50 by 50 Bucket List

Just like I encourage you to do, I set big goals, do fun things and otherwise try my best to live life to the full.  When I think about what’s most important to me (aside from family, friends and faith), three things are at the very top of the list: travel, learning and life experiences.  I always want to have something in the works in those areas.

To keep myself on track, I’m keeping a list of  50 things in each area that I want to do by the time I turn 50 (a.k.a My 50 by 50 Bucket List).  I left some blanks on each list so I can add stuff along the way, but there are plenty to get me started.  So between now and December of 2022, feel free to make a suggestion or peruse the list for ideas for your own adventure.

Travel

To move, to breathe, to fly to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.

~ Hans Christian Andersen

Prior to turning 40, I visited most of the States in the U.S. as well as France, China, El Salvador, Mexico, Anguilla and Sweden.

  1. Cayman Islands – February 2013
  2. Canada – August 2013 and July 2017
  3. Ireland – June 2014
  4. Iceland – June 2017
  5. Portugal
  6. England – June 2014
  7. Greece
  8. New Zealand
  9. Australia – January 2016
  10. Easter Island
  11. Turkey
  12. Mongolia
  13. Germany – November 2018
  14. Denmark
  15. Netherlands
  16. Belize – February 2015
  17. Costa Rica
  1. Panama
  2. Peru
  3. Ecuador
  4. Brazil
  5. Egypt
  6. Antarctica
  7. South Africa
  8. Brazil
  9. Chile
  10. Argentina
  11. Uraguay
  12. Austria
  13. Japan
  14. Cambodia
  15. Vietnam
  16. Thailand
  17. India
  1. Spain
  2. Italy – November 2018
  3. Belgium
  4. Russia
  5. Switzerland
  6. Morocco
  7. Madagascar
  8. Norway
  9. Finland
  10. Poland
  11. Czech Republic
  12. Hungary
  13. South Korea
  14. Hong Kong – October 2018
  15. Taiwan
  16. Kenya

Learning (a.k.a. My Lifestyle Résumé)

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you were to live forever.”  
~ Mahatma Gandhi

A few of the learning challenges I did prior to turning 40 include learning to: scuba dive, play guitar, play chess, ride a motorcycle (and get my license), run a marathon (Marine Corps 2003), run a triathlon, make a great omlette, make croissants (that’s me with Chef Geraud), take better travel photos, and swim by joining a Master’s swim club.

  1. How to book a round-the-world ticket – June 2018
  2. Tennis – January 2016 (ongoing)
  3. Speed reading – March 2013
  4. Sailing
  5. Time lapse photography – Mar 2015
  6. Camping and backpacking – April 2013 (6 week course)
  7. Fencing – January 2014
  8. Learn to code (Code Academy)
  9. Learn to read music
  10. Motocross riding – March 2019
  11. Learn about coffee
  12. Learn about wine
  13. Learn about sushi
  14. Make great pizza
  15. Learn to play mandolin
  16. Learn best ways to pack – September 2018
  17. Learn about minimalism – Jan 2015
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Life Experiences

Variety’s the spice of life that gives it all it’s flavor.

~ William Cowper

It’s a big world out there and I want to do everything I can to experience what it has to offer.  A few things from the highlight reel so far: marriage, fatherhood, walking on The Great Wall, lunch at the Eiffel Tower, writing a few books, salmon fishing in Alaska, seeing some great concerts and taking some fun guys trips (snowmobiling, skiing, scuba diving, hiking, four wheeling).

  1. Finish taking my daughter to all 50 States (23 to go)
  2. Take a round-the-world trip – Oct/Nov 2018
  3. Have dinner at French Laundry
  4. Read 500 books between ages 40 and 50
  5. Get an article published in the Wall Street Journal
  6. Get a book on the New York Times Bestseller list
  7. Hike a section of the AT – May 2016
  8. Write for MarketWatch – January 2013
  9. Write a finance book to raise money for Charity: Water
  10. Buy a Ducati Monster motorcycle
  11. Take a 1 month mini-retirement before 45 – June 2014
  12. Take a 3 month mini-retirement before 50
  13. Get a straight razor shave while on vacation
  14. Tell a story on stage at a Moth event
  15. Get 100,000 subscribers at Intentional Retirement
  16. Visit all 7 continents (4 down, 3 to go)
  17. Attend the Traverse City Film Festival
  18. Have lunch at Chez Panisse (My wife’s request)
  19. Take a multi-day, offroad motorcycle tour
  20. Go duck hunting – November 2013
  21. Hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim – April 2016
  22. Walk the Tour du Mont Blanc
  23. Hike the Cliffs of Moher – June 2014
  24. Hike a section of the Wales Coast Path – June 2014
  25. Visit Stonehenge – June 2014
  26. Visit the Guinness Brewery in Dublin – June 2014
  1. Go to a concert at Ryman Auditorium – March 2015
  2. Teach my daughter to ski – January 2015
  3. Do a short notice “spin the globe” trip
  4. Speak at NASA – October 2015
  5. See a concert at the Ryman – March 2015
  6. Camp trip to Wind River Range – September 2015
  7. Hike a section of the PCT
  8. Hike a section of the CDT
  9. Hike the Snowmass Mt. Loop
  10. Take a no notice travel roulette trip – January 2018
  11. Climb Mt. St. Helens – August 2016
  12. Go to a concert at Austin City Limits – February 2017
  13. Hike the Lost Coast Trail – June 2018
  14. Drive and camp the Iceland ring road – June 2017
  15. Hike the High Divide/Seven Lakes Loop – July 2019
  16. Play chess in Washing Square Park, NY – November 2019
  17. See Norm MacDonald live at Carolines – November 2019
  18. Hike the Kalalau Trail in Hawaii – January 2020
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Car photo by Mike Baird.  Used under Creative Commons License.