Adding to my Bucket List… Again

I feel like a stuck record when I say that my bucket list is “ever expanding”. The fact is that is really is – I add things to the end of the list as and when they come to mind. It might be that I suddenly think of things that might be fun to do, but generally speaking I take my inspiration from the people around me and what they are up to and the suggestions they make. Other bloggers and awesome twitterers tend to be the ones who give me the most ideas, but they can come from anywhere.

Recently I have added quite a few rather massive things to my list. Some of them are huge challenges, others are travel related, all will take a lot of time and money to complete – while that’s not a bad thing in that it gives me plenty of ideas of what to do, it can also be a bit disheartening as I know there aren’t enough hours in my busy life to do all these things.

Some things on my bucket list take years of saving and planning to tick off… this is me at the Grand Canyon last summer.

To give you an idea, I’ve added these things to my list in the few weeks…

• Complete the Lyke Wake Walk in 24 Hours
• Trek up the Chamonix Vertical Kilometre
• Learn to Ski Off Piste
• Get to the North Pole under my own Steam
• Explore Antarctica

I would relish the opportunity to tick all of these awesome things (and more) off my list, but I am not unrealistic in what may or may not be possible. I am employed full-time and all this bucket list and blogging stuff is my hobby, so I can’t simply head off into my dreams and do one of these massive things every month. My sensible head therefore tells me to choose one of these at a time and work at it. As you know I’m currently looking forward to attempting the Lyke Wake Walk in June with Jenni from The Thrifty Magpies Nest. A big challenge, yes, but one which I hope will be completely possible and offer a real sense of achievement when I reach Ravenscar. Once I’ve done that I will choose another big goal from my bucket list to work on, which may or may not be one of the things above. One thing at a time.

One day experiences are the best… this is me fly boarding last summer, one of the most fun things I have ever tried.

To redress the balance a bit I’ve been thinking about smaller, one day experiences, that I should include on my bucket list. These are great fun to do – some are easy, some are challenging, but all take anything from a few hours to a day or a weekend to do. Most are quite simple to get organised, through various means. My bucket list is already well populated with them, as I find they make me smile from ear to ear. As there is always room for more, I’ve recently added these…

• Via Ferrata Xtreme at Honister
• Sleep in a Bivvy Bag under the Stars
• Try Paddle Boarding
• Visit the Redeveloped Lincoln Castle
• Go Curling
• Stamp my own Leather Bangle/Bracelet
• Fly a Hovercraft

I have already put some of these things in the diary, others are being planned as I write, and the rest are in the to do pile. These smaller experiences aren’t just about giving me something more achievable to do in between the bigger things, not at all. These one-day experiences are the things that keep each week as interesting as the last, and will keep me smiling when I look back later in life.

Achievement is a relative beast… creating this cushion cover one Saturday was a real one for me.

My bucket list is one of the ways I try to demonstrate that life is all about the journey. If you would like to suggest something I should add to my list, or know a way I can tick something (small or big) off, please do get in touch. I love to chat about experiences and it’s always inspiring to hear from other people who are making the most of the travelling by taking part in challenges and trying new things – please drop me a line!

Read more about my bucket list (including all the things that are currently on it) over here.