My Bucket List
All three of us posted today!! What is life??
I have very mixed feelings about bucket lists. The cynical part of me thinks they're a waste of time because why should you write up this whole list of things you want to do when you could be out living your life and actually doing things? The nicer part of me thinks that they're a great way to map out the things you really want to do and a way to look back and be like "Wow, I actually did a lot of this! Go me!"
When we were assigned to compose our bucket list for creative writing, at first I had no idea what to write. I realized that a lot of the things that I would have put on my bucket list a few years ago, I had either done or will be doing soon, and that made me happy. But once I started really thinking about it, there's still tons of things I would like to see and do.
So without further ado, here is my bucket list thus far:
1. Backpack through Europe. This is pretty stereotypical but I've been hearing my aunt tell stories about backpacking through Europe and my dad did the same thing, and both of them had a great time. I think you'd get a lot more out of staying in hostels and carrying everything you need for two months or whatever on your back rather than going to London for a week and staying in a nice hotel. It'd be a lot cheaper and it would just be a really amazing experience. I don't know whether I'd want to go alone or with a friend but either way I will do this at some point in my life (preferably in college).
2. Road trip across the U.S. Another super stereotypical thing to do, but I've read countless road trip novels and they just speak to me!! There's something about actually seeing everything go by that makes you feel like you've actually been somewhere. I think this is a trip I'd take alone because I'm a control freak when it comes to driving; I always want to be the driver and when I'm driving I like to be able to listen to whatever music I want to listen to at whatever volume I want to listen to it at and sometimes I like to sing along out-of-tune and sometimes I like to talk to myself, no shame, and sometimes I just like to sit in quiet and not feel like I have to talk to anybody. I love driving people too, don't get me wrong, and I love talking to people in my car and jamming out to music and listening to their music. But overall, I'm a solitary person and I can see how a road trip with a close friend could end badly. Plus, you're supposed to soul search and crap on road trips and that's hard to do with someone breathing down your neck.
3. Visit all of the National Parks. This would coincide with my road trip. I've already mapped out my whole route and calculated the mileage and everything. I intend to camp in eleven of the 59 national parks whilst on my road trip and I've already been to eight, I think, and then this summer we're going to hit up three more (Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion). So that'll be...22! Every time we've gone to a national park, I've had an amazing time. I don't consider myself an outdoorsy person, but when you're somewhere as beautiful as Yosemite or Yellowstone or Acadia, it's hard not to like being outside.
4. Live in the desert/out west. I've had a love affair with the desert since I was little (except the time that we went to Utah and I whined the whole time; but that was because I was a bratty 9-year-old). I would love to live in New Mexico or Arizona or Utah or somewhere for a few years, but I don't think I could live out there indefinitely. I would miss my family, and grass, and seasons, and water.
5. Study abroad. I would love to study abroad in Spain or somewhere in South America once I get fairly proficient in Spanish. I'd probably wait until my junior or senior year though, and perhaps go during the summer.
6. Teach abroad. Going to Haiti definitely made me consider the possibility of teaching English overseas. I would consider spending a few years in Haiti, or maybe somewhere in South/Central America. It's all up in the air at this point, but I have so many options when it comes to teaching and I'd like to explore them all.
7. Learn Spanish. Temple has a thing where if you major in English (or anything having to do with the liberal arts, I think) you have to become proficient in a foreign language, which is perfect since I was intending on minoring in Spanish anyway. I just want to be able to eavesdrop on Spanish-speaking people's conversations and watch Spanish movies without the subtitles. And obviously go to a Spanish-speaking country and be able to communicate...
8. Cut off all my hair. This will be happening next fall. Definitely by November 1st because I made MF hold me to that date, but probably mid-Octoberish. Eekkk. It's going to look awful and I'm not going to let myself care one single bit.
9. Go scuba diving. I have no interest in sky diving, but I would love to scuba dive. I'd rather not see any sharks, but I wouldn't mind some cute little fish and turtles and perhaps a sting ray or two, as long as it doesn't get too close...
10. Write a book. Ha. Ha. Okay, this one's a stretch. Well, actually writing a book could possibly happen, because all I have to do is sit down and write. But getting a book published is something else entirely and at this point in my life, it's not a number one goal, but maybe one day it would be nice. After all those bratty high schoolers have worn me out and I'm some old, crotchety, mean lady, I'll go off to my cabin in the desert and write about my life. Nah, I'd definitely write something fictional. I don't know what though.
11. Go to a concert. I've never been to a concert! 18 years and not a single concert. (Aside from school concerts and the house concert at MF's aunt and uncle's house). I want to go to a real concert though, with lots of loud people and I want to stand in a crowd and sing along at the chorus. I'd love to go to a Coldplay concert, but not now, because they suck now. I want to go back to like, 2009 and go to a Coldplay concert.
12. Become a white water rafting guide. I'm going to be away most of this summer so having a summer job isn't really feasible, but next summer I'd love to be a white water rafting guide. When MF, DL, AP and I went rafting this summer we had a blast and all of the guides were super nice and friendly and it just seemed like a really cool, exciting job.
13. Live in a city. This'll be happening in a few months, but after I've finished college I'd like to maybe stay in the city for a few years and teach there. Maybe. I don't know.
14. Go to Greece. I have such an idealistic view of Greece, probably because of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I want so badly to walk through the cobblestone streets and look up at the whitewashed walls and out to the dazzling blue ocean...ahhh.
15. Touch an elephant. I love elephants but I've never actually been near one or touched one. I bet their skin is really dry and rough but soft and warm at the same time.
16. Go to Chick Fil A and give them a fake name. I added this one after my aunt Michele told me that sometimes when she goes to Chick Fil A she gives them my name instead of hers when they ask and my uncle gives her a funny look but she's like "Who cares? They don't care." And then my aunt Liz said she does the same thing, and every time she's either Lola or Lolita and they always give her a bit of a funny look, but what are they going to do? Argue with her about her name? Make fun of her? I still have a gift card to Chick Fil A from Cassandra for my birthday so I'm going to go there and tell them my brother's name. His first name, not his middle name. It's a weird name, but I feel like I've said it enough that it's normal to me so I could say it without laughing. And that's key. You have to make it convincing.
So there you have it. My bucket list. I fully intend to do everything on this list. Well, duh. That's why it's on there. Everyone always thinks they're going to do everything on their bucket list. And then they die and they don't even remember having made one. But I will do it! Okay, some of it. Most of it. I'll try. I will try my hardest.
Day 856 Song Recommendation: "One Day" by Kodaline.
-SE Wagner
I have very mixed feelings about bucket lists. The cynical part of me thinks they're a waste of time because why should you write up this whole list of things you want to do when you could be out living your life and actually doing things? The nicer part of me thinks that they're a great way to map out the things you really want to do and a way to look back and be like "Wow, I actually did a lot of this! Go me!"
When we were assigned to compose our bucket list for creative writing, at first I had no idea what to write. I realized that a lot of the things that I would have put on my bucket list a few years ago, I had either done or will be doing soon, and that made me happy. But once I started really thinking about it, there's still tons of things I would like to see and do.
So without further ado, here is my bucket list thus far:
1. Backpack through Europe. This is pretty stereotypical but I've been hearing my aunt tell stories about backpacking through Europe and my dad did the same thing, and both of them had a great time. I think you'd get a lot more out of staying in hostels and carrying everything you need for two months or whatever on your back rather than going to London for a week and staying in a nice hotel. It'd be a lot cheaper and it would just be a really amazing experience. I don't know whether I'd want to go alone or with a friend but either way I will do this at some point in my life (preferably in college).2. Road trip across the U.S. Another super stereotypical thing to do, but I've read countless road trip novels and they just speak to me!! There's something about actually seeing everything go by that makes you feel like you've actually been somewhere. I think this is a trip I'd take alone because I'm a control freak when it comes to driving; I always want to be the driver and when I'm driving I like to be able to listen to whatever music I want to listen to at whatever volume I want to listen to it at and sometimes I like to sing along out-of-tune and sometimes I like to talk to myself, no shame, and sometimes I just like to sit in quiet and not feel like I have to talk to anybody. I love driving people too, don't get me wrong, and I love talking to people in my car and jamming out to music and listening to their music. But overall, I'm a solitary person and I can see how a road trip with a close friend could end badly. Plus, you're supposed to soul search and crap on road trips and that's hard to do with someone breathing down your neck.
3. Visit all of the National Parks. This would coincide with my road trip. I've already mapped out my whole route and calculated the mileage and everything. I intend to camp in eleven of the 59 national parks whilst on my road trip and I've already been to eight, I think, and then this summer we're going to hit up three more (Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion). So that'll be...22! Every time we've gone to a national park, I've had an amazing time. I don't consider myself an outdoorsy person, but when you're somewhere as beautiful as Yosemite or Yellowstone or Acadia, it's hard not to like being outside.
4. Live in the desert/out west. I've had a love affair with the desert since I was little (except the time that we went to Utah and I whined the whole time; but that was because I was a bratty 9-year-old). I would love to live in New Mexico or Arizona or Utah or somewhere for a few years, but I don't think I could live out there indefinitely. I would miss my family, and grass, and seasons, and water.5. Study abroad. I would love to study abroad in Spain or somewhere in South America once I get fairly proficient in Spanish. I'd probably wait until my junior or senior year though, and perhaps go during the summer.
6. Teach abroad. Going to Haiti definitely made me consider the possibility of teaching English overseas. I would consider spending a few years in Haiti, or maybe somewhere in South/Central America. It's all up in the air at this point, but I have so many options when it comes to teaching and I'd like to explore them all.
7. Learn Spanish. Temple has a thing where if you major in English (or anything having to do with the liberal arts, I think) you have to become proficient in a foreign language, which is perfect since I was intending on minoring in Spanish anyway. I just want to be able to eavesdrop on Spanish-speaking people's conversations and watch Spanish movies without the subtitles. And obviously go to a Spanish-speaking country and be able to communicate...
8. Cut off all my hair. This will be happening next fall. Definitely by November 1st because I made MF hold me to that date, but probably mid-Octoberish. Eekkk. It's going to look awful and I'm not going to let myself care one single bit.
9. Go scuba diving. I have no interest in sky diving, but I would love to scuba dive. I'd rather not see any sharks, but I wouldn't mind some cute little fish and turtles and perhaps a sting ray or two, as long as it doesn't get too close...10. Write a book. Ha. Ha. Okay, this one's a stretch. Well, actually writing a book could possibly happen, because all I have to do is sit down and write. But getting a book published is something else entirely and at this point in my life, it's not a number one goal, but maybe one day it would be nice. After all those bratty high schoolers have worn me out and I'm some old, crotchety, mean lady, I'll go off to my cabin in the desert and write about my life. Nah, I'd definitely write something fictional. I don't know what though.
11. Go to a concert. I've never been to a concert! 18 years and not a single concert. (Aside from school concerts and the house concert at MF's aunt and uncle's house). I want to go to a real concert though, with lots of loud people and I want to stand in a crowd and sing along at the chorus. I'd love to go to a Coldplay concert, but not now, because they suck now. I want to go back to like, 2009 and go to a Coldplay concert.
12. Become a white water rafting guide. I'm going to be away most of this summer so having a summer job isn't really feasible, but next summer I'd love to be a white water rafting guide. When MF, DL, AP and I went rafting this summer we had a blast and all of the guides were super nice and friendly and it just seemed like a really cool, exciting job.
13. Live in a city. This'll be happening in a few months, but after I've finished college I'd like to maybe stay in the city for a few years and teach there. Maybe. I don't know.
15. Touch an elephant. I love elephants but I've never actually been near one or touched one. I bet their skin is really dry and rough but soft and warm at the same time.
16. Go to Chick Fil A and give them a fake name. I added this one after my aunt Michele told me that sometimes when she goes to Chick Fil A she gives them my name instead of hers when they ask and my uncle gives her a funny look but she's like "Who cares? They don't care." And then my aunt Liz said she does the same thing, and every time she's either Lola or Lolita and they always give her a bit of a funny look, but what are they going to do? Argue with her about her name? Make fun of her? I still have a gift card to Chick Fil A from Cassandra for my birthday so I'm going to go there and tell them my brother's name. His first name, not his middle name. It's a weird name, but I feel like I've said it enough that it's normal to me so I could say it without laughing. And that's key. You have to make it convincing.
So there you have it. My bucket list. I fully intend to do everything on this list. Well, duh. That's why it's on there. Everyone always thinks they're going to do everything on their bucket list. And then they die and they don't even remember having made one. But I will do it! Okay, some of it. Most of it. I'll try. I will try my hardest.
Day 856 Song Recommendation: "One Day" by Kodaline.
-SE Wagner
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