How to make a Bucket List
I’ve said it a thousand times, “you only regret the trips you didn’t take”. When almost half of people surveyed over age 55 say they wish they’d traveled more, it’s time for all of us to wake up and make travel a priority.
Around here we are really good at helping people complete their travel bucket lists. Let’s begin on yours.
The first step is to set aside 15 minutes with a pen and paper. All set? Now let’s do a little day dreaming.
If money were no object where would you want to go? If time were unlimited where would you go? Is there a destination you always wanted to see with your special someone? Is there an experience you always wanted to have? Have you considered your ethnic heritage and thought about visiting your homeland? Is there a particular period of history that’s fascinating to you?
Don’t limit yourself to only one place or answer per question. Write down every destination or experience that answers the question. If you always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, and the London Tower, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, list them all. If you and your special someone always wanted to stroll along the beaches of the French Riviera, the Nile, and Waikiki, write them down.
If you won the lottery would Tahiti be on the list? How about a world cruise?
What if you had money and time? A Grand European Tour might be just the ticket for adventure.
Have you always wanted to Scuba dive, or zip line, or ride the world’s largest roller coaster?
Do you know where your family tree began and want to visit the old country? Are you a World War II buff who has never walked the beaches of Normandy?
Once you have a nice list of places and experiences that are important to you I want you to ask yourself this question: “If I had one year to live, what is the one thing on this list I would most want to accomplish?”
Obviously that needs to be #1 on your bucket list. If you need help prioritizing the others we can help you.
Maybe you want to go to the Holy Land with us but realize we aren’t going there until 2019. Let’s see what’s on the list we can accomplish in 2018.
Maybe you want to experience Oberammergau. That event only happens every 10 years, so it’s a go in 2020 or you’ll have to wait until 2030.
I personally have a ten year bucket list. I founded The Joy of Travel back in 2005, have completed everything on that first ten year bucket list and am now enjoying completing the second one.
Most of things on my current bucket list I didn’t even know about back in 2005. Travel is addictive, and the more I travel the more places I discover to add to my list.
The real kicker for me was when I began river cruising. That opened up a whole new world and with the addition of Viking Ocean cruises the list just keeps getting longer. When you throw in the land tours I want to experience I better remain healthy for another 25 years at least.
If you need assistance or want some advice please don’t hesitate to give me a call. I might be able to add some insight to some of your ideas that would help you prioritize and plan for them.
No matter what you put on the list, don’t forget to have a plan of action to make those dreams come true. Plan your budget, your time, consider your age and stage of life, and most of all commit to the plan and turn those travel dreams into reality.
Joy Gawf Crutchfield owns and operates The Joy of Travel. Contact Joy at 918-339-4805