Saturday 17 July 2010

What's on your bucket list?


Image Source - Creative Commons

Whether or not to post my bucket list – the list of things I want to do before I kick the proverbial bucket....is something I’ve been ruminating over for some while now. On the one hand, my list is a source of inspiration and action – once things are on the list I do actually start working towards those goals that I see as most achievable (e.g. my recentish visit to Marrakech and obsession with yoga), but the list is also a trigger of stress at times. I look at all the items and feel a bit overwhelmed. What if I don’t do them? What about the goals that would widely regarded by others as unrealistic? What if people think my desires are petty? What if I become one of those annoying types who are always on about how they want to ‘live a life full of passion’ but are so busy ticking items on their list that they don’t have the time to stop for a breather and enjoy it. And I think we’ve all known someone like that, Mr/Ms 'I've done Asia.now I’m going to do bla...'... Er, spending 6 months backpacking round a continent getting high is not necessarily doing it - I think it’s the verb do that gets me...meeeooow, I'll put my claws back and take a chill pill now.

Still, for slightly unfocussed types like me, I still think the benefits of writing it all down outweigh any disadvantages. Without it I could easily end up on my sofa watching Sex and the City reruns for the rest of my life! Or at least that’s what I tell myself. And as for sharing it, well I guess that’s what having a blog is all about. Bucket list is also perhaps not the best name for my the odd mix of must-see sites and random aspirations I'm posting here.

Do I have any bucket list tips? Just one. Although you can’t really include them on the list, do congratulate yourself on the things you ‘did’ without even realising they could be life goals – in my case I’d definitely include living abroad, seeing Michael Jackson in concert and standing (well, sailing) at the point where the blue and white Niles meet in Khartoum before coursing north to Egypt. In fact I have a whole pre-bucket list that serves as a great pat on the back on down days :-)

So, here it is – the good, the bad and the materialistic - bucket list:

Places:
1. Go to Japan.
2. Go to India.
3. Go to Bali – (ok, I cheated, this was never a life-dream for me, but as I’m going this summer I pretty much have to include it!)
4. Do a yoga retreat – ditto Bali :-)
5. Go to China.
6. Spend the night in the desert (this is a huge one for me).
7. Visit old Dongola and Meroe in Sudan (where my dad’s family came from).
8. Visit the USA.
9. Go on a safari.
10. Go to the sacred music festival in Fez.
11. Go to the Womad (world music) festival in Caceres.
12. Visit Lebanon.
13. Go to the (alleged) source of the Nile (Lake Victoria)
14. Visit Thailand and eat Thai street food.
15. Visit all 7 continents.
16. Travel across Russia, Mongolia and China on the Trans-Siberian Express.
Experiences:
17. See Madame butterfly at the opera.
18. Go diving.
19. Climb an active volcano.
Stuff to learn:
20. Learn to make Pastilla (a type of Moroccan savoury-sweet pastry).
21. Get good at yoga.
22. Be able to do push ups (It’s ridiculous, I can’t even do one).
23. Learn to hold a tune.
24. Learn to make sushi.
25. Learn to meditate.
26. Learn to take great photos.
27. Learn French.
28. Do an illustration course.
29. Improve my Arabic.
Family:
30. Host Christmas for my family.
31. Meet ‘the one’, if such a thing exists, and have lovely kid(s).
32. Write down my Sudanese family’s history.
33. Be more openly loving towards my family.
Career:
34. Run my own business that pays me (erm, undisclosed amount) per year.
35. Be a designer of something.
36. Write and publish a book. A proper book. 
Health and beauty:
37. Have perfectly healthy kidneys. This probably isn’t achievable, but by having it on the list it helps me remember to stay as healthy and fit as possible.
38. Have some cool photos taken of me (yes, I’m vain)
39. Spend a weekend in the Cuadalie, Marques de Riscal spa in Álava.
40. Get laser depilation (sorry to mention this here male audience).
Character:
41. Be more proactive.
42. Be more focused. This is a hard one for me.
43. Be more assertive.
44. Have more self-belief.
44. Become a better spoken communicator.
45. Feel happy behind the wheel.
Material
46. Live in my dream house, a penthouse in Alonso Martínez.
47. I freely admit here that I wouldn’t mind a vintage gold Rolex. Bling
48. Be a minimalist

If you’re lacking in ideas but feel the urge to create/expand your list, here are a few (525 to be exact) ideas from a blog I sometimes refer to for inspiration (why you'd have meeting Donal Trump on your list I can't quite imagine, but I'm sure the author would feel the same about my inclusion of laser depilation!)

If any of you have lists and would like to share I’d be delighted to see them :-)

7 comments:

Ambryo said...

Hi...
Feel good to see "Visit Thailand and eat Thai street food" is existing in your lists. I'm living in Thailand and a bit wonder that why do you want to try Thau street food?

Cheers,
Woranan

Nadya said...

Hi Woranan! I love Thai food and I've seen travel programmes showing street stalls with all these delicious-looking dishes, so I wanted to try it. But I understand that if you live there it may sound strange that I mention street kiosks and not sit-down restaurants! Do you have any recommendations for dishes?

Nadya
x

Fer M said...

Hey Nadya!

I enjoyed stopping by! I almost never read any english-written blogs but i gotta say, i dont regret spending some time on this one.

Hopefully you'll enjoy mine as well

Take care

Fer


http://papelesdeyesca.blogspot.com

Justo said...

I´m breathless... so many things to achieve!!

I liked specially these two: the penthouse in Alonso Martínez and the minimalist purpose: I could sign for them, well maybe I´d choose Argüelles instead of AM.

And if I had to choose some travel destinations I would definitely say México, Naples and Sicilia and the Middle East.

Take care!

Nadya said...

Hola Justo!
The bucket list is kind of a scary concept...it stresses me out...but maybe sharin it here I can share some of the burden with others! Maybe we can all go to Mexico together :-))
xxx

Anonymous said...

Writing and publishing a book!! Thats a good one! Are you planning on fiction or non-fiction? MAybe you could post here an aperitif of what you're planning to publish?? If you have already written some of it -- or at least tell us what is it about! ;-)

I really enjoy your blog. Cheers.
Theresa

Nadya said...

Hi Theresa, glad you enjoy the blog :-) I'm planning to write a fiction novel, I haven't shared the plot as It's a bit embarassing - let's just say Dan Brown has been an influence - all my literary friends will be cringing!
x

Related Posts with Thumbnails