What’s on my Bucket List??
Honestly, I should probably call this the “life goals” list. Some of these items may not be considered your typical “bucket list” items, but they do fall under the ‘want to achieve before I croak‘ category. A couple months ago, Connor and I randomly decided to list out everything we want to accomplish in our lifetime. We are fully aware that this list is dynamic. We will most likely add to this bucket list, but I want to get it out there so that we stay accountable. Since I’m married, Connor and I will do a lot of these together (yuck), but there are some that are specific to me (i.e., learning how to box).
When we sat down to write the list, Connor and I really had zero clue where to start. Obviously, we were aware of all the typical bucket list items that are floating around the internet. The real trick was to figure out what was important to us, specifically. A starting place, and one I whole heartedly recommend, is to pinpoint your values. For us, travel (duh), health, nature, fitness, and family were a few of our top priorities. The next task was to actually draft our bucket list. We spent the better half of a day bouncing ideas off each other and determining what items would add real value.
Here’s what we came up with:
- Be Financially Independent by age 50
- Renovate a house
- Learn to Snow Ski
- Take cooking classes abroad
- Do 25 world renowned hikes
- Live in New Zealand
- Learn Photography (currently in progress)
- Learn Boxing
- Grow a garden
- Qualify for the Boston Marathon
- Visit all 6 northern continents (no Antarctica for Cate)
- Spend 365 consecutive days traveling
- Read 20 books a year in retirement
- Visit 30 National Parks in the United States
- Backpack Europe
- See the Northern Lights
- Go on a Safari
- Learn how to deep sea dive
- Go Dog Sledding
- Go Whale Watching
- Climb Heavenly Stairs in China
- Go Glacier Walking in Iceland
- Attend the Olympics
- Celebrate Oktoberfest in Germany
- Participate in St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland
- Float in the Dead Sea
- Volunteer at an Elephant Rescue
- Go Gorilla Trekking
- See Waitomo Glowworm Cave in New Zealand
- Travel on the Trans Siberian Railway
- Climb Sigirya Rock
- Participate in Pingxi Lantern Festival
- Trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp
Keep in mind, these goals are personal to our lives, and yours may differ based on your values. I hope this list inspires you to think about your own life goals. A lot of the items in the list are straightforward, but I thought I might shed some light on a few that appear more unattainable or “out there”.
Financial Independence at 50
What do I mean when I say “Financial Independence?” This simply means that we won’t be bound by our finances once we reach the age of 50. If we chose to do so, we can stop working entirely and have enough to live comfortably for the rest of our lives. I’m sensing some eyebrow raises. Based on the math, this is 100% feasible. The problem that a lot of people run into is called Lifestyle Inflation. Basically, this is the concept that the more money you make, the more money you spend. A great way to prevent lifestyle inflation is to follow the “pay yourself first” rule. Determine how much you need to invest every year and leave the rest for your budget. I am no expert on this, and will not claim to be, but there are a bunch of fantastic resources that can provide much more detailed information.
365 Days of Consecutive Travel
Let me be frank, we understand how challenging this will be. After watching Lexie Alford’s ted talk, the biggest thing that stuck out to me was her emphasis on getting out of your comfort zone. From personal experience, being uncomfortable is where the magic happens. I’ve read a lot about people who have attempted to do this and ultimately did not last the full year. Traveling is HARD. I have spent hundreds of days on the road and not all of them were peachy keen. I think the positives definitely outweigh the negatives though, otherwise why would this blog even exist?
Now for the nitty gritty details of traveling for a full year. Logistically speaking, we are hoping to do this the year after we become financially independent. Connor is currently earning his medical degree and one of his goals includes mission work as a doctor (think Doctors without Borders). Once we reach financial independence, it will be much easier for him to take time away to give back to underserved communities. For us, this would be a great time to hit the road. That being said, we know that life “happens” and are happy to roll with the punches on timing.
Financially speaking, traveling for 365 days is absolutely doable. There are numerous success stories of couples who have travelled for ridiculously less money than what the average American spends on expenses each year. The key to doing this correctly is to be smart about where you are spending your money and to live like a local. For example, in most of the places we go we will book an airbnb or similar type of vacation rental. If you book a rental for longer than a week, you can typically receive a decent per night discount on your stay. Additionally, we plan on being strategic with which countries we travel to. Areas such as East Asia tend to cost significantly less than places like Switzerland. Someone like Nomadic Matt is perfect inspiration for long term travel.
Qualify for the Boston Marathon
Alright, I know that this is obviously very straightforward. I do think it warrants some extra insight though. Right now, I’m training for my third marathon. The goal for this marathon is to break 4 hours, which is entirely feasible for me. Unfortunately, I have the mental stamina of a toothpick. In high school, I ran the 400 meter dash and the 4×4. At the time, this was a long race. Of course over the past few years I’ve undoubtedly become better at training for long distance races, but I could use a little more mental determination leading up to marathon day.
At my age, I need to run a 3 hour and 30 min marathon time to qualify for the Boston Marathon. My current fastest is a 4 hour and 7 minute marathon. Like I said, the goal for my upcoming marathon is to shave 7 minutes off of my time. My reach goal for the race is a 3 hour and 50 minute marathon. For those of you that are interested, I plan on writing a post in the next month about my training plan and all the things I’ve learned from my last 2 marathons.
For those of you that are thinking, “OK crazy”, hear me out. Marathon training requires the type of discipline that has incredible effects on other areas of your life as well. It teaches you how to persevere (especially if you’re like me and train in the middle of winter). The process teaches you how to commit to a goal and gives you a purpose. Additionally, the feeling of crossing the finish line is something that can’t be put into words. If you are on the fence about doing one, just DO IT.
Live in New Zealand
The last Bucket List item that I’ll shed some light on is living in New Zealand. Generally speaking, living abroad has been a goal of mine ever since I could think for myself. Due to Connor’s career choice, simply living anywhere around the world isn’t feasible for us (at least while we’re working). Long story short, physicians typically have to jump through a lot of hoops to practice internationally, but New Zealand is one country that is slightly less cumbersome to practice in.
Why New Zealand? New Zealand is an outdoor playground. As a couple, we tend to spend as much time as possible outside. In a year, we will be visiting New Zealand for a month to explore the country and get a tiny taste of what life in the different areas of the country is like. The main language in New Zealand is also english. For us this is a major selling point because in order to practice medicine in a foreign country, you typically need to be fluent in the language. Additionally, it will be one less obstacle to overcome for our first time living abroad.
Key Takeaway
Dream BIG when brainstorming your bucket list. Life goals are meant to be fulfilling and give you a sense of purpose. To get started, here are the things you need to do:
- Set aside dedicated time to brainstorm (yes put your phone away!!)
- Write out your values, even if it makes you feel silly
- Start drafting…We used a google sheet, but good old pen and paper works too
You don’t have to get it perfect the first time. Getting started with the list is the whole point and understanding that nothing is set in stone. Good Luck!!