Inspired by an incredible number of Life Lists out there, I’ve finally created my own. Included are experiences, goals and wishes that I want to fulfill over the course of my lifetime. I am declaring no rules, no time limits, and no required number of items. I plan to add to the list whenever inspiration strikes, and will most certainly share my progress here with you…
1. Win a game of chess.
2. Learn to enjoy public speaking.
3. Take swimming lessons (again).
4. Finish a triathlon.
5. Trek Kilimanjaro.
6. Earn my doctoral degree.
7. Take a photography course.*
8. Publish and/or display my photos.
9. Pass an official exam proving my German language skills.*
10. Learn how to drive stick.
11. Photograph the Northern Lights.
12. Visit Alaska.
13. Vacation in the Seychelles.
14. Trek through Nepal.
15. Run long distances without knee pain.
16. Revise my retirement saving’s plan.
17. Spend a summer in a cabin in Western Montana like I did as a kid.
18. Take a bike tour through Germany.
19. Trade in my American driver’s license for a German one.
20. Have my next tattoo done by Amanda Wachob.
21. Create a book documenting my parents’ life.*
22. Trace my family tree as far back as it can go.
23. Run a half-marathon in under 2 hours.
24. Take a road trip through the American South.
25. Walk along the Great Wall of China.
26. Eat sushi in Japan.
27. Grow a vegetable garden.
28. Publish two articles on my fellowship research.*
29. Travel through Afghanistan.
30. Decrease the amount of refined sugar in my diet.*
31. Do five pull-ups.*
32. Ride a camel.
33. Photograph the Egyptian pyramids.
34. Read Goethe’s Faust in the original German.
35. Chase rainbows in New Zealand.
36. Practice daily meditation.*
37. Learn how to make sushi at home.*
38. Keep at least one flowering plant alive for a whole season.
39. Shake Obama’s hand.
40. Tour Budapest.
41. Travel to Norway to meet the Norwegian side of my family.
42. Become conversant in another language, preferably one that is totally different from English or German.
43. Earn my residency permit in Germany.
44. Participate in an international Improv Everywhere mission.
45. Be credit card debt-free.
46. Visit Ethiopia.
47. Photograph my way through India for at least a month.
48. Visit Thailand and eat the spiciest food I can find.
49. Learn the ins and outs of winetasting.
50. Sample 10 high end whiskies.
51. Hug Ben Harper.
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* Also part of my 33 Things list.
I really like your list. A lot of the other lists I’ve seen don’t have things I identify with (or would want to include on my own list), but yours is pretty rad.
I’ve been working on a list for the past few months but I haven’t decided if I’m going to publish it on my blog.
What a great list!! I will be copying you shortly! :)
Zandria: Thanks! It was important to me that the list consists mainly of those activities that have been swimming around in my head forever as things I definitely want to do someday — rather than adding random things just so I can reach a certain number of items. It’s fun to see it all in writing! But I must admit there are a few items that I didn’t feel like blogging about and so I’m keeping them private for the meantime…
Emily: Can’t wait to see yours!
Wonderful! This is a great list! I’m inspired to start my own list, but I need to start thinking bigger… I feel so wrapped up in the now and need to start thinking about the possibilities. Thanks!