Is human knowledge only to be found in books?
Although books can wonderfully represent, document, and express human thoughts, they are not a substitute for the direct, personal experience 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 the 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
- Visit the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
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Explore Tokyo and the temples of Kyoto, Japan(Done, 6/22/2018) - Hike the Trolltunga Trail near Bergen, Norway
- See an Opera at the famous Teatro Alla Scala and the Vienna State Opera
- Walk the Great Wall of China
- Explore Rio de Janeiro and Iguazu Falls in Brazil
- Attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans
-
Attend ABK or Pritchard Windsurfing Camp in Baja or Maui(Done, 7/26/2018) - Motorcycle around Europe with Edelweiss Bike tours
- See Northern Lights (in Alaska or Norway)
- Dive into the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
-
Visit Hallstatt, Austria(Done, 7/5/2017) - See the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
- Go on a Safari in Kenya
- Visit Machu Picchu, Peru
- 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 (honorary status)
- See the Seven Wonders of Nature:
- Iguazu Falls
- Halong Bay
- Jeju Island
- Puerto Princesa Underground River
- Table Mountain
- Komodo Island
- Amazon Rainforest
- Visit Every Continent
- Visited: Europe, North America, and Asia (including the Middle East)
- Not Visited: South America, Antarctica, Australia, Africa
Places to Visit
- Greece
- Galapagos Islands
- New Zealand (Christchurch)
- Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin)
- Machu Picchu, Peru
- Croatia (Dubrovnik, Plitvice National Park)
- China (Beijing, Great Wall, Shanghai, Hong Kong)
Switzerland (Done, 1/1/2019)-
Blue Lagoon, Iceland(Done, 10/2/2017) - Southern Italy (Naples, Pompeii) and Sicily
- Rio de Janeiro (and Iguazu Falls)
- Buenos Aires and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
- South Africa and Cape of Good Hope
- Fiji Islands
Musicals to See
- Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812
Natasha's impulsive romance with Anatole draws Pierre into a scandal in nineteenth-century Moscow. - Crazy for You
An aspiring performer tries to rescue a small-town theater and win over its owner's daughter. My Fair Lady(Done, 9/22/2018)
A phonetics professor tries to pass a Cockney flower seller off as a society lady.- Gypsy
An ambitious stage mother drives her daughters through vaudeville while chasing stardom for her family. - Guys & Dolls
A gambler's bet on winning a missionary's affection entangles two New York romances. - Funny Girl
Fanny Brice rises to show-business fame while her romance with gambler Nick Arnstein grows troubled. Avenue Q(Done, 9/24/2018)
Young adults and puppets face work, relationships, and the gap between their dreams and reality.- A Chorus Line
Dancers reveal their lives and hopes while auditioning for places in a Broadway chorus. Wicked (Done, 8/31/2019)
Two unlikely friends become the witches of Oz as prejudice and political manipulation pull them apart.Anything Goes (Done)
Mistaken identities and tangled romances turn an ocean liner's voyage into a madcap comedy.Kiss Me Kate (Done)
A divorced acting couple's backstage battles mirror their roles in The Taming of the Shrew.42nd Street(Done)
A young chorus dancer gets a chance at stardom when a Broadway show's leading lady is injured.Hamilton(Done)
Alexander Hamilton's rise, rivalries, and family life unfold through hip-hop and the story of America's founding.
Operas to See
Restaurant to Try
Restaurant to Try
- French Laundry, Napa (if I can ever get in)
- Pizza in Naples (supposedly the best pizza in the world)
Sushi in Japan(Done, 6/13/2018)
Ski Resorts to Try:
Verbier, Switzerland(Done, 1/1/2019)- St. Anton, Austria
- Niseko, Japan
- Vail, Colorado
- Snowbird, Utah
- Revelstoke, Canada
- Nozawa Onsen, Japan
- Méribel, France
- Zermatt, Switzerland
- Nevados de Chillán, Chile
Mammoth Mountain, CA
100 Things to Do Before You Die
- Visit all 7 Continents (visited Europe, North America, and Asia, including the Middle East)
- See the Grand Canyon
- See Northern Lights in Alaska or Norway
- Visit Australia
- Scuba dived the Great Barrier Reef (Scuba dived on Wailea, Maui)
-
Swim with Dolphins(Inna swam with Dolphins in Xel-Ha, Mexico) - Go on a Safari in Kenya
- Walk the Great Wall of China
- See the Seven Wonders of the World
- New Year's Eve in Times Square, NYC (visited Times Square)
- Visit Brazil
- Visit Greece
- Visit Machu Picchu
- Visit the Galapagos Islands
- Go to Mardi Gras, New Orleans
- Celebrate Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
- See Iguazu Falls, Brazil
- See the Amazon Forest and River
- Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Ireland
- See Stonehenge (was nearby but did not stop)
- Sleep in a Castle
- Stand on the Equator
- See Victoria Falls in Africa
- Write a Book
Visit Blue Lagoon, Iceland(Inna did so in 2017)- Attend the Olympic Games
- Travel to all 50 U.S. States
- Attend Oktoberfest in Germany
- Visit Mount Everest Base Camp
- See the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx in Egypt
- See a play at the Globe Theater, London
- Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, Orlando
- Visit South Africa
- Mountain bike at Soquel Demo Forest
- Blackpool
- Dirt bike the Rubicon Trail near Sacramento
- Be an extra in a TV Show or Movie
Ride a Camel(Boris in Israel)- Ride an Elephant (Inna rode an elephant in Bali)
- Run a marathon
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Walk on the Edge of C.N. Tower(Toronto 2015) Surf on Maui's North Shore(Maui 1998)Windsurf on Maui(Spreckelsville, Maui, 1998)Race a motorcycle on a race track(Laguna Seca)Learn to ride an off-road Motorcycle(Hollister)Learn to Water Ski(Lake Tahoe)Pilot an Airplane(Cessna 172SP)-
Fly on an Ultralight(Birds in Paradise, Kauai 2008) -
Learn to sail a large sailboat(J/24 at OCSC Sailing Club) Hike Half-Dome, YosemiteRide a Helicopter(Maui, Hawaii)Dive in a Submarine(Oahu)Go on a Road TripShower in a waterfallTravel to ItalyGet MarriedLearn a Foreign Language (French)Go Whale Watching(in Alaska)-
Visit France(Paris, Nice, Lyon, Honfleur, Étretat, Mont-Saint-Michel) -
Go White Water Rafting(Sacramento River, White Salmon River) -
Attend a Broadway Show(Chicago, Fiddler on the Roof, Cats) -
Go Camping(Vancouver Island, Olympic National Park) Kayaking (Lake Tahoe, Bora-Bora)See the Mona Lisa (in the Louvre)Visit Yellowstone National ParkSee an Iceberg (Alaska Cruise)Visit Louvre MuseumVisit the Sistine Chapel, VaticanClimb a Mountain (Mt. Tallac)Go to a Drive-in Cinema (Sacramento)Eat at a 5-star restaurant (Manresa)Ride a jet ski(Lake Tahoe, Bora-Bora)Float in the Dead Sea, IsraelVisit Walt Disney World, OrlandoRide on the London EyeFly First ClassPlay paintballRock ClimbingSee Cirque du SoleilRide in a Limousine-
Ride a Roller Coaster(Disney, Great America, 6 Flags) See NYC Times Square at Night(NYC 2016)Snowboarding(Whistler, Mt. Hood, Mammoth)-
Go to a Concert(Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, History of the Eagles) Start Your Own BusinessTry Paragliding-
Caribbean Cruise(Emerald Princess 2007) Get a passportVisit SpainSwim with Sharks (Bora-Bora)Attend a WeddingRide a HorseLearn to Play PianoGo on a plane/train by yourself.Madame TussaudsLearn to SkateboardLearn to DanceVisit Las Vegas, Nevada-
See the Rock of Gibraltar(Celebrity Constellation Cruise from Dover to Barcelona) -
See Niagara Falls, U.S./Canada(Niagara Falls, 2015)

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