The Bucket List

Is human knowledge only to be found in books?

As wonderful as books represent, document, and express human thoughts, they are not a substitute for direct, personal contact that comes from seeing, hearing, feeling, and experiencing things for oneself.

Can any book truly capture the exhilaration of windsurfing on Maui, snowboarding on freshly fallen powder at Whistler, piloting a Cessna single-engine aircraft, swimming with sharks in Bora-Bora, racing a sportbike at Laguna Seca, or seeing Fiddler on the Roof musical on Broadway?

"The business of life is the acquisition of memories. Ultimately, that's all there is" - Carson of Downton Abbey.

 
As part of my self-development, I have created a list of experiences and travel destinations I want to see.

Ideas to Do

1. Visit the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
2. Explore Tokyo and the temples of Kyoto, Japan (Done, 6/22/2018)
3. Hike the Trolltunga Trail near Bergen, Norway
4. See an Opera at the famous Teatro Alla Scala and Vienna State Opera
5. Walk the Great Wall of China
6. Explore Rio de Janeiro and Iguazu Falls in Brazil
7. Attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans
8. Attend ABK or Pritchard Windsurfing Camp in Baja or Maui (Done, 7/26/2018)
9. Motorcycle around Europe with Edelweiss Bike tours
10. See Northern Lights (in Alaska or Norway)
11. Dive into the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
12. Visit Hallstatt, Austria (Done, 7/5/2017)
13. See the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
14. Go on a Safari in Kenya
15. Visit Machu Picchu, Peru
16. See the Seven Wonders of the World:
• Great Wall of China
• Petra, Jordan
• Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro
• Machu Picchu, Peru
• Chichen Itza, Mexico
• Colosseum, Rome
• Taj Mahal, India
• Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
17. See the Seven Wonders of Nature:
• Iguazu Falls
• Halong Bay
• Jeju Island
• Puerto Princesa Underground River
• Table Mountain
• Komodo Island
• Amazon Rainforest
18. Visit Every Continent
• Visited: Europe, North America, Asia/Middle East
• Not Visited: South America, Antarctica, Australia, Africa

Places to Visit

1. Thailand (Bangkok, Koh Samui)
2. Greece (Crete, Athens, Meteora, Vasiliki)
   
3. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
4. New Zealand (Christchurch)
5. Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin)
6. Machu Pichu, Peru
7. Croatia (Dubrovnik, Plitvice National Park)
8. China (Beijing, Great Wall, Shanghai, Hong Kong)
9. Switzerland (Done, 1/1/2019)
10. Blue Lagoon, Iceland (Done, 10/2/2017)
11. Southern Italy (Naples, Pompei) (Done, 9/24/2023)
12. Sicily
13. Buenos Aires and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
14. Rio de Janeiro (and Iguazu Falls)
15. Southern France (Dijon, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Gruissan)
16. Fiji Islands
17. South Africa and Cape of Good Hope

Musicals to See

1. Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812
   
2. Crazy for You
3. My Fair Lady (Done, 9/22/2018)
4. Gypsy
5. Guys & Dolls
6. Funny Girl
7. Avenue Q (Done, 9/24/2018)
8. A Chorus Line
9. Wicked (Done, 8/31/2019)
10. Anything Goes (Done)
11. Kiss Me Kate (Done)
12. 42nd Street (Done)
13. Hamilton (Done)

Operas to See

1. La Traviata
2. Rigoletto
3. Tosca
4. Turandot
5. Otello
6. Falstaff
7. Porgy & Bess
8. Nabucco
9. Carmen
10. Madame Butterfly

Restaurant to Try

1. French Laundry, Napa (if I can ever get in)
2. Pizza in Naples (supposedly the best pizza in the world) (Done, 9/24/2023)
3. Sushi in Japan (done, 6/13/2018)

Windsurfing/Wing Foiling Destinations

1. Bonaire (Sorobon Resort, Jibe City, Duckerbeck Pro Center)
2. Cabarete, Dominican Republic (Vela Windsurf Cabarete)
3. Lake Garda, Italy (Duotone Pro Center Torbole)
4. North Shore, Maui, Hawaii (Hi-Tech Surf Sports) (Done, 10/24/1998)
5. Tarifa, Spain (Surf Center Tarifa)
6. Vasiliki, Greece (Nefeli Vasiliki)
7. Crete, Greece (Freak Surf Crete)
8. Columbia River Gorge (Big Winds), Oregon (Done, 6/5/1999)
9. Guisson, France

Ski Resorts to Try

1. Verbier, Switzerland (done, 1/1/2018)
2. St. Anton, Austria
3. Niseko, Japan
4. Vail, Colorado
5. Breckenridge, Colorado
6. Snowbird, Utah
7. Revelstoke, Canada
8. Nozawa Onsen, Japan
9. Meribel, France
10. Zermatt, Switzerland
11. Nevados de Chillen, Chile
12. Mammoth Mountain, CA

100 Things to Do Before You Die

1. Visit all 7 Continents (visited Europe, North America, Middle East)
2. See the Grand Canyon (done)
3. See Northern Lights in Alaska or Norway
4. Visit Australia
5. Scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef (Scuba dived on Wailea, Maui)
6. Swim with Dolphins (Inna swam with Dolphins in Xel-Ha, Mexico)
7. Go on a Safari in Kenya
8. Walk the Great Wall of China
9. See the Seven Wonders of the World
10. New Year's Eve in Times Square, NYC (visited Times Square)
11. Visit Brazil
12. Visit Greece
13. Visit Machu Picchu
14. Visit Galapagos Islands
15. Go to Mardi Gras, New Orleans
16. Celebrate Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
17. See Iguazu Falls, Brazil
18. See Amazon Forest and River
19. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Ireland
20. See Stonehenge (was nearby but did not stop)
21. Sleep in a Castle
22. Stand on the Equator
23. See Victoria Falls in Africa
24. Write a Book
25. Visit Blue Lagoon, Iceland (Inna did so in 2017)
26. Attend the Olympic Games
27. Travel to all 50 U.S. States
28. Attend Oktoberfest in Germany
29. Visit Mount Everest Base Camp
30. See the Pyramids and Great Sphinx in Egypt
31. See a play at the Globe Theater, London
32. Halloween Horror Night at the Universal Studios, Orlando
33. Visit South Africa
34. Mountain bike at Soquel Demo Forest
35. Blackpool
36. Dirt bike the Rubicon Trail near Sacramento
37. Be an extra in a TV Show or Movie
38. Ride a Camel (Boris in Israel)
39. Ride an Elephant (Inna rode an elephant on Bali)
40. Run a marathon
41. Walk on the Edge of C.N. Tower (Toronto 2015)
42. Surf on Maui's North Shore (Maui 1998)
43. Windsurf on Maui (Spreckelsville, Maui, 1998)
44. Race a motorcycle on a race track (Laguna Seca)
45. Learn to ride an off-road Motorcycle (Hollister)
46. Learn to Water Ski (Lake Tahoe)
47. Pilot an Airplane (Cessna 172SP)
48. Fly on an Ultralight (Birds in Paradise, Kaui 2008)
49. Learn to sail a large sailboat (J/24 at OCSC Sailing Club)
50. Hike Half-Dome, Yosemite
51. Ride a Helicopter (Maui, Hawaii)
52. Dive in a Submarine (Oahu)
53. Go on a Road Trip
54. Shower in a waterfall
55. Travel to Italy
56. Get Married
57. Learn a Foreign Language (French)
58. Go Whale Watching (in Alaska)
59. Visit France (Paris, Niece, Lyon, Honfleur, Etretat, Mont St. Michel)
60. Go White Water Rafting (Sacramento River, White Salmon River)
61. Attend a Broadway Show (Chicago, Fiddler on the Roof, Cats)
62. Go Camping (Vancouver Island, Olympic National Park)
63. Kayaking (Lake Tahoe, Bora-Bora)
64. See the Mona Lisa (in the Louvre)
65. Visit Yellowstone National Park
66. See an Iceberg (Alaska Cruise)
67. Visit Louvre Museum
68. Visit the Sistine Chapel, Vatican
69. Climb a Mountain (Mt. Tallac)
70. Go to a Drive-in Cinema (Sacramento)
71. Eat at a 5-star restaurant (Manresa)
72. Ride a jet ski (Lake Tahoe, Bora-Bora)
73. Float in the Dead Sea, Israel
74. Visit Walt Disney World, Orlando
75. Ride on the London Eye
76. Fly First Class
77. Play paintball
78. Rock Climbing 
79. See Cirque du Soleil
80. Ride in a Limousine
81. Ride a Roller Coaster (Disney, Great America, 6 Flags)
82. See NYC Times Square at Night (NYC 2016)
83. Snowboarding (Whistler, Mt. Hood, Mammoth)
84. Go to a Concert (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, History of the Eagles)
85. Start Your Own Business
86. Try Paragliding
87. Caribbean Cruise (Emerald Princess 2007)
88. Get a passport
89. Visit Spain
90. Swim with Sharks (Bora-Bora)
91. Attend a Wedding
92. Ride a Horse
93. Learn to Play Piano
94. Go on a plane/train by yourself.
95. Madame Tussauds
96. Learn to Skateboard
97. Learn to Dance
98. Visit Las Vegas, Nevada
99. See the Rock of Gibraltar (Celebrity Constellation Cruise from Dover to Barcelona)
100. See Niagara Falls, U.S./Canada (Niagara Falls, 2015)

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