Greg's Bucket List

Last week, my wife, my daughter, and I saw the movie The Bucket List. It is about two men who were diagnosed with terminal cancer at approximately the same time. One of the men was talking about an assignment his college philosophy professor gave him, an assignment to make a list of all the things that he wanted to do before he kicked the bucket: a bucket list. The two men set off to complete the things on their list in the short time they had left to live.

I like the idea of having a bucket list, so I made up my own. A lifetime is a long time, so I'm sure some of these items will change before I kick the bucket. Here's the list I came up with for now.

Key

Completed goals will be displayed in lavender

Goals that are in progress will be displayed in gray

The List

Career

001. Build my own businesses large enough that they are providing enough income that I don't have to work for anyone else.

Travel

002. Visit each of the 7 continents. [1/7]

003. Visit each of the 50 U.S. states. [30/50]

004. Visit each of the U.S. National Parks. [added July 23, 2008]

005. Thru hike the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail. (This is the triple crown of United States distance hiking.)

006. Take a cycling tour of Europe.

007. Ride my bike across the United States.

008. Take a cruise to Alaska.

009. Trek to the Everest Base Camp.

010. Visit New Zealand.

011. See the northern lights. [added March 26, 2009]

Just for Fun

012. Get my pilot's license.

013. Go skydiving. (Actually, this may not be fun. I'm afraid of heights. But it is a stretch, and I think it'll be good for me to face this fear.)

Education and Culture

014. Read all of the recommended literature listed in the appendix of How to Read a Book.

015. Attend an opera.

016. Learn to play the saxaphone. [added May 23, 2008]

Fitness

016. Train for and complete a triathlon. [added August 29, 2008]