My Bucket List

It seem's weird to put this into actual print, because this list is still growing, it's not finished. But, I have a bucket list, and I would like to share it. Maybe it will inspire someone else to add something to theirs, or even start their own.

I take this list very seriously. It's short because a lot of contemplation goes into it before I add a new idea. I do this because this is a list that I actually want to complete. That before I die, I can actually cross everything off. So no, you won't see "Go Skydiving" on here because in reality I know myself well enough that even if someone manages to get me on a plane, once I'm up there, my anxiety will be so high it'll probably be medically prohibited to let me jump anyway. And you won't see anything like "Defy Gravity" either because quite frankly, to me, isn't possible.

So these things on my list are very practical, and very achievable in my lifetime. Some may require some travelling, or a little bit of money, or the right timing, but I can do all of them, and I will.

1. Live in France for an extended amount of time. -This has always been number one to me and look folks, I'm doing it! I can't cross it off yet because I'm not finished, so we'll call this one in progress.

2. Be fluent in French. -This one is in progress too. I don't know about fluent, but I'm definitely getting there.

3. Go on vacation with a friend. -This one comes with criteria. I've been on mini weekend visits to friends houses which in my head doesn't count. I mean me and a friend catch a plane or a bus somewhere far away and spend at least 5 days living it up. So far that hasn't happened, but if anyone would like to, hit me up!

4. Travel Europe again. -One could classify this as "in progress" as well but since I've been here, I haven't been doing so well on the travelling part so I can't decide. For this, my criteria includes: Italie, Austria, England, Switzerland and Spain. So I can't cross it off yet.

5. Get ice cream on the top of the Eiffel Tower. -I've mentioned this a few times before, and have gotten close not once, but twice! (The first time, I was in line for ice cream when our tour guide decided it was time to leave). This one came about when I was in France before. I was 16 and with a group of Student Ambassadors. Everybody was talking about what it would be like to be kissed on the top of the Eiffel Tower. Suddenly I got afraid that someone might try!! So instead I came up with "Me, all I want is ice cream!" to make it really clear to anyone who was even considering it, that I wasn't interested! Not that anyone was probably lol...

6. Go snorkeling. -I've been to the ocean twice in my lifetime: California. I have yet to actually see the ocean where the water is bluer than my eyes. But, when I do, I'd like to see it first hand, in the reef.

7. Get kissed in the rain. -If my memory serves me right, this has already happened, but I don't want to cross this off quite yet because who doesn't want to get kissed in the rain?? I think this one will be forever on my list.

8. Have crutches. -I'll admit, this one is kind of morbid. But crutches doesn't mean that I've done anything serious to myself, and trust me, I'm not going to do anything on purpose to ensure that this one gets fulfilled, but come on, they look so fun! Yes, no one ever has anything good to say about them but I don't know that for myself so I HAVE to have them at least once so then I can be one of those people who can complain about how much of a pain they were.

9. See a Broadway play. -I've been to New York before, and even Times Square, but I didn't get to see a Broadway play and I would like to...that's really all there is to say about that one..

10. Dance in the Georgia rain. -Growing up listening to country music, I always heard about "the rain in Georgia" like "Night's in Georgia" by Conway Twitty and Trisha Yearwood's "Georgia Rain" so I've always wondered what all the hype was about. But, the one song that really wanted me to dance in the Georgia Rain is a song that Reba McIntire sang but for the life of me, I can't remember what song it was. All I remember is watching a music video where she was singing while the Georgia Rain was falling. It may not have even be Reba lol, I don't know. Buy anyway I remember reading somewhere that Georgia Rain is warm? Is that true? I'll have to look it up again. But I really want to experience warm rain lol...and this one takes perfect timing because I don't know exactly when it rains in Georgia, but I figure that when I get there and it doesn't rain, I'll just take a shower there and call it good.

11. Sleep in the bed of a truck. - Pinterest gave me the good idea to fill the bed of a truck with a mattress and lots of pillows and sleep under the stars. I think that would be a fun date for me and my hubby to do someday. Maybe make it so we have a projector on the side of a wall and have our own little drive in movie theater.. Which brings me to number 12...

12. Go to a Drive-in Movie. -Sadly this might prove to be difficult if I don't do it soon because Drive-in's are quickly disappearing. Which is exactly why I want to go, so that when they disappear all together, I can at least say that I've been once. Criteria though: I want to be with my sweetheart. There's just some romanticism to it that wouldn't make it as fun if I just went with my friends or alone.

13. Go on a cruise. -As much as I hate water, I really wanna experience a cruise. I would love to go on a Disney Cruise that is just for adults so there's not a thousand kids running around everywhere and it's a little bit more classy. I also wouldn't mind spending my Honeymoon on a ship, I think it would be fun.

14. Be a black belt in Karate. -This one is also in progress! I'm about two or three belts away actually. I have my brown belt but I stopped going when I went to college, and well, now I'm in France. But I've witnessed a woman in her late 50's early 60's achieve her black belt so she gives me hope that one day I can start again and get my black belt too.

15. Go to they Olympics. -I don't mean compete in the Olympics, I just want to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics. That mean's I would have to travel to where ever they are, which could be an adventure in and of itself. Oh, and I would prefer to go to the Summer Olympics.

16. Fly first class. -I would like to fly first class one day. I'll probably kill two birds with one stone, and as I'm flying somewhere to accomplish one of these goals, fly first class there as well. But it has to be a long flight so that I can lay back on their bed like this and watch a movie as I sip expensive something or other, and then roll over and take a nap. Yeah, that sounds nice.

17. Visit a castle. -If we are going to be technical, I've been to Versailles. But I don't count that because this wasn't on my bucket list then, and it didn't look very castle-y. I want one that looks like Cinderella's castle. I found one called Vaux-Le-Vicomte which is about an hour east of Paris and I'm going to try and convince my parents to take me there when they visit next summer. Or, there are plenty of old, old castles in the Loire valley that are just as good too.

18. Run a 5K. -For the past few years, my dad has taken part in organizing several 5K and 10K races, but being family, I've always been sucked into helping out instead of running. I am nowhere fit enough now, but I think it would be awesome if I could get into shape enough to run a 5K. It's not so hard right?

19. Meet a Prophet. - I don't know how I am going to accomplish this one, this might be like the Georgia Rain one and I'll have to rely on good luck. Living in Utah I don't think it would be impossible lol, and I've heard of stories of people sitting next to General Authorities on a plane ride or something, so I think it can be done. I just wanna shake their hand at least, a conversation would be nice, but I'll take what I can get.

20. Visit Pearl Harbor. -I added this one recently after my best friend, Harmony, went there in Hawaii. Being the Girlfriend of a US Soldier, I have become very interested in military history and well, anything Army. Pearl Harbor was a huge military and nationwide event and I would really like to visit and pay my respects to those who lost their lives for their country. Another one that isn't on my list but I'm now considering it is to visit Arlington Cemetery as well. For the same reason. I'd like to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

21. Go to a NASCAR race. -An old Sunday tradition for my family was to eat quesadillas and watch NASCAR...Oh heavens, if that doesn't sound redneck, I don't know what does...But nonetheless, we had our family favorite driver and car and everything. I've seen so many races on the TV, I'd like to experience the Indy 500 in person one day. Maybe I'll just take a visit to the south and knock out the Georgia rain, NASCAR and Arlington all in one.

22. Attend a Masquerade dance/ball. -Just once I want to buy an expensive ball gown and a pretty mask and go to a ball like Cinderella. I want to be whisked off my feet by a "prince" and dance the night away. Yeah it probably won't happen like that, but as long as I feel like a princess and get to dance, I can dream can't I?

23. Put a lock on a bridge and throw the key into the river. -I see this all the time, if you look on my earlier post, there is a bridge in Paris that has so many locks on it I have no idea how it just doesn't collapse. I'm not picky about where the bridge is, it doesn't have to be in Europe, but I want to take my husband there and seal our love with a lock and eternalize it by throwing away the key. I am a sucker for romantics.

24. Drive a car in England. -Because they drive on the opposite side of the road, I want to see how that feels. Preferably not in the heart of Britain though because I'm too afraid I'll forget like they do in the movies and have to swerve back into my lane suddenly to avoid an oncoming car!

So there is my list. There was 25 but this summer I crossed the very first one off my list: Dye my hair. I've dyed it blue, brown and then bleached it blonde on my own, which was not the best idea I've ever had, but it was on my list so I did it. Unfortunately now I'll probably have to keep dying my hair for the rest of my life, but since I'm in France my roots are pretty much grown out several inches so maybe I'll just deal with funny looking hair for a year longer. I am missing my blue though, I wish I had blue tips again.

Anyway, that is my list. What do you think? Those are practical right? Maybe a little expensive at times but I have my whole life to do these things. And a few of them I will be able to cross off by the end of this year!! Yay!

Abby