Hi Everyone! Lately I have found myself reflecting more so on life than usual (which is saying a lot). So far, I have absolutely loved my life. I consider it thus far a great success, adventure, joy, romance and wonder. Every moment of it has been worthwhile and awesome. Much has been exciting, fulfilling, passionate, fun, magical, wild and happy. Some has been challenging, heartbreaking, difficult or sad. But all of it has been magnificent, and I have little doubt it will keep unfolding in such a way as I will continue to make it so. What a lot of people forget is that they have this same power of choice over their own life paths. With all of that said, an activity I find to be both inspiring and worthwhile is in the creating of a "bucket list." I'm sure you've all heard the term, as its become a trendy one as of late. A bucket list, meaning sketching out the things you hope to do/experience/see/become within your lifetime. I feel that many of us (myself included) make the mistake often of forgetting just how short life really is. Time is passing quickly. We only have a limited amount of time on this earth, and its fleeting. A one shot deal. This is it. And meaning in our lives is created purely within the meaning that we ourselves assign it. Therefore, I think the purposeful creating of a bucket list can aid us in figuring out: what is it exactly that I want to do with the time that's been given to me? This exercise can add meaning, direction and a sense of joyful anticipation to your life as it already is. Hopefully alongside the continued reveling of your day to day experiences in the present as well, which is what one should be doing anyway, right? Because happiness isn't really about the end of the journey or the ultimate destination. It IS the journey. That is what I am coming to realize. Here is a small snippet from my own bucket list written a few years ago (a number of which I can excitedly claim to have since checked off!) that may hopefully aid in inspiring you in getting your own list going: Live in Europe Have a little lake cottage someday Have a fireplace/wood stove in my home Learn how to make authentic chocolate croissants. Publish a book. Backpack through Europe for a minimum of 3 weeks in one stretch. Continue maintaining the close friends I have had for years now, as well as keep making additional new, deep friendships throughout the course of my life. One of my biggest sources of happiness is the pretty large handful of very close friends I have. I want to both maintain and keep adding to this. Have pets throughout of my life (ideally a couple of cats and a dog). Bake a truly show-stopping cake that's absolutely delicious to boot. Have great fun entertaining friends and family throughout my life (board game nights, dinner parties, holiday parties, other fun types of get togethers, and more). Continue to cook and bake, learning more and more recipes and ever improving. Self publish a cookbook. Potentially open my own café/B&B/Healthy food place someday. Or, have my own culinary creations by served in an official establishment of some sort. Finish paying off my student loans by the age of 45 at the latest. Give at least 3 people I love a gift that takes their breath away. Have a romantic partner with whom I might like to spend the majority of my life (or possibly even the entirety of it J if it works out this way). And with said romantic partner, build a relationship that is a close friendship as well as a passionate romance. One in which we can tell each other anything, be wholly ourselves together, we are emotionally close friends who love spending time in each others company while also being wild about and totally smitten with one another. A relationship that is honest, fun, loyal, easy going, full of surprises, great listening, adventure and is emotionally open/deep. Having engaging, poignant and easy conversations, are silly together, and have many activities we enjoy doing together along with sharing similar values. Possibly have one child. Throw a couple of truly awesome, atmospheric, swanky parties in my lifetime. Have a meal at a top-notch (but also romantic) restaurant. Eat something absolutely mouthwatering somewhere with a breathtaking view. Remain fit and healthy throughout my life. Continue to gobble up books throughout my life as I LOVE this (I'm nearing the 1,000 mark. Hope to double it ;-)). Fill a big album with my very best travel photos. Make this a coffee table book in my home someday. Ride a Vespa through a gorgeous, quaint, cobbled European town. Serve an incredible 5-course meal to a group of people with whom I love spending time. Hit 4,000 views on my blog. Re-learn conversational Italian. See mountain gorillas in the wild in Africa. More of the US (Colorado, North Carolina, Maine, Vermont, more of California, Georgia, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Hawaii again, Nantucket, Cape Cod). Japan. Go on a cruise for at least 1 week. See more of the Caribbean. Cross a country by bike. Ride something bigger than a horse in another part of the world. Ski the Swiss Alps. Zermatt, Switzerland. Experience Vienna Austria/Prague during Christmas time. Volunteer abroad somewhere for at least 2-3 weeks (teaching English or working with children or animals). Spend the night in a storied/historic hotel. Photograph an endangered species. Northern Lights again. Either in Canada or Northern Europe ideally. White water river rafting (like a 3-4 day trip somewhere). I've white water canoed for an afternoon, but I want to experience the real deal, on rafts down a hardcore, churning river for a few days in a row. St. Kitts or Turks & Caicos. There's still so much I want to see in Europe. More of Italy (Lake Como, Amalfi Coast, Positano, Taormina), Dublin, Bruges and Brussels in Belgium, London, Switzerland (Gimmelwald, ride the Glacier Express), more of Scotland as I LOVED Edinburgh, Copenhagen, Greece (Santorini), Poland (Warsaw), The Algarve in Portugal. There you have it. I would love to hear what sort of things are on other peoples life lists!! Both for my own inspiration and just out of general curiosity :-) So tell me, what's on your own bucket list?

Here are nine quotes that motivated me to keep going on the journey of self-discovery, regardless. May they be a light to anyone who dares to dream of something else, other than the average:

Do you remember the dreams you used to have? When we were younger we had hopes and dreams for our lives. Unfortunately, life happened. For many of us those hopes and dreams are in the past; we’ve settled for mediocrity Learn more...

Now in my fifth decade, I choose not to live with regret, or worry about the future. But, if I could go back and talk to my younger self the biggest piece of advice, I would give her is “Follow your dreams and trust the rest will fall into place.” As I have learned now, … Continued

learn Spanish //central american + spain dialects// run a successful blog get involved in a church go on a cruise visit the original starbucks in seattle live more in the real world vs. technology based world North Carolina internship (summer 2014) learn to cook & bake delectable dishes swim in caribbean sea 2007 & 2009, pacific ocean 2011 & 2013, atlantic ocean 2001, indian ocean, gulf of mexico get into the best shape of my life find that "spark" with the man of my dreams //cheesy, but true// ❤ be the best friend I can be open a boutique participate in a 2-4 week mission trip the summer of college graduation (summer 2015) continue to go on mission trips & serving others pass physical therapist assistant boards on the 1st try travel visit all 7 continents visit all 50 states own an oceanfront home collect both of my grandmas classic recipes see the eiffel tower, london eye, and other european landmarks adopt a puppy from an animal shelter make a wish in the trevi fountain cliff dive pick yoga back up bungee jump visit the wizarding world of harry potter begin a blog 2012 take my future family to disney world learn to play guitar wine taste in Italy get my master's degree run a half marathon go ziplining 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 costa rica buy my dad's home snowboard in colorado do wine & canvas swim with dolphins have a 50th wedding anniversary pay a stranger's tab at a restaurant start a journal and write in it regularly go snorkeling 2007 - costa rica write a letter to myself and open it in 10 years take my mom on the vacation of her dreams watch the ball drop in times square go parasailing write a book fly first class create a smashbook learn to surf //even if it is not a complete success, it is the thought that counts// ;) throw a dart on a map and travel wherever it lands impact a life live beautifully, dream passionately, embrace opportunities

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