LikeBtn

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Bucket Lists - Part One (over 45)

Do you have a bucket list? Do you want one? Should you have one? Is yours full, being filled, being emptied or empty?

I had one that I started in my mid-forties, one of the best times in my life. Recently I came across it and realized I no longer feel the need to keep at it. I've done so much more than many folks, been so blessed to be able to do them.

Here are some of the things that have been crossed off my bucket list, all after age 45:

Learn to ski:
I am not and never have been an athletic individual. Sports were, and still are, a spectator sport for me. This item became an item added to the bucket list after doing it! I was about forty-nine when we bought my nine year old daughter a ski package for Christmas. My husband had been skiing since college and my daughter turned out to be a natural. They kept badgering me to try and I continue to decline.

Then New York State decided to offer the "Ski It to Believe It" campaign. Since it was only twenty-five dollars for a ski rental, a lesson and a lift ticket at a local (small) ski spot, I was determined to show them how bad I was and that would be that.

Well, that wasn't that! I discovered I like it and I wanted more! The next winter we moved from New York to Colorado and I had the chance to ski some real mountains. I never was great, but I always had fun.

Participate in community theater:
Back in the late 1990's, while living in Columbus, GA, I tried out for two plays and got parts in both. I was working full-time as a systems analyst/programmer at Tom's Foods. We had rehearsals five nights a week, then production for ten days. What an amazing time!
Pack of Lies: It was a small part as a background actor. I needed a Scottish accent, I opted for semi-British which was the best I could do. We had a director in from NYC and she was amazing to work with.
~ When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?: I had a key role as Clarisse in this and learned so much from our amazing director, a local. I also made some wonderful friends.
Learning to ride a motorcycle:
I had tried back in my mid-twenties and hadn't done all that well. But in the fall of 2001 at the age of 55, while my late husband was getting his six weeks of radiation treatments for his cancer, he spent all his spare time convincing me I needed to learn to ride. We ended up trading in his Electra-Glide for a Softail Heritage and buying me a Sportster.

The road ahead was rocky, lots of spills, lots of learning opportunities, but by the time he passed in October 2004, I had the bike of my dreams.

All my bikes [2003-2013]
Top L-R: 2002 HD Hugger XL883L - 2003 HD Low Rider FXDL - 2005 HD Softail Deluxe FLSTNI
Bottom L-R: 2006 BMW F650GS - 2009 HD Nightster XL1200N - 2011 HD SuperLow XL883L
Visit all fifty states:
I had managed to ride my motorcycle in 42 states in 2005, the year after I was widowed. I had to miss the last six, all New England states, due to weather. Stu, my current husband, and I picked those last six up the summer of 2011. We took a cruise to Alaska in 2010 and one to Hawaii in 2016. Fifty states done!!

See the Rocky Mountains:
Well, this was accomplished several times over. The first was when my late husband and I moved from Rochester, NY to Colorado Springs, CO in 1992-1993. Oh my! There was no photo that had ever done justice to it. Years later, I rode my motorcycle across them and after that, took my little Class C motorhome across them.

Well, that's enough for this post...more to come in part two. Do you have a bucket list? If you do, what are some of the things on it. Have you accomplished any of your list. If not, do you want one? If not, why not?

28 comments:

  1. I love that you decided to ‘learn to ski’ after trying to ski! Lol! Been there!
    I don’t have an official list. I have more of a lifestyle vision...living like the ex-pats of the 30’s and 40’s in Europe- although it is quite fluid ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We loved our ex-pat adventure in Ecuador. Truly our GRAND adventure. We've never been to Europe and probably won't make it, although Scotland is high on both our lists (he's Clan McNicol and I'm Clan MacQuarrie).

      Delete
  2. My bucket list is mostly about travel. Left on the list are southern Africa (photo safari), southeast Asia, and the Arctic. The sad part about the Arctic, specifically the Northwest Passage, is that it's so very expensive. It's actually cheaper to go to Antarctica. Go figure!
    Coast to coast Canada is on there too, but the plan is to knock off the really faraway places while we can still handle the jet lag.
    I think in my next life I'll be a biker. I had a hell of a time some years ago with a scooter in Bermuda. Kind of put a kink in my biker aspirations. Still, there's an attractive freedom about the wind in my face along some road less traveled...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely travel while you can! We have done a lot but nothing exotic like you are looking for. Go for it!!

      Riding a motorcycle is the ultimate convertible...I hate that I had to give it up and become a passenger but darn, do I ever have 100,000 miles of memories!

      Delete
  3. You are amazing! My kids (4 sons!) would love it if I took on a motorcycle challenge, but it's just not in my blood, I guess.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't learn until age 55 and at times I wondered if I would ever be good at it. I tend to overthink things...but I did and it was the most amazing experience, touring the country that way. I am blessed!

      Delete
  4. There are a lot of things that ended up on my bucket list after I turned 40. Skiing was one of them, while I enjoy cross country skiing, I do not like downhill. And that's after taking three weeks of lessons. But at least I tried it and know it's not for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's the key. I knew I wasn't strong enough to do cross-country skiing but was really surprised that I enjoyed the downhill. I never got off the green/bunny slopes even though my instructor told me I was skiing at a blue level. He told me I was psyching myself out. Yup! LOL!

      Delete
  5. Hi Donna, I'm visiting from MLSTL link up. Good for you for having done many interesting things. I don't have a bucket list. I go with what I feel like doing at the time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, an impromptu life...I've never been good at that. Detailed analytical planner - that's me. Well, except in my writing...I never outline and start out never knowing who the killer will be. Thanks for dropping by!

      Delete
  6. This is an impressive bucket list. You've accomplished so much in your midlife. For the past year, I've been doing seasonal bucket lists, which is just right for me. Reminds me to do the things I enjoy and try new things. I found your blog on the #MLSTL party.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What a great idea! I'll discuss the rest of my list in part two, next week. Thanks for dropping by!

      Delete
  7. Hi Donna and welcome to Midlife Share the Love Party! What a great list and you look fabulous on that motorbike. I didn't start running until I was 50 and then I ticked off a full marathon at 55. I think it is great to have bucket lists of things you would like to do. I also believe that it can be a flexible one because we don't know what life will throw at us. Have a beautiful day and thanks for linking up. I'm sharing on social media and see you next week! #MLSTL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the welcome, Sue. I love the idea of sharing posts with other "women of a certain age" (I created a list in my blog reader for the ones that are most interesting/pertinent to me).

      I agree about the flexibility...I've already substituted one that I will discuss next week.

      Delete
  8. I love your bucket list and your sense of satisfaction in what you have achieved on your list. My bucket list is all about travel - so many places I have seen, so many I want so see and so many to revisit. Now - where is the money and where are the extra healthy years?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree about the money and healthy years...I'm so blessed to have traveled as much as I have. More about that in Part Two!

      Delete
  9. I'm in awe, Donna. Kudos for living your life to the fullest. I have a bucket list I made along with my wife the week after we got married. Slowly, but surely we are striking off the entries. It's definitely good to have a plan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! It's so easy when you are young to get too focused on careers and forget to take time to relax and enjoy. We all have so many different goals, it's fun to look back at mine.

      Delete
  10. Wow Donna you've certainly ticked a lot of really interesting things off your list - I love your motorbike and always admire women who learn to ride one. I satisfy myself with sitting on the back of my husband's bike occasionally - falling off is never fun regardless of who's in control of the bike!
    Thanks for linking up with us at #MLSTL and I've shared this on my SM xx
    Leanne | www.crestingthehill.com.au

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Leanne, Once I learned to ride, I was never comfortable on the back of two wheels, no matter the driver or experience level. It was a control thing. LOL! Fortunately, we have a three-wheel motorcycle and I'm perfectly comfortable on the back of that. I get to take all the photos. LOL!

      Delete
  11. Fun stuff! Yes, I do have a bucket list. I am frequently crossing things off as well as adding more things to the list. Mostly travel related, although I have added that I would like to be a published author someday too. (I need to get writing!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay for crossing things off...we never know what tomorrow will bring. And travel is so amazing...

      Yes, start writing. You can only research so much. Ask me, I know. LOL!

      Delete
  12. I do have a bucket list, Donna. I started one 40 years ago, long before bucket lists were a thing. I looked at it just the other day and found that I've done most of what was on it OR long ago decided I didn't care to do what was there. For example, I used to always want to own a bookstore - the cozy kind with comfortable armchairs and a roaring fire. But it didn't take long to realize that I would hate people touching and dogearing and breaking the spines of my books. I would lose my mind.
    I do have a current bucket list as well, but can't say I feel overly committed to it. I'll have to give it another look and see what I want to leave on there.
    I love the achievement of your list, Donna. You've had some amazing experiences.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bucket lists definitely need revisiting as we age & grown. Changing priorities over the years mean crossing things off that no longer make sense, don't fit our needs, have been done or just aren't of interest (or ability) anymore.

      Good for you for recognizing that.

      Delete
  13. I don't really have a bucket list but there are places and things I want to do. And it is so wonderful that you learned to ride when your husband was going through treatment. My husband is in month 3 of his cancer treatment and I have kind of put my life on hold and for right now can't seem to move forward. I do admire how you have moved forward.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My heart goes out to you Victoria. I know where you are and understand. He spent the entire 6 weeks of radiation trying to convince me to learn. It was winter when we bought my bike (and traded down in size with his). We then trailered them to my brother's in FL until we could get down there. His job was changing and he was going to be able to live anywhere he wanted. So from Dec to the next Memorial Day, my sister-in-law rode my bike, not me. LOL!

      Moving forward will come - right now it's one day at a time for you. Feel free to email me anytime or friend me on Facebook for PMs. donnamcnicol at gmail

      Delete
  14. Hi there. Stopping over from MLSTL and thinking I might need to put "learning to ride motorcycle ...or at least a scooter" on my bucket list. I have envisioned myself on a cute (must be cute) scooter zipping down to the market in Florida , where the speed limit is high of 35 anywhere on the island( we have a beach cottage ... 2 blocks to the beach, a completed bucket list item).

    A few bucket list items I checked off last year with the trip-of-a-lifetime... African Safari, another continent (2 to go), two new countries (have a goal of 50 countries, since I have also visited all 50 states now - completed bucket list item) across the equator (actually I got a picture of me standing on it too!), glamping (added after the fact - it was awesome), and a hot air balloon ride. Just the most amazing 3 weeks ever.

    I'm totally OK with adding things to the bucket list after the fact...did that with Jet-skiing. Had the opportunity, been there and done that, not doing again. And I've got things on the list that will probably never happen, but that's OK.

    I'm trying on a "52 new things" this year... smaller things to keep me energized, exploring, and being spontaneous. Not quite bucket list caliber, but fun.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Believe it or not, I learned to ride while living in St Petersburg, FL. I'd wait till 10am, run up Rt 19 to Clearwater or Holiday, run back down on Alt 19. I shudder to think of that now. LOL!

    Like you, I add after and I remove. I have one that was a substitution that I will mention in Part two.

    I like the 52 new things...interesting idea. Take yourself out of your comfort zone!

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.