Bucket List
This past weekend I traveled back to Indiana to attend a friend’s funeral. It was the first time I’ve traveled since the start of the Pandemic other than driving to Palisade. I traveled solo this time and was surprised at how easy it was, despite having a bit of Covid anxiety. Airport security was incredibly helpful. My bags passed the scanning as well and I was at the gate before I knew it. The return flight was equally as easy at the Indianapolis International Airport. I had carry-on bags because the trip was a short one. Despite me working out almost every day I still had the challenge (always do given my short stature) of getting my luggage in the overhead compartment. Here again, I encountered kindness from both fellow travelers as well as a flight attendant who helped me get my bag secured. Kindness from strangers is something I always appreciate and try to employ myself.
My flight home was an evening flight. It was twilight and I had a window seat, so I watched the sun slowly set. Interestingly, I was flying West, so the sunset seemed to last a long time with the colors of the rainbow slowing growing dim. I took this quiet moment to reflect, thinking about the passing of my friend and my future. I’ve always had wanderlust and a strong desire to see the world. I was supposed to go to Paris in 2020 and then 2021 when Covid cause the first trip to be canceled, the second trip was also canceled as Covid was still strong and present around the world.
Despite the Pandemic, my desire to travel has not waned, in fact it has grown exponentially because of the Pandemic! Watching the sun set through the plane window got me thinking about what places I’d like to visit before I die. With that in mind, I thought I’d use this post to create a ‘Bucket List’ and note all the places I’d like to travel to, both in the US and abroad. If I’ve learned anything from my friend that passed as well as my friend that I stayed with, it is to embrace life while you can and do the things you want to do including travel!
My friend John, whom I stayed with, completed a pilgrimage a few years ago to Spain’s Santiago de Compostela which is a Christian pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. It sounded like an amazing adventure. He told me about a movie called The Way which was directed by Emilio Estevez and starred Martin Sheen. In the movie, the later walks the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James). I’m still watching the movie, but one line caught my attention, Sheen’s son (which happened to be his real son) corrected something his father said by saying “… you don’t build a life you live it”. That resonated with me and again got me thinking about my Bucket List and the places I want to see, to visit. Here is my list (thus far):
Washington State Wine Country
Oregon Wine Country
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Georgia O’Keeffe Ghost Ranch, New Mexico
South Africa Safari
Egypt, Camel ride to the Pyramids and Sphinx
Scotland
France, Paris
Nepal
Tibet
Thailand
Greece
Spain
Argentina
Canada
Turkey
Galapagos Archipelago Islands
Portugal
Switzerland
New Zealand
Tuscany, Italy – Rent a villa with friends
Train Ride on the Orient Express
Viking River Tour
This is a good starting point and if I use my skills of manifestation that I wrote about a few posts back I’m confident I can make these travel adventures a reality. Obviously, it will take time and if I don’t make it to all the places at least I will enjoy trying. Life is an adventure, and that line is sage advice. It is good to make a difference in life which is something I’ve tried to do all my life, but it is also important to remember to live one’s life and to do it to the fullest. I will start in the US and as I get Palisade Posh and my Airbnb off the ground, I’ll look farther a far and work my way through my Bucket List!
