The Bucket List

My Bucket List is a living document. I will add, change and remove challenges over time. I started to compile it a few years ago to ensure my retirement in 2012 would not be boring. I started ticking off some challenges prior to retirement. Some I will revisit, time permitting.

Mission:

Complete my Bucket List before reaching the departure lounge in the crematorium.

Description:

This is a short list of some of the challenges I have included on my Bucket List. I hope to undertake the more physical challenges in the first couple of years while I still enjoy good health and a reasonable level of fitness.

The Bucket List: (If Completed, date and location shown).

Setting up my space:

- Create my own space at home: - (2012 built 'man cave' in attic)

- Customise Man Cave: To be completed by end of 2012 

Body and Mind: http://jacksbucketlist.blogspot.ie/p/body-and-mind.html

- Body: - Lose weight and get fit for challenges. A work in progress (22Lbs lost as on Nov 2012)

- Mind: - Seek out the nothingness; I’m ready this time now.

- Swimming: - Learn to tread water and swim min 25 lengths without break. - overcome my anxiety in water

Travel and adventure:

Travel and Adventure completed so far:

2008: - Learn to Ski: - (Austria 2008, 2009, 2010)

2009: - Scuba Dive: - (Madeira 2009, but I need to get back to this one)

          - Paraglide off mountainside: - (Austria 2009)

2010: - Hot Air Balloon: - (Albuquerque 2011)

2011: - Zip Line: - (San Francisco 2011. Need higher and longer line, Alaska?                  Africa? South America?)
          - Segway in San Francisco - 2011

2012: - US road Trip:  Aug 24th to Oct 23rd. 2012 : )
            http://jacksbucketlist.blogspot.ie/search/label/US%20Road%20TRip

          - Climb Kilimanjaro: planned to start Dec 28th 2012 
            (link : www.JBLKilimanjaro.blogspot.ie )
2013: - Serengeti Safari: After Kilimanjaro Jan 2013 

             http://www.jblkilimanjaro.blogspot.ie/p/after-kilimanjaro-challenge-some-of.html

          - Learn basic Spanish ahead of Camino walk (2013)
          - Walk el Camino de Santiago (Camino Frances) in 2013 (all 800Km)
             Link to 'My Camino Experience'

2014: - China 2014, the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors and much more:
             http://jblchina.blogspot.ie/

2015: - Everest Base Camp 2015: http://jbleverest.blogspot.ie/
2017: - Walk all 2,500 klms of the Wild Atlantic Way (Ireland)  
             https://www.facebook.com/2500klms/

2019: - Walk the West Highland Way in Scotland : https://www.flickr.com/photos/jakodo/albums/72157709688191936

          - Trip to Australia and New Zealand - November 2019

Travel and Adventure Not Scheduled Yet:
- Trek to and around Machu Picchu in Peru (not scheduled yet.)
- Parachute jump............. 
- Tornado Chasing in the US............
- Dive with the Great White Shark - 
- Road Trip across Europe - Not scheduled yet

- Trip to Canada and Alaska

- Follow up US Road Trip to include the amazing jewel of the southern States, New Orleans 

- See the Pyramids

- Go to Angel Falls
- Patagonia : )
- Stand on surfboard, just once. Maybe kneeling will suffice. Must tackle swimming challenge first : )

- etc etc etc

Photography:  SEE Notes updated from Jan 2016...

- Archive 40 years of photography, (a work in progress)

- Purchase new Nikon Camera and lenses -( Purchased 2012 - learning all over again : )   )

- Relearn Photography (switching from film to digital)

- Learn digital photo processing - (Photoshop - so much to learn but loving it)

- Create a collection of images to hang in my man cave

Painting:

- Finish oil painting of Brenda (  update 2019 - have not returned to complete this yet 😞http://www.jacksbucketlist.blogspot.ie/p/painting.html )

- Try Acrylics, water, oil

- Create a few painting I would be pleased to hang in my man cave.

Art and Sculpture:

- Create one piece of abstract art that I, at least, can appreciate, medium? 

- Create one piece of sculpture that pleases me.

- Create object, pleasing to me, from computer components and other objects including analogue devices. 

Music and Singing:

- Take Professional singing lessons – (Completed several months, will take further lessons next year)

- Sing one song in public. – (sang Raglan Road and Hallelujah in Baillie Hotel in Bailieborough Aug 5th 2012. Sang, or tried to, Halleluja at Brenda's 60th on Dec 16th 2012 - poor effort, final embarassing effort in Burgos, Northern Spain 2013) I will revisit this challenge after I have taken more lessons.

- Learn to play one piece of music on the classical guitar. I hope

Writing:

- have one poem, short story, article or book published.

- Write a book for own amusement and for my eyes only

Animation:

- Write script for short animated story

- Create the animation for the story above

- Create the soundtrack to the story above

Web site/Blog:

- Create on-line record of my Bucket List –
(Aug 2012 see jacksbucketlist.blogspot.ie  - Jack's Bucket List)

- Create additional sites ................

Ceremonial:

- Perform public ceremony – (Brendan and Julie's Wedding ceremony in Tuscany 2009)

Grumpy Old Man:

- Write to Gov. Depts, Institutions etc to highlight anything that bugs me.

Departure:

- Make a will – (Brenda and I made a will 2012)

- Exit stage left - Whenever, would like to live to be 157 but would settle for something a bit lower. 

- Ashes to go up in rocket or balloon. Hopefully scattering at altitude and maybe, just maybe, landing in some politician's brandy.