“Stop dreaming about your bucket list, and start living it” Annette White
In a previous post I wrote about the day I started to live like I was dying. It was back in 2010 and that moment totally changed my life. My life is now focused on experiences, not things. A few years before my Mom died from Alzheimer’s we would talk often about her regrets, what she hoped for me and what she would do differently. She regretted that she was so focused on saving money for retirement that she really didn’t take the time to travel. She didn’t realize that her health would deteriorate at a fairly young age (before she turned 65) and would not have the opportunity to do so. She used to say “Petey (my nickname), don’t do what I did. Yes, save your money so you can be comfortable in retirement but also enjoy life and travel and experience things while you can. Don’t be like me. You deserve that”. I took her advice to heart and after my medical issue in 2010 and I made a bucket list.
My Bucket List:
“The world is a book and those who do not travel only read one page” St. Augustine
- Greece (completed in 2011)
- Amalfi Coast, French Riviera, and Switzerland (completed in 2018)
- Australia and New Zealand
- Tahiti and Bora Bora
- The rest of Italy & Prague
- Viking Cruise (Danube)
- Ireland/Scotland/England
- Canadian Rockies Tour
- U.S. National Park Tour
- Hawaii
- Fall Color Tour on the East Coast
- Charleston and Savannah
- Africa
- New Mexico
- Austin, Texas
- Trips within Florida (Destin, Jupiter, Mount Dora, Key West to name a few)
- Cruises
“In the end it’s not the years in your life that counts, its the life in your years”. Abraham Lincoln
The definition of a bucket list as defined in the Oxford Dictionary is a number of experiences or accomplishments that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime. Mine just so happen to be travel related. I have a few other bucket list items that are not travel related that I will write about in a future post. I am sure many of you know people who have died prematurely or died right after they retired and did not get the chance to enjoy their life or achieve some of their bucket list items. If you don’t have a bucket list, I encourage you to to write one and include any travel or other experiences that you want to accomplish in your lifetime and start doing them. Financial constraints are certainly a consideration for what items are included on a bucket list, but they should not preclude you from not having a list of experiences you would like to have or things you would like to accomplish.
Tomorrow is not promised. It is a gift. I am so thankful to my Mom to give me the wake up call to start living my life, and not put off things until tomorrow. Later this week, I leave for a 38 day trip to Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti and Bora Bora and plan on having the trip of a lifetime (assuming the fires in Australia don’t thwart my plans). I am going to make my Mom proud and think of her daily as I enjoy the beauty and experiences we will behold. Alzheimer’s may eventually steal my mind and ability to do things, but I am living in the moment, enjoying the heck out of everyday, loving my family and friends and making the best out of my situation. When I return from this trip, I will start planning my next trip. Not today, Alzheimers, not today!
What’s on your bucket list? Send me a comment and let me know. God bless you.
Living My Best Life With Alzheimer’s 