A bucket list for travel

I don't like the idea of bucket lists because it seem final and creates a pass/fail scenario. However for lack of a better name for it that a wide audience will know and recognize, I will go along with it for this post. I will also preface that a bucket list for travel is an oxymoron. There are millions of places around the world, deep sea and outer space are also rapidly becoming options, that to truly experience all of them in a lifetime would be a tremendous feat if possible.

Personally I add to this list often. I see a picture on social media. I talk to someone who recently traveled somewhere worth sharing about. I read an article or a blog about best places to travel for a certain season in life. Everyday there is inspiration. My list also includes general areas or countries to travel to because I have yet to flush out the details of what a trip will be. Finally, a travel bucket list should be more than places on a map you can stick a pin in; it should also include activities you want to do, people you want to see, food you want to eat. Below is just some of my travel bucket list:

As of the end of 2023, I have been to 27 of the 50 states.

Visit all 50 states- this item is the longest standing item on the list. Growing up, my family and I would take vacations around the U.S., mostly roadtripping. Looking back, we did not actually go to that many states, but they sure made an impression. Before I travelled abroad I had no real desire for it because there were so many great things I could see and do in my own backyard.

As of the end of 2023, I have been to 14 of the 63 US national parks listed.

Visit all U.S. national parks- this to-do was easy to add given item #1. If I am in all of the states anyways, why not see places that the country has deemed as great and worthy of protection? So add to the list those 60+ distinct destinations.

Go to Germany & Ireland - these will be on separate adventures most likely; Germany is technically already done, though I want to go back. I have done genealogy research for many years and some of my strongest connection come from these countries. I may try to connect with distant relatives in the area or I might just envision walking in the footsteps of ancestor like the do on so many genealogy shows.

Take a photography vacation- I have done this a few times before and enjoyed it. I take a vacation with minimal planning and just let the opportunity for an excellence photo reveal itself to me. For good or bad, I end up with hundreds if not thousands of pictures in the end.

Food inspired travel ideas

1. pasta, pizza and gelato in Italy

2. lobster in Maine

3. crepes and escargot in France

4. afternoon tea in England

5. beers in Ireland and/or Germany

6. beignets in New Orleans

7. sourdough and clam chowder in San Francisco

8. eat at Michelin star restaurants

9. enjoy other regional favorite- Texas BBQ, midwestern comfort food, New York bagels, New Mexico green chili, something with potatoes in Idaho, alligator or crocodile in the South

10. compare foods to find the best- Georgia versus Palisade peaches, California versus Florida oranges, Napa Valley versus Italian wines, donuts in Nashville

Travel activities

1. kayak and/or paddleboard

2. take a cooking class in Italy

3. volunteer opportunities- clean up the beach, regrow the coral, plant trees

4. walk the tulip field in The Nederlands

5. walk up before day to see hot air balloon launch in Santa Fe

6. peruse the best libraries in the world

7. tour many great castles of Europe

8. see whales and/ or dolphins

9. snorkel in the Caribbean and/or Mediterranean

10. go paragliding - have already done once in Austria