I need a hole in my bucket, dear Liza!

Well, it’s finally here. The year I should probably stop wearing my hair in pigtails and think about growing up.

Pfft! Like that’s going to happen!

However, I do have a significant birthday coming up in a few months, the sort that makes you want to reflect on your life and achievements so far. Let’s just say, it’s not my 21st. Or sadly even my 21 + 9th…

How it happened is beyond me. I mean, I’m fully versed in the planetary movements that cause the sun to rise and set each day, marking the passage of time but there’s still a large part of my brain that doesn’t really believe we’ve moved past about 1998!

Anywho, what have I done with my time on Earth so far? Well, quite a lot and not enough would be my honest answer. I’ve been lucky to have some fantastic experiences over the years, yet still have many things I’d like to attempt or achieve.

Around 15 years ago (in another ‘it’s a milestone, let’s make some plans‘ kind of moment), I created a bucket list. Jack and Morgan totally stole my idea…

Since then, ideas have changed, ‘been there, done that’s‘ have happily occurred, so I thought it was time to revise the original to edit and improve it. Okay, completely rewrite it – it’s not like I have the back of an envelope it was scribbled on anymore!

I’d like to be clear they are not resolutions (I’ve seen a few great posts using bucket lists in this way), nor are they things I believe I’ll (necessarily) achieve before the end of the year, let alone my birthday.

Think more of it as an internal wishlist of being me. Read at your leisure or peril, then please tell me which ones you’d like on yours – you know I love your comments! 🙂

I present to you HAYLEE’S BUCKET LIST: version 20.16

Visit ICELAND, NEW ZEALAND and CANADA.
I love wilderness, I love nature. Oh, and I love hobbits!

See the GRAND CANYON and a RAINFOREST.
Before they disappear. Obviously I don’t mean the Grand Canyon..

Learn a MARTIAL ART.
I want to wax on, wax off and look like I can kick-butt. Although, I quite fancy capoeira.

Go STORM CHASING.
I’ve always been fascinated by tornadoes and would like to witness one, despite the danger.

Safely experience a VOLCANIC eruption and an EARTHQUAKE.
I grew up wanting to be a seismologist. Or a volcanologist. We had a mini, ‘2. nothing major’ quake a few years back in the UK. Such a bizarre sensation that renewed my interest.

Take a trip in a GLIDER.
I’ve flown a plane, which was incredible, but I think the tranquility of being in a glider must be the closest you can get to actually having wings.

WING WALK.
Bungee jumping? No, I’ll leave it thanks. Stand on the outside of a plane (dressed as some 1940’s pin-up of course!) – absolutely!

Care for / study ORANGUTANS in their natural environment.
A college friend of mine went to Borneo, helped build a school and nursed orphaned Orangutans. Her experience has always stuck with me.

Take a picnic in YOSEMITE National Park.
Yes, I want to be Yogi Bear…

Retire to a LOG CABIN by a lake.
With some beehives. And lots of wellies.

Take part in an ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG.
Preferably dinosaurs, but I’ll brush the dust off anything!

Have my photography displayed in a GALLERY.
I’ll brush up my skills and learn how to make canapes…

Meet BARACK OBAMA.
I don’t do politics. That’s not the reason he’s on my list. Current Mr. President does come off as one incredibly cool dude though and I’d like to see what he’s like in real life. Plus I’m fascinated by how normal he seems to want to be, yet lives his life in a high-security fish bowl. Think he’d be interesting to have a coffee with.

Have a book PUBLISHED.
I have two finished and am in the final processes of preparing the manuscripts to send out. Step one is far from the end point though!

Leave a LEGACY.
How, I don’t know.

I’d like to think I can leave a mark of my existence and have a positive effect on people. Isn’t that what everyone wants?

I know, as a teacher, I’ve already had an impact on many lives (hopefully a good one) but as we’ve made the decision not to have children, the line stops here.

So perhaps getting a book published or at least this little blog will be my flag on top of the mountain, telling everyone I was here. 🙂

Let’s start making some holes in that list!

(Incidentally, I’ve just realised that after taking out reblogs etc, this is my 100th post. Go me!)

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Image Credits: Wikipedia, Daily Express, Pinterest, Britannica.com, Twitter, cbc.ca and some photographer at my primary school!

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