What's Left on Your Bucket List?

What's Left on Your Bucket List? 

by Susan and Jon 

Part 1

By Susan

One of the ongoing topics of conversation among Baby Boomers is what we still have left to do on our “Bucket List.” Even though we don't necessarily want to face the inevitable, we realize we are running out of time and possibly out of health as we get older.  Travel plans may have to be put aside.

A couple of people in my life are currently facing very real change.  One just went through heart surgery that was a lot more invasive than planned.  Another friend is now using a wheelchair and living with cancer.

Travel is important to many of us the older we get and many bucket lists now include travel.  It used to be that people dreamed about seeing the Seven Wonders of the World in their lifetime.  With the world being so much easier to get around now and people have more free time the dreams are being realized.

In 2001 there was a new list established for The Seven Wonders of the World.  These included:
The Great Wall of China
Petra - Jordan
Christ the Redeemer – Brazil
Machu Picchu - Peru
Chichen Itza – Mexico
Coliseum – Rome
Taj Mahal – India

Of course there is also the Great Pyramid in Egypt, one of the ancient wonders.  

I’ve climbed the Great Wall and Chichen Itza and seen the Coliseum in Rome. I definitely want to see Machu Picchu and the Great Pyamid.  If I don’t visit India or Jordan or Brazil, that’s okay.  I've had a Singapore Sling at Raffles in Singapore.  I stood on Madison Avenue in New York City.  

I still have a number of other things I want to accomplish.

16 Other Top Items on My Travel Bucket List: 

Visit Angkor Wat

Snorkel in Hawaii

Go to Ecuador and the Galapagos

Do a safari to the Serengeti and overlook Victoria Falls

Buy a carpet in Turkey
Have a drink in Casablanca

See the Santa Clause Parade in New York  

Visit the White House

Watch Old Faithful blow in Yellowstone

Swim with turtles, dolphins, manatee, and sting-rays 

Go Barefoot Sailing in the Caribbean

Cruise through the Panama Canal Locks

Visit Buckingham Palace   

Hear Big Ben in London strike

Visit Stonehenge   

Take a romantic Canal Boat Ride in Venice

Hold a panda  

I revisit my Bucket List each year because I find it changes with time and life events.  What I wanted to do in my 20's or 40's or even 50's is not necessarily important to me anymore. What is important to me is to have a feeling of satisfaction because I am accomplishing some of my dreams!

Part 2

By Jon

As Susan has pointed out, our travel Bucket List changes as we get older. At 10, I just wanted to travel beyond the borders of Western Canada. At 20, I wanted to travel beyond the borders of North America and at 40, I wanted to see it all!! At 60, I have seen and experienced many wonderful places on this planet, but I still have an extensive Bucket List.

As a kid, I loved geography and maps and could recite the capital cities of many countries. I knew the lists of the Seven Classic Wonders of the World, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Seven Man-made Wonders of the World and the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and dreamt of seeing them all.

Only one of the Classic Wonders still exists, and that is the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt....still on my list, but soon to be fulfilled this year.

The Ancient World Wonders are those that Susan listed. I too, have explored the Roman Coliseum, marveled at the leaning Tower of Pisa, but The Great Wall, Chichen Itza, Macchu Pichu, The Taj Mahal, Petra and Rio are still waiting for me.

The Seven Natural Wonders according to Wikipedia are:

The Grand Canyon

The Great Barrier Reef

The Harbour of Rio de Janeiro

Mount Everest

The Aurora Borealis

Paricutin Volcano

Victoria Falls

I can only check off The Grand Canyon and the Aurora Borealis. Yikes!! My Bucket List is longer that I thought!  However, with many Bucket List sights yet to see, I can't help thinking back on my own list of "Seven Wonders" that I have had the privilege of experiencing. Here they are:

1. watching the lights of Paris come from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

2. spelunking in a prehistoric cave in Spain to see 20,000 year old Cro-Magnon drawings.

3. playing with young chimpanzees at the Jane Goodall sanctuary in Burundi, Africa

4. watching the sun come up over the Grand Canyon.

5. swimming with sting rays off the coast of the Cayman Islands

6. snorkeling in the crystal clear waters of Gili Trawangan near Bali, Indonesia

7. getting close up and personal with tigers at a sanctuary in Chaing Mai, Thailand.



Everyone should have a travel bucket list, even if it takes a lifetime to make a dent in it. Keep looking ahead to accomplish your travel dreams, but don't forget to look back on those special and awesome travel moments.