But of course, travel doesn’t need to be the only type of life goal to find its way onto such a list. And believe it or not, there are other things I want to do with my life in addition to travel! Lately, I’ve been thinking more and more about new types of activities or experiences I’d like to try, believing that doing so will not only be fun and exciting but also open up new worlds and help make me a more well-rounded and interesting person.
I’m a firm believer that we should never stop learning, growing, or seeking new experiences as long as we’re alive. That’s what keeps life from getting stale and routine, and helps us keep evolving into the people we want to be.
But of course, this being me we’re talking about, I can’t completely take travel out of the equation. There are certain things I want to learn or do or discover that I’ve attached to certain places. I mean, you can learn to cook pasta anywhere, but wouldn’t it be more fun in Italy?
So in that spirit, here’s my current bucket list of activities, experiences, and adventures I want to make happen for myself in the future, and where I see each of them taking place.
Melissa’s Bucket List of Global Experiences and Adventures:
- Learning to Ski And/Or Snowboard in New Zealand: I’ve never really been a winter sports person (unless you count ice skating), but lately I’ve been inundated by views of New Zealand’s wintry mountains that have stoked my wanderlust to insane levels. And since skiing is something I’ve never yet done but always kind of wanted to try, why not combine a wintertime trip to New Zealand with my first ski lessons? Either Queenstown or Wanaka seem like good candidates for this: if I’m going to try a new activity and likely fall down a lot, might as well do it someplace with amazing scenery!
- Learning to Scuba Dive in Koh Tao, Thailand: I’ve loved snorkeling since I was a kid, but scuba diving has always attracted and terrified me in equal measures. The idea of being so far below water with an oxygen tank makes me nervous, but the tales spun by those who’ve tried it (not to mention the underwater photos they’ve shared) have convinced me it’s worth doing. Koh Tao, the scuba diver’s mecca, seems like a perfect place to start. Lots of options for where to learn, plenty of instructors to help me through the beginning stages, and loads of other diving newbies like me to help me get over my nerves (hopefully). And oh yes, it’s in Thailand. What’s not to love?
- Yoga on the Beach in India: I’ll be honest, Bali would do for this activity too, but there’s something especially magical about the idea of practicing one of my favorite activities in a place that holds yoga so sacred and contains so much ancient wisdom and expertise on the practice. Yoga on a beach has been a dream of mine for a while (and one thing I didn’t manage to do on my recent trip to Thailand). Could be a job for Goa….
- Riding the Trans-Siberian Express: This one is obviously location specific—Russia, Mongolia, and China. And I love that. Riding the Trans-Siberian has been one of my big life goals for at least a decade, basically since I discovered it existed. A week-long train ride through Russia! The chance to explore not just its amazing cities, but its lesser-known, off-the-beaten-path destinations and get a real feel for what life is like there. And I cannot wait to dip into Lake Baikal, which, let’s face it, is about 90 percent of the reason I’m so excited to make this journey. The world’s deepest lake?
- Perfecting my French in Provence: It’s a little-known fact about me that one of my secret (well, not anymore) ambitions is to retire to the south of France. By the time I reach retirement age, I’ll have spent most of my life living in cities, which is fine because I love city life. But I think in a few decades, I’ll be ready for a slower pace of life, and a new overseas adventure in my senior years sounds like the perfect way to begin that new chapter. I want to find a small village in Provence where virtually no one speaks English, and work to improve my mediocre French while shopping at outdoor markets every day for fresh bread, cheese, and fruit, whiling away afternoons reading in cafes over chocolate chaud and pastries, and, should I need a city or ocean fix, hopping on a fast train to Paris or the Mediterranean for a quick getaway. Does life get better than that? I don’t think so.
Do you have a bucket list of experiences you want to try? Does it involve travel in some way? Share!