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The Bucket List 2024

bucket list, personal

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 Mammoth, piloting a Cessna single-engine aircraft, swimming with sharks in Bora-Bora, racing a sportbike at Laguna Seca, or seeing Fiddler on the Roof 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 the 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, South Africa (Kruger), or Botswana
  15. Visit Machu Picchu, Peru
  16. See the New Seven Wonders of the World, plus the Great Pyramid of Giza:
  17. See the Seven Wonders of Nature:
  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 Picchu, Peru
  7. Croatia (Dubrovnik, Plitvice National Park)
  8. Iceland (Golden Circle) (Done, 7/25/2025)
  9. China (Beijing, Great Wall, Shanghai, Hong Kong)
  10. Switzerland (Done, 1/1/2019)
  11. Iceland (Done, 7/25/2025 - 7/31/2025)
  12. Southern Italy (Naples, Pompeii) (Done, 9/24/2023)
  13. Sicily
  14. Buenos Aires and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
  15. Rio de Janeiro (and Iguazú Falls)
  16. France (Dijon, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Gruissan)
  17. Fiji Islands
  18. Botswana (Okavango Delta)
  19. South Africa (Kruger National Park) and the Cape of Good Hope
Musicals to See
  1. Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812
    Natasha's impulsive romance with Anatole draws Pierre into a scandal in nineteenth-century Moscow.
  2. Crazy for You
    An aspiring performer tries to rescue a small-town theater and win over its owner's daughter.
  3. My Fair Lady (Done, 9/22/2018)
    A phonetics professor tries to pass a Cockney flower seller off as a society lady.
  4. Gypsy
    An ambitious stage mother drives her daughters through vaudeville while chasing stardom for her family.
  5. Guys & Dolls
    A gambler's bet on winning a missionary's affection entangles two New York romances.
  6. Funny Girl
    Fanny Brice rises to show-business fame while her romance with gambler Nick Arnstein grows troubled.
  7. Avenue Q (Done, 9/24/2018)
    Young adults and puppets face work, relationships, and the gap between their dreams and reality.
  8. A Chorus Line
    Dancers reveal their lives and hopes while auditioning for places in a Broadway chorus.
  9. Wicked (Done, 8/31/2019)
    Two unlikely friends become the witches of Oz as prejudice and political manipulation pull them apart.
  10. Anything Goes (Done)
    Mistaken identities and tangled romances turn an ocean liner's voyage into a madcap comedy.
  11. Kiss Me Kate (Done)
    A divorced acting couple's backstage battles mirror their roles in The Taming of the Shrew.
  12. 42nd Street (Done)
    A young chorus dancer gets a chance at stardom when a Broadway show's leading lady is injured.
  13. Hamilton (Done)
    Alexander Hamilton's rise, rivalries, and family life unfold through hip-hop and the story of America's founding.
  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, Dunkerbeck Pro Center) (Done, 3/28/2025)
  2. La Ventana, México (Aqua Ventana)
  3. Tarifa, Spain (Surf Center Tarifa)
  4. Lake Garda, Italy (Duotone Pro Center Torbole)
  5. Cabarete, Dominican Republic (Vela Windsurf Cabarete)
  6. North Shore, Maui, Hawaii (Hi-Tech Surf Sports) (Done, 10/24/1998)
  7. Fuerteventura, Spain
  8. Vasiliki, Greece (Nefeli Vasiliki)
  9. Crete, Greece (Freak Surf Crete)
  10. Columbia River Gorge (Big Winds), Oregon (Done, 6/5/1999)
  11. Gruissan, France
Sports Camps
Ski Resorts to Try
  1. Verbier, Switzerland (done, 1/1/2019)
  2. St. Anton, Austria (done 12/23/2024)
  3. Niseko, Japan
  4. Vail, Colorado
  5. Breckenridge, Colorado
  6. Snowbird, Utah
  7. Revelstoke, Canada
  8. Nozawa Onsen, Japan
  9. Méribel, France
  10. Zermatt, Switzerland
  11. Chamonix Mont Blanc, France
  12. Mammoth Mountain, CA

100 Things to Do Before You Die
  1. Visit all 7 Continents (visited Europe, North America, and Asia, including the 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, México)
  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 the Galapagos Islands
  15. Go to Mardi Gras, New Orleans
  16. Celebrate Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
  17. See Iguazu Falls, Brazil
  18. See the 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 the Great Sphinx in Egypt
  31. See a play at the Globe Theater, London
  32. Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, Orlando
  33. Visit South Africa
  34. Mountain bike at Soquel Demo Forest
  35. Blackpool
  36. Dirt bike
  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 CN 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, Kauai 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, Nice, 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 the 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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