Bucket List

A bucket list is a number of experiences or achievements a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime. It came from the term "kicked the bucket" referring to when someone has passed away. There are thousands of things that could be on one's bucket list and many times I do not realize when an experience is on mine until I am in the process of experiencing it or I plan to experience it. I have a pretty lengthy bucket list. I think my list is realistic and definitely achievable by the end of my lifetime (if I live for another 50 years give or take), I think that is a perk of being an occupational therapist. When writing goals for clients we make sure they are measurable and achievable. Why create a goal someone cannot reach? Instead create goals one can reach and then create new goals to push them further. I feel this way about my bucket list. As I accomplish tasks on my list, I add new ones. Below s my current list of things I wish to accomplish (in no particular order and I am sure as I get older or get to experience new things, I will realize it should have been added to this list a while ago) in the next 50 or so years.

• Visit all 50 states (over 1/2 way there)
• Travel Europe
• Go on a road trip with my best friend Courtney to Sheboygan, WI in a red convertible and a package of Depends
• Volunteer in a 3rd world country
• Adopt a child
• See the Northern Lights
• Visit Manitoba with dad and watch the polar bear migration
• Take my Grandma on a Caribbean cruise and see her swim with a dolphin
• Go on a Disney Cruise
• Throw a dart at a map and travel to wherever it lands or go on a road trip with no planned destination
• Put a lock on a love bridge
• Pay a stranger's tab at a restaurant
• Ride a gondola and eat gelato in Italy
• Go to the Olympics as a spectator
• Spend NYE in NYC
• Collect shot glasses from every continent (All I need is one more from Antarctica; if anyone knows anyone going!)
• Read every James Patterson book written (besides his Juvenile series)
• Attend the Kentucky Derby
• Go skydiving
• See a volcano 
• Go horseback riding
• Go to the World's Fair
• Stand in the 4 corners
• Go on a hot air balloon ride
• Go whale watching
• Visit an elephant sanctuary
• Visit with family in Luca, Italy
• Visit Ghiloni Cafe in Kirkintilloch Glasgow
• Attend Cherry Blossom Festival in DC
• Visit John Denver's Memorial in Aspen, CO
• See the Waterfire in Providence, RI
• Stay at Riverside Inn B&B in Warsaw, KY
• Visit Puget Sound in Washington
• Purchase every item on my Amazon wish list
• Attend a Seattle Seahawks game in Seattle
• Attend a New Orleans Saints game in NOLA
• Be debt free
• Watch the sunrise in one place and set in another
• Visit the Equator
• Stay at a resort in the Maldives
• Experience Christmas in NYC (done 2x!)
• Snorkel in the Caribbean ocean (found out it's one of my favorite things to do)
• Meet a dolphin
• Go on a cruise
• Be a Maid of Honor (2x completed)
• Graduate college
• Go to Disney World and visit all 4 kingdoms
• Go to NYC for World Autism Awareness Day and see the ESB lit blue
• Get a tattoo 

10 States in 2 Weeks

For a few weeks in November I was a travel monkey! I visited or traveled through ten different states. Why? Well the first trip was to Providence, RI for the AOTA Student Conclave and two other ladies and I drove. The second was to tailgate for the Michigan vs. Ohio State game (I am for Michigan). On our way to Rhode Island we traveled through 9 states: Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. Wondering why that is only 7 states and not nine, well on our way home we went through Massachusetts for like 10 minutes and then we decided to take a detour (mainly on accident) and ended up in Delaware. So there are nine states and the tenth was to Michigan 2 weeks later. Definitely had an amazing time in all of these states and traveling!

Travel Report: Vero Beach. Florida

Vero Beach is located on the Atlantic Ocean, two hours from Orlando and two hours from West Palm Beach. It is a medium size community and it is a lot of fun. It has a really nice outlet mall and great hotel service. It's beaches are beautiful and it is easy to get around everywhere. There is not a lot of museums for little kids but who needs that when there are beaches everywhere! It is also a great place to de-stress, there is not a lot of attractions so being able to just shop around and lay out at the beach is fun as well. I give this place a 4 out of 5.

Travel Report: Salem, Massachusetts

Happy New Year! I hope yours was safe and happy :) So I recently got back from a 'business' trip to Salem, MA. I say 'business' because I am a first aider for my college and traveled with the team to a tournament there. The bus ride was a little hellish (13 hours) but once we got there it was quite enjoyable. The town is very nice and they many things to do for all ages. There is a port right there so if you are into sailing then you can sail, if you are into art and history then this is a spot for you as well since there is the PEM which is the art museum and the Salem Witch Trials took place here so there is a lot of history. The weather was delightful, however it was a little rough to find food. Almost all of the delis closed around 5 so you had to drive quite a ways to find fast food but there were restaurants and pubs galore. The people seemed friendly there were a few times I smiled at a passerby and they stared at me like I was a witch but whatever, I guess you will have that anywhere. This was not my favorite place to visit but I did like how quiet the town was. When I would wake up in the morning I would go for a walk to one of the millions of Dunkin Donuts in the town and just enjoy the quiet.  

The ZOO!!!

So today was one of my favorite days for the summer. I took a girl that I baby-sit for to the zoo and even though the temperature and humidity were against us, we had a great time. I love the zoo and if I could go every day I prolly would. The girl I took loved the carousel so we rode it a couple of times. I don't know about your zoo but our zoo is ever changing and they are either remodeling or adding new animals all the time. This summer our zoo put in a huge water park to go with it so the lines were a little longer, and the walk from the parking lot to the entrance was as well but once seeing the animals it makes up for all that. I am also one that when I go to the zoo, I have to see everything. This time however, due the the heat and the tiredness of my 5 and 1/2 year old girl we did not see exactly everything or at least she didn't. :) This is only the second time she has been to the zoo and my one hundredth so while running errands before going we stopped and got a couple of books from the library about some of the animals she would see. She is also learning how to spell and write so she made a list of a all the animals we wanted to see. Even though the list was four animals long we still had a good time. One of her biggest things was that she thought they could get her so she was scared at first. Once she realized that they could not get out of their cages she relaxed a little more. She is also not one that likes the outdoors or the heat of the summer for that matter so for her to survive the day made me very proud. Plus I spoiled her, chocolate ice cream, all the rides at the zoo, food court food (not picnic) and at the end of the day she got a toy from the gift shop. On our way home I half expected her to fall asleep rather she played with the stuffed animal we got for her from this visit. This trip not only made me realize how lucky I am to have this life but makes me excited for when I have my own kids to take to the zoo myself. Our next visit to the zoo is already scheduled. We are going to go in November when the polar bears come and we cannot wait!