
24. Go to Churchill to see polar bears
25. Organize my digital photographs properly
All my digital photographs!
26. Go to Globetrotter Ausrüstung in Dresden
27. Go to the Seychelles
28. Visit the Alhambra in Granada
29. Visit Kew Gardens
30. Catch up with old friends
I won’t list names here but, be warned, I’m coming to see you!
31. Go to Namibia
32. Take Spanish classes in a Spanish-speaking country
33. Learn how to make apfelstrudel
34. Go to Pula, Croatia
35. Go to Cuba before it changes too much
I was meant to do this in 2015, maybe 2016 will be my year…
36. Visit the Guggenheim in Bilbao
37. Go to Charleston, SC…
38. …Atlanta, GA…
Not just the airport this time.
39. …and New Orleans, LA
40. Bar-hopping in Nashville
41. Go to a tennis grand slam tournament
I’ve already visited Wimbledon and Melbourne Park, just not at the right time.
42. Visit the Galapagos Islands
43. Go on an Alaskan cruise
44. Visit Antarctica
Something I’ve always wanted to do but scarily expensive…
45. Visit Roswell
All the time I’ve spent in New Mexico and I’ve still never been!
46. Visit White Sands National Park
47. Visit Memphis
And see Graceland.
48. See the Amazonian rainforest
49. Go to Kiribati
50. Go to Tuvalu
51. Go to Vanuatu
52. Island-hop in the South Pacific
53. Swim under a waterfall
54. See Niagara Falls
Definitely not associated with No. 53!
55. See Victoria Falls
56. See Angel Falls
57. Eat pizza in Napoli
58. Go on the Glacier Express again
I was just a kid last time.
59. Travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway
60. Go to Seville
61. See moose in the wild
62. Go horse racing in Australia
63. Drink wine in New Zealand
64. Sleep on a beach
65. Learn yoga
In Bali. Or India?
66. Visit Belfast
67. Drink Guinness in a rural Irish pub
68. Go to Tasmania
69. Stay at Giraffe Manor, Nairobi
70. Record everything I do in a journal
I’m going to experience a lot of amazing things and I know that I seriously lack memory skills and I want to be able to recall the details. That’s why sharing things on my blog will really help – it’s as much for me as anyone else.
-o-
So there you go, that’s my to-do list. Even as I finish writing this, I have more ideas popping into my head like Mostar and Oslo and Mykonos and the Great Wall of China and, well, you get the idea!
Does anyone have anything else they think I should add? Haven’t hit a hundred things yet so there’s still room…
We love your zest for new experiences. Glad to see Vic Falls on your list. What about the Garden Rout from Durban to Cape Town!
You’re right, that should be on the list. Especially as I was talking to a friend last week who has just been! I’d also love to visit Stellenbosch.
I love this! Your list reminds me of one a friend of mine made quite a few years ago, “101 things in 1001 days”: http://journal2caroline.blogspot.com
Nashville is definitely on my bucket list too, amongst many other things, but I feel like concentrating on the USA now that I’m here. I wish I had visited Switzerland more when I was living there (12 years!).
Keep up posted, I can’t wait to see what’s next. Japan!
Take care
Well that’s just given me more ideas! And I think I should add Portland, OR to the list as well. ;-). I’ve heard very good things about the food. Bisous.