I love the idea of making a bucket list. While I can’t say I have an actual written list of things I hope to do before I die, I definitely have a running list in my head, and it includes typical grandiose desires like taking a year off from work to travel the world…with a stunningly tall dark and handsome man by my side, of course…
But what about the other things - the smaller, ordinary things - that I want to accomplish in life? So often I find myself saying, “wow, I’d love to learn how to ____ one day,” but deep down inside I know that I probably never actually will.
So here is a glimpse at my Ordinary Bucket List. I don’t know how fulfilling these things will be when I complete them, and who knows if I ever even will. But I think that every dream or desire we have is one worth seeking, no matter how big or small it may be.
1. learn marial arts. The reason is simple - I want to be able to kick someone’s butt.
2. re-learn how to play piano. The reason - I refuse to admit that I wasted nearly 14 years of playing only to quit and forget it all. And, well, it’s my favorite instrument too.
3. enjoy the arts more - books, movies, music, etc. The reason - I love people and relationships, and I feel like the arts highlights them in a way that can’t otherwise be done. I actually used to be quite the movie and music “snob,” but being a reader was never my strong point…
4. become the family baker. We all have one. It’s no secret that I love to bake, but even more so is that I love baking for others. I mean, I know how happy a delicious baked good makes me, so why wouldn’t I want to spread the love? So move over, Aunt Wendy 😉
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5. more domestic travel. As someone who has never even been to Europe (tragic, I know), that’s obviously at the top of my traveling list. But, there are also so many amazing U.S. cities I’ve yet to visit! As an Amurrcan, I have a particular draw to cities like Houston, San Fran, D.C., and Boston.
Those are just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, I find things to add to my Ordinary Bucket List just about every day! But those five right there…do you want to know what made me think of them? A few weeks ago when I had that blogging epiphany – the one where I decided to stop stressing about blogging and remember that life comes first – I started to think about all of the things I could have done in the time I’ve spent blogging. I’m by no means saying I regret the time I’ve put into blogging because it has been rewarding in so many beyond-imaginable ways. But, I definitely don’t want to waste a moment stressing over it when I could be doing something that I’ve never done…seeing something that I’ve never seen…thought in ways I’ve never thought.
Okay, almost got too heady there 😛
I guess my point is that we so often let certain responsibilities get in the way of the “mundane” things we hope to do in life, but, how many of those responsibilities are not as pressing as we make them out to be? How many of them are actually just habits we’ve formed over the years? I don’t know about you, but I’d rather skip those habits every once in a while and mark something off of my Ordinary Bucket List. Anyone with me??
What would be on your Ordinary Bucket List?
Your posts have been so on par lately- love them! I’m in that state of mind too where I want to be able to look back and differentiate days/weeks as opposed to having the same routine week in and week out (which sadly seems to have become the case)!
I actually made a bucket list ages ago and some of my things included:
-Spend at least one Christmas in New York to see the Rockefeller Centre lights
-Run a half marathon
-Learn how to salsa dance
-Visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar (India)
Love this! My best friend and I actually talk about this sometimes and what we want to do before we die.
A few I want to do are:
-spend a holiday volunteering at a homeless shelter
-go skydiving (I have never even been on a plane yet haha)
-learn to surf (i’m afraid of the ocean kinda because of sharks)
-travel
I am totally with you! I love reading your blog, by the way
Actually, one of the things on my bucket list was starting a blog- and I just did, yikes! Another thing, though, is to learn how to learn how to cook. I mean, I kind of know, but I’ve never really taken to the time to really figure out what I’m doing…so lame haha
I totally agree on the domestic travel item. Being from Canada I have only visited one other province, but often travel so its on my list to travel to at least half of the provinces!
FINALLY someone else who hasn’t been to Europe!!!
I haven’t either! I see so many bloggers heading over and I’m totally jealous!
I made a bucket list not to long ago and actually knocked a big trip off my list (I went to China)! I hope you get to knock some items off your list. If you ever make your way to Boston, I can give you some great places to visit/eat!
Best of luck!
I couldn’t agree with you more about this list. I, too, find myself wanting to do more, and the things I want to do aren’t out of reach, it’s always a time issue! I’d love to go to a few new to me US cities as well, including Chicago. It’s also on my bucket list to stay at a bed and breakfast in the Hamptons for some reason!
Other than my work trip a few weeks ago, I haven’t been to the Hamptons. Dying to make it out there for an actual beach vacay!!
debbie says
I love bucket lists! I’ve actually had a huge one since I was in middle school/early high school and I’m still adding things and crossing others off!
Blogging should NEVER cause you any stress. It’s just a hobby! Do it for YOURSELF, not your readers or anyone else.
Backpacking through Europe is on my bucket list!
Becoming the family baker would be on my ordinary bucket list for sure! Well, maybe the family-baker-in-training. My future mother in law is THE best baker in the world. But imitation is the best form of flattery, right? 😉
Making a BUCKET LIST.. is the first item on my BUCKET list. Perhaps I will configure one on my flight to San Fran tonight.. 7 hours should be enough time!
I too have always wanted to learn martial arts — so bad@ss!
And I’m with you that blogging can take away from us really living life. Sometimes I find myself living too much in the virtual world and not enough in the real world and that makes me feel lonely!
I want to go skydiving as well!
I actually agree with the idea of learning martial arts! It seems kind of silly but I would love to be able to say I have a black belt!!
Gosh, I don’t even know what I would put on one! Probably write a book. Not even to get it published per say (because that would probably not be “ordinary”), but to finish a project and be proud of it.
YES - I’d totally love to write a book as well - even if no one ever read it! 😛
Lightlygildedlily says
Bucket list looks good! haha mine includes:
- Make french macaroons.
- live in a big city
- Save someones life!
- take kickboxing
Hmm, its actually hard!
Ashley@fromashleywithlove.com says
If you ever need a travel buddy, I live about an hour and a half away from Boston!
I like this idea, an ordinary bucket list. Doable stuff that is also a dream…. For me:
-Be published somewhere, for something
-Learn to bake more from scratch
-meet famous people and get in pictures with them (always get a rush when this happens)
-Visit more friends!
I want to go to Europe- I have never been either! I’d also like to visit NYC, Boston, and Maine. I’ve never been to the Northeastern part of the US!
Kristi says
You should try Thai boxing (Muay Thai). I have been training for 11 years now and I love it. It never fails to be a great workout and it has built up my confidence big time. I compete as well, you don’t have to. That is just the road I took with it!
Ohh thanks for the suggestion - I’ve never even heard of it! Sounds really cool!
Shannon @ My Place In The Race says
I’d LUV to travel the U.S. more
I have been to San Fran and loved it! Hope you get to go everywhere you want very soon! 😀
I think about this a lot too. I have actually stopped blogging for a while so when I get back to it I am doing it because I want to not because I feel like I “have” to.
Since getting married I have really had no “bucket-list” or even really goals for that matter. I always really wanted to be a wife and a momma! I am a wife now and hoping to be a momma sooner then later! (But really do we have control of that? I think god is in control of that decision. At least in our house!)
I always loved the idea of traveling, sky-diving, and other typical bucket list items but really deep in my soul…being a wife and momma is all I desire.
Being a wife/momma is my #1 desire in life too
I like this ordinary bucket list. I want to be able to whip up an amazing meal on the spot. Hungry? Sit tight I’ll be back with a veggie panini or a giada pasta dish.
Good list! Not really a bucket list, but I’m trying to embrace the small things everyday a little bit more. Enjoying that walk outside with the dog, savoring a good meal instead of rushing through it while on my phone or computer…that kind of stuff.
Yes - love it!! It’s those little moments that make life amazing, for sure.
come to dc!! you can find a bus for $15 and it’s amazing here!
I probably have a million things on my ordinary bucket list! I love traveling and discovering new things so much that if you were to say “want to do (fill-in-the-blank)?” I’d be there! One thing I really want to do is visit NYC:)
get here girl!!
I’m with you, Gracie.
I added the following to my bucketlist:
partake in a flash mob (I swear, I decided this before it was cool)
get on The Bachelor
learn the two-finger whistle for baseball games
…it’s a work in progress.
OMG - flash mob is such a good one!!!
Great Bucket List, Gracie! It sounds like you have so many excellent things in your future. Good for you!
PS - I smiled when I read the family baker one. Me too, Gracie, me too! 😀
Stephanie @ LoveLaughterLight says
My ordinary bucket list includes:
-learning American Sign Language (class starts this fall!)
-learning guitar and/or piano (guitar would be easier to move)
-get back into “fighting form”
-start my literary career
-more domestic travel (LA, NYC, Chicago, Seattle, Nashville)
-go to Italy at least once and cement my roots via pasta, pizza and Italian men 😉
Learning sign language is an AWESOME one - love that!!
Oh I love all this talk of bucket lists! It gets me excited for the future and all the possibilities! On my bucket list I have things like go skydiving (despite my extreme fear of heights), visit Santorini, Greece… The list goes on! But for my ordinary bucket list I’d like to do the following:
-Re-learn French
-Learn how to really cook
-Visit Seattle, Boston, DC, NY
I think you are so right in wondering what we could have been doing when we are ‘busy’ with the mundane! It’s time to change that!
Ahhh ditto on re-learning French - I should’ve added that! I took about 4 years worth of it and barely remember a thing 😕
Most people do go to Europe, but American is baller as well!
Katherine says
Pretty girl you bettah add New Orleans to that list! You’re missing the best the USA has to offer!
haha you got it 😉 I have heard amazing things!!
Yes! There are so many things that I’ve always wanted to do that I could easily do anytime I want. I don’t know what is stopping me!
Some of the things on my ordinary bucket list are:
- travel to British Columbia
- sign up for a race
- make my own almond butter
Re-learn the piano would be on my list too for the exact same reason!!!
And to do a 30-day yoga challenge.
Sydney says
I would love to be the family baker. My Memom would probably be the “official” one right now but I like to consider myself her protege.
all of these goals are well within your reach Gracie. You’ll be an ass kicking, piano playing, art loving, globe-trotting baker in no time!
this comment made me LOL
Love these kinds of lists! I don’t know if you read Mighty Girl (mightygirl.com), but Maggie has quite an impressive Life List going, and she spends a lot of time blogging about accomplishing things on her list. She also gives a lot of great tips for how to write your own — and I did just that!
What I like is that her list (and mine) is a mix of crazy/ambitious things and then items that are totally doable. Achieving small dreams can be incredibly satisfying!
“Ordinary” things on my list: I want to learn how to use my DSLR (I am taking an online photography class next month!), I want to get tickets to Shakespeare in the Park (never have, always wanted to), and I want to start driving again (haven’t done it since I moved to NYC years ago).
Haven’t read Might Girl…checking it out now! Thanks for the link
Emma says
I’m keeping myself busy at the moment with a daily vlog! I’m doing a challenge a day, I guess I just want to appreciate something new everyday and want to share that with everyone. It’s such a great way to spend time with friends and make a time capsule of it
So far I’ve been a tourist in my own home town (so much fun!) and learned to bake with my mom (everyone needs to bake with their mom!) - Love your blogs, stay cool and full of life 
x
I like making bucket lists and then after each year going back over them to see if anything has changed or been crossed off. I like the one about more domestic travel- I travel all the time and really want to start taking advantage of what is two hours away in addition to whats across the pond!