Adventure

The Bucket List!

In 2007, I remember sitting and watching Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson's characters in "The Bucket List" live out their last few days on Earth.  Although I wouldn't recommend that movie to anyone because of the boring first 30 minutes you have to suffer through to get to the action, it still got me thinking.  I was a senior at Texas Tech, about to graduate and unsure of what to do next.  The world of possibility was limitless but also full of dead ends and redirections.  So I did what any college student would do with no money, job or direction.  I wrote a list of the coolest and most extravagant things I could think of that I wanted to do before I "kicked the bucket."  I thought if I never figure out what I'm going to do with my life at least I know that the items on this list will be apart of it! I of course didn't think about the money involved or the practicallity of it all but that is where dreaming takes you!

Now, fast forward 6 years, I was standing on the starting line at the "Sinners and Saints Half Marathon" thinking to myself, I can't believe I'm about to run 13.1 miles.  Notorious in high school for hating all things running and up until 3 months prior not even able to run 3 miles without walking, I actually trained and dedicated myself to completing this dreaded item on the bucket list. As the race started, I began to tear up thinking, I am really doing this! I conquered the last item on my lifelong bucket list!  Crossing that finish line and through out the following days, I reflected on all the adventures I had been on and the lessons I had learned in just 6 years!  Never in my wildest dreams as a 20 year old would I have believed that I would complete my bucket list before I turned 27!  The most incredible thing about each of these adventures is who I have become and what I have learned because of them.  So, I decided while I still remember a few details of each check on the check list, I would write them down, so I don't forget someday!  Here is the completed list that I had stored in my bible and marked off as they were finished:

1. Skydiving: First time skydiving in Austin, Texas with my friends, Brittani, Bekah, Melissa, Marshal, Zach, Neil, Kylie, and Kristin.  What better way to check off the very first item of my list than with some of my favorite people in the world? I figured If I can jump out of a plane from 15,000ft, the rest of these will be easy!  What I remember about this is I conquered my fear of heights!  I was that kid at six flags or DisneyWorld that stood in line for the big roller coaster just to take the exit before entering the ride.  My sister once forced me to get on the ride with her and I was the 16 year old throwing a fit, crying in front of everyone. Yes, during the age of "playing it cool"I had thrown all social awareness out the window and screamed like she was sending me to my death.

2. Surf in Australia: We were at Gold Coast, Australia with my sports DTS team, I was learning from my friend Daniel who was a pro, such a pro that he taught me how to break my foot while surfing!  Actually now that I think about it, I was just naturally good at that! But if I was going to choose a way to break a bone, the story of "broke it surfing at surfer's paradise" is much cooler than "yay, I broke my toe trying to do the moon walk, or I broke my ankle running through the house and stepping in a heart shaped candy bowl dish." Yes, shamefully, those are true stories, as I said, I'm a natural.

3 & 4. Climb a Glacier and Bungee Jump:  I am putting these two together because they were from the same trip to New Zealand with my friends Laila and Joel.  We traveled around the whole South Island of New Zealand together, seeing the Lord of the Ring filming locations, skydiving in an area where we could see rainforest, ocean & beaches, mountains, and glaciers all in one jump, climbing an Ice Glacier and going to the place where Bungee Jumping was invented!  This was one of the top most beautiful places in the world!  The whole time the verses in Psalms 19 came alive for me "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Creation screams of a magnificent Creator, all the while I was thinking who am I that you are mindful of me?

5. Skiing in the Swiss Alps:  I was living in Switzerland for about 3 months and I went with a few friends from my School of Design. It was unlike any skiing I had ever done before, most of the trails were ungroomed and full powder.  I remember skiing through powder that went all the way to my hips!  One of my friends that went with me had never skied before, and it might have been one of the funniest days of my life. I have posted a picture of his attempt to stand up....at least he tried hahaha!

6. Visit the Sound of Music Tour: I was in Austria for a leadership conference with my friend Hayley.  Since I was little, my mom has made it an annual thing to watch the Sound of Music around Christmas time.  It has always been one of my favorite movies because it was my mom's favorite, so when she said that is the one place she wants to go someday, I added it to my list of places I wanted to see!  My sisters and I use to watch it during every road trip because it was the longest movie we owned, instead of the typical "how much longer" or "are we there yet" we would ask "how many times do we need to watch the Sound of Music until we get there."  So Hayley and I geeked out and sang all the songs through out the entire tour!

The Hills are Alive!

Climbed the same trees as the Von Trapp family...I'm one of them now!

7. Step foot on every continent

8. Visit normandy

9.See the Eiffel tower with the love of my life

10. Have a pint in C.S. Lewis pub

11. Go on an African Safari

12. Live Overseas

13. Backpack or hitchhike

14. Go to an international sporting event like the Olympics or World Cup

15. See the Hollywood sign

16. repel down a cliff

17. visit a castle

18. get married

19. run a half marathon