My Goals and Ideas in Life - A Personal Bucket List

©LaDena Campbell 2012 aka justateacher

Ever since the movie “The Bucket List” came out, many people have set pen to paper and made their own bucket list. Although that was not the catalyst that prompted me to make this list, I do have my own bucket list.

1. Visit Australia – I have always wanted to see Australia. It was a dream of my father’s before he passed away and the island country has always fascinated me.

2. Have a house and a horse in the country – It is every little girl’s dream – to have a horse of her very own. It is still a dream of mine – and you can’t have a horse unless you live in the country.

3. Go on a cruise – Just the excitement of being on a huge ship full of activities and going to exotic places thrills me. My sisters and I are planning this for our families – maybe by next Christmas.

4. Take both grandsons to see NASCAR – My husband and I love watching the races. Our youngest grandson gets extremely excited when we watch the races on TV. Taking both boys would just be exciting.

5. Visit all the dumb tourist traps in Kansas – The World’s Largest Ball of String – The World’s Deepest Hand Dug Well – Big Brutus – there are just too many to list – and shouldn’t we all visit the touristy things in our own home state?

6. Drive all of Route 66 in a convertible or any cool car – I know that many parts of this classic highway are no longer drivable, but I would like to go as far as I can – preferably in a ’65 Mustang convertible!

7. Care for foster animals and kids – This would be another reason to have a home in the country.

8. Hang Glide – The feeling of freedom one must have while gliding through the sky!

9. Mountain climbing – I have gone hiking in the mountains – but to actually climb the mountain? It would be an adrenalin rush!

10. Be on a top ten TV show just for a minute – It would be awesome to be on Big Brother!

11. Write a book about my kids at school – This is sort of in the works. My students just had a book published just before Christmas. Now it’s my turn!

12. Live life again - not just try to get from one crisis to the next Thanks for the reminder...

13. Learn to ski - both water and snow – And not get hurt while doing it!

14. Skydive – I know – why jump out a perfectly running airplane? Well – for the fun of it, of course!

15. Go to Wyoming for Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo – Drove through Cheyenne once as a child while Frontier Days was going on. It was very exciting to watch as we drove through.

16. Go dancin' (Did this one recently! Thanks Dave!!)

17. Learn ballroom dancing – just for the fun of it!

18. Own a 64 1/2 Mustang - completely restored – my dream car! It would be even better if it were a convertible!

19. Learn to live within my budget – Um….anyone have any ideas on how to achieve this one?

20. Have enough money that I don't need a budget!! - Okay – maybe this one is less realistic – I don’t play the lottery and don’t plan on changing jobs, so unless teachers start getting paid like doctors and lawyers it probably won’t happen!

21. Have both of my children in happy lifelong relationships (and lots of grandkids - eventually!) (One of my children will be married soon - Congrats to Tabi and Patrick!!) – Okay – since I wrote this originally I gained two more children and another son-in-law and a wanna be son-in-law. And have two wonderful grandsons with another grandchild due in June 2012.

22. Have both of my children with careers that make them as happy as mine makes me – again, this was originally written before I gained my two extra children – and two out of four of my children are doing their dream jobs – one is working on it – and the fourth will get there!

23. Visit all 50 states - especially the ones in the East! – I’ve been to Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Colorado, Missouri, Arkansas, Wyoming, Nebraska and Florida – only 37 to go!

24. Take drawing/painting lessons – one of these days this will happen!

25. Watch the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta – the pictures I have seen are so beautiful that I want to experience it for myself!

26. Ride in a hot air balloon – again – just for the fun of it!

27. Find a wonderful man that cares as much for me as I do for him. I have found a very sweet man....

I have done some of things I want to do – and my kids are on their way to helping me cross off a few more. As a grow older, this list may change. I am discovering that I do not need to cross off all of the items on my list, but it is still fun to dream about all of it. Life right now is pretty good and I don’t need to complete everything to make it better – it would just be the icing on the cake!