I have a lot of dreams – some big and some small. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that I live by my dreams. It is my dreams that keep me going.I go through the not-so-good things in life so that I can get to fulfilling my dreams someday.
I have fulfilled some of my long-standing dreams, like:
- Falling in love
- Getting married
- Visiting Delhi
- Visiting the Taj Mahal
- Visiting a coffee plantation
- Making wine at home and tasting it
- Living in a different city from my home-town
- Getting an oil massage at Kerala
- Staying in a boat house
- Riding on a toy train
- Living overnight in the middle of a forest
- Riding a horse
- Reading a book under the open sky, lying on a hammock, in a forest
- Parasailing
- Visiting Diu
- Riding an elephant
Of late, I have been thinking a lot about my dreams. I thought of making a Bucket List – a list of all those things that I want to do before I take my last breath. I started making this list a couple of days ago, and the ideas just flew. Very soon, I was at Item no. 100 in the list. 🙂
Now, what I am going to do is try and consciously do as many things out of this list as possible. I am going to add to the list as and when the mood strikes, and cross off things as and when they get done.
Some of the items in this list are about places I want to visit and things that I want to learn. Honestly speaking, I want to travel every nook and corner of the world, and soak in the culture of each and every place, and learn all that is to be learnt in these places. However, in my bucket list, I limit myself to things that are dearest to me.
So, here goes. Presenting to you My Bucket List! 🙂
1. Play ‘Alphabet Weekends’ with the husband – do a new thing every weekend with the partner, beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. For instance, A for Aeroplane Ride, B for Basketball, C for Cooking and so on, the underlying condition being doing the activity together with the partner.
2. Choose a cookbook and cook each item in it, together with the partner.
3. Visit Calcutta during Durga Pooja.
4. Visit the English countryside.
5. Live in a hut for a day and do everything that hut-dwellers do.
6. Give a speech/performance/presentation on the stage.
7. Visit Kashmir.
8. Learn how to bake well.
9. Visit Mumbai during Ganesh Visarjan.
10. Learn swimming.
11. Learn to read/write Tamil.
12. Have a dog at home.
13. Create and maintain a home garden.
14. Learn to at least speak a language that is completely new to me.
15. Learn dancing.
16. Visit USA during Christmas.
17. Study the famous dabba industry of Mumbai, and eat from a dabba.
18. Learn driving.
19. Read at least 10 critically acclaimed major works.
20. Do zorbing.
21. Go camping overnight.
22. Go fishing.
23. Learn to identify the stars and various plants, animals and insects.
24. Go on an African safari.
25. Go on a week-long trip outstation, alone.
26. Celebrate Christmas with a Christian family.
27. Ride a camel.
28. Visit a hot water stream.
29. Visit a desert.
30. Visit a volcano.
31. Watch at least 10 award-winning movies.
32. Pick fresh fruit off trees in a vineyard/orchard/field.
33. Play in snow and make a snowman.
34. Shop at the Dubai shopping festival.
35. Meet Ruskin Bond.
36. Visit Italy.
37. See a Kathakali performance, and visit behind the scenes.
38. See how an aeroplane/ a train is driven.
39. Learn how to make soft toys, jewellery and candles.
40. Make a scrapbook.
41. Visit biscuit, chocolate and cheese factory.
42. See how wine is made in a vineyard.
43. See how bread is made in a bakery.
44. See the cherry trees in bloom in Washington.
45. Enjoy an outdoor barbecue in a backyard at USA.
46. Celebrate New Years’ eve at Times Square.
47. Spend a day at an orphanage/old-age home.
48. Get an additional ear piercing/nose piercing.
49. Stay at an island resort.
50. Visit the Ajanta/Ellora caves.
51. Visit a castle in Ireland.
52. Visit Paddington station at London.
53. Have an English tea and breakfast at England.
54. Buy a cuckoo clock at Switzerland.
55. Go on a train journey at Switzerland.
56. Experience deep-sea diving.
57. Visit 84, Charing Cross Road.
58. Eat parathas at Paratha Gali, Delhi.
59. Attend the evening aarti at Varanasi.
60. Visit a spice garden.
61. Visit Sophia Hagia.
62. Visit Shantiniketan during their art festival.
63. See live sea horses.
64. Ride on a jet plane.
65. Ride on a hot-air balloon.
66. Visit the Gir forests.
67. Go on a cruise.
68. Sleep on a beach/in a field and see the stars.
69. Get make-up/hair done at USA or London.
70. Go on a literary tour at England.
71. Visit Egypt.
72. Attend the Rath Yatra at Puri.
73. See the Dassera celebrations at Mysore.
74. Visit a book launch/literary festival.
75. Learn photography with a DSLR.
76. Visit a carnival in a different country.
77. Have a house of my own.
78. Donate blood.
79. Donate eyes.
80. Visit Goa during New Year’s eve.
81. Visit North-East India.
82. Visit the Buddhist temples at Himachal Pradesh.
83. Have children.
84. Donate my body.
85. Go trekking.
86. Live in a village for a week.
87. Do satisfying charity/social service.
88. See Guy Fawkes Day at USA.
89. Run a business of my own.
90. Get a make-over.
91. Write a book.
92. Work for a magazine, and help putting it together.
93. Live near the sea.
94. Go on a week-long road trip.
95. Witness an eclipse.
96. Live in a different country for at least a year.
97. Learn yoga and practise it.
98. Learn how to play a piano.
99. Enjoy a white Christmas with the husband.
100. Take a cookery course in a different country.
101. Touch a snake.
102. Take my parents on a tour that they will love and never be able to forget.
103. Have jigarthanda at Madurai.
104. Study the British Raj in India and the evolution of the earth in detail.
105. Visit Hampi.
106. See a Bollywood film shooting.
107. See the tri-coloured water from two seas and one ocaen at Kanyakumari.
108. Visit RK Narayan’s house.
109. Visit the Iruttu Kadai at Tirunelveli and have halwa there.
110. Visit Niagara falls.
111. Visit the Vaishnodevi temple.
112. Visit the Shirdi Saibaba temple and Shanishingnapura.
113. See the Taj Mahal lit up at night.
114. See the Great Wall Of China.
115. Buy stone jewellery and razais at Jaipur.
116. Get married to the better half again. The first time around, I was too dazed to properly take in the process of getting married. This time, I want to savour each and every moment of it. 🙂 I have to findo ut what the husband thinks of this, though! 😀
117. Have a turtle as a pet.
118. Ride on a tram at Calcutta.
119. Learn to fly a kite.
120. Visit the Tiger Temple at Thailand.
121. Visit the Golden Temple at Amritsar.
122. Visit the Jwalajee temple at Himachal Pradesh.
123. See the floating market at Thailand.
124. Ride on a gondola.
125. Visit Andaman and Nicobar islands.
126. Have meter coffee at Kumbakonam.
127. Visit a tea plantation.
128. Ride on the Palace On Wheels.
129. Fly business class.
130. Try as many different kinds of fruits and new cuisines as possible.
131. Visit a lavender field.
132. Visit Shakespeare And Company.
133. Have coffee that has been twisted and turned at some odd angles!
Wish me luck!! 🙂
What’s on your bucket list? I would LOVE to know!
The Girl Next Door 
Couldn’t stop myself from commenting.. Reading your blog is a pure delight and ‘is that me’ kinda feeling 🙂
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@Anoohya
Thank you! 🙂 Welcome here.
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*telling you
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We were sisters in some life, I am telling! What similarity!
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@HappyFeet
LOL. I have realised them so many times. 🙂
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Oh my God! Now that is a list a lot of us can borrow and use.
I have never made bucket lists because I think that the moment I will put something in that bucket, I will not be able to do that. I have a bucket list phobia. 😦
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@Amit
LOL @ bucket list phobia. It is nothing more than a phobia, rest assured.
Making a bucket list helps you outline the things that are most important to you, and actually work towards achieving them. I find this method more effective than making a mental list. 🙂
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I registered only one…coming to Mumbai for Viserjan..come this year na..you and OH can stay at my place please please!
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@R’s Mom
Thank you so much for the offer! Will definitely try to make it soon! 🙂
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Love this list. Makes me want to think about mine! 🙂
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@Sugar and Spice
I am glad the post prodded you into some introspection. 🙂 Would love to read your list!
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Ohh! So u actually revisited this today 🙂
Interestingly, I figured out that I have done more from ur to-do list than from your checked-out list 😛
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@Swaram
Yes, I revisited this post today. Wanted to cross off an item from the to-do list – watching a Kathakali performance. 🙂 We got an opportunity to do that while we were in Kerala this time. 🙂
Wow, would love to read your experiences on the things you have done!
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Wow! Wow! Wow! You are such an amazing person! You’ve already done so much! I wouldn’t even know where to start if I had to make a list:)
All the best. I am sure you would be doing it all:-) And for all the points based in England don’t delay. Come over now, stay with us and tick them off your list:) I would love the company on a cream tea:)
I had no idea that Guy Fawkes day is celebrated in America as well. I thought it was only in the UK. Sigh!
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@Smitha
Thank you so much for the kind words, Smitha, and for the offer to stay. I think I will take you up on that offer. 🙂 I would love to have a home to stay in in the UK, someone to accompany me as I roam around and, of course, it would be great fun to talk about all the books available there. 🙂
About Guy Fawkes Day in the US of A, I am not too sure either. What I meant is that I do want to be a part of the Guy Fawkes Day celebrations at least once in my lifetime. 🙂
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Melanie here! I enjoyed this piece, please email me–I have a question about your blog. MelanieLBowen[at]gmail[dot]com
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@M.Bowen
Hey, Melanie! I received your e-mail. Will reply to it shortly. 🙂
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You’ve made wine at home??!!!! Woman, I love you already!
This is a huge list you’ve got here… accomplishable, of course. And I love your English fixation!
I’ve done:
A stage speech, visited Ladakh, had my tiffin delivered by the dabbawalas (I’m from Mumbai), been on an impromptu week-long trip to a new place alone, picked and stomped grapes at a vineyard and seen how wine is made, seen a seahorse, I work at a magazine, so that’s done too!
And I would to, and I’m cribbing these items:
Learn to swim, experience a white X’mas, visit a volcano, make a snowman, visit Italy, BBQ in US, piercings, sea diving, cruise, sleeping on the beach (I did come very close to this one, once!), have my own house, Goa in Dec (hoping it’ll happen this year!), visit NorthEast (have Dec plans for this one, too), trekking… and well, lots of the other wonderful things you’ve mentioned!
Good luck to strike all of them off!
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@Sosha
Hey, there! Welcome to my space! Thank you for welcoming me to your blog with open arms! 😛
Wow! You have done so much in life already, woman! Envy you!
I have worked with a magazine before, but it wasn’t a full-fledged role. I’d love to be more involved in putting together one. I envy you again for working with one now! 😀
Yes, I am fixated with all things English – thanks to all the English authors I have read so far. 🙂 As for the wine, I found quite a simple recipe on the net and just followed it. 🙂
Good luck to both of us for crossing off all the items on our bucket lists!
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Wow. Nice list. I know FB has a similar app called “Before I die.” I should copy my list from there.
Few comments on the lists:
#16 – You are welcome to stay with us when you visit.
#116 – Perfect idea for 10th wedding anniversary. 🙂
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Also, I think you should try Zip Lining. I am sure you will enjoy it.
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@Tanu
Actually, all these adventure sports – bungee jumping, para sailing, zorbing, ziplining, even boating – have risk associated with them. However, they are worth doing at least once in your lifetime, just for the experience. 🙂
Moreover, if done at a proper place, there are enough safety precautions taken. So, you don’t really need to worry on that front. I would do it only at such a place that looks safe to me; and where the instructors look reliable. 🙂
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@Tanu
I am not very active on FB, so I wouldn’t know. 🙂
Thanks for the invite. Now that we have accomodation, we should really plan a trip to the USA. 😀 Lemme pool in the required funds first. LOL
Yes, it is a great idea for a wedding anniversary. I would love to do it. 🙂
I have seen my colleagues doing ziplining, but strangely, I didn’t think of it when I was making this list. I could think only about zorbing. However, now that you mention it, I think I would like to try it out once in my lifetime. Don’t know when and with whom, though. Husband has already said no to zorbing. 😦
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I had to google zorbing. That looks dangerous. I don’t blame your husband for saying no.
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Wooaahh!!! That’s a HUGE list! 🙂
Good luck on fulfilling those!
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@Elegant Chic
Thanks for the wishes! 🙂
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hey,
have been reading your blog for quite sometime-delurking now only I guess *sheepish smile*.
Lovely list !!! Made me smile and think about mine as well…
You have a lovely,feel-good blog .. I love the way I feel reading your blog-makes me happy 🙂
sona
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@Sona
Hey, Sona! Good to know that my blog makes you feel happy and makes you smile! 🙂
And happy that you de-lurked! Welcome to my space! 😀
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wow man you have thought a lot to come up with list.
I liked the idea of listing things which you have already done. Things we always wanted to do, and were fortunate enough to complete
For 124.. I have done many gondola rides, but nothing even comes close to the one in Gulmarg…you should definitely do it.
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@Rambler
Actually, I didn’t have to think at all. Honestly. I just started making a list, and it made itself up in no time. 🙂
I didn’t know we had gondola rides at Gulmarg. Shall read up on it.
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OMG did you say: Making wine at home and tasting it & Living overnight in the middle of a forest ?? not that these are on my wish list but knowing someone did it amazes me 🙂 cool that 🙂
quiet a few done from your already done list 🙂
ditto this side are: 5,7,8,13,14,21,47,67,91 & 118 🙂
No.10 is like my forever wish and I’m not kidding but have learnt it thrice and even after I can’t confidently say that I know it,sigh!
have checked some of the items from the 100 already and now that you’ve written it in your bucket list I feel like wow I’ve done this too and that too 🙂
ajanta/ellora caves & Shirdi is like visited 100 times..what with we living in Aurangabad for 10 years and every relative that visited us during that time we took them to local and near by sight seeing in which these caves & Shirdi were by default added 🙂
111. done twice 🙂 once when I was 8 and second time immediately after marriage at 25 🙂
lol and aww 116 🙂
Done the gondola ride and visited the tea plantation 🙂
whoa…what a lovely list 🙂 I’m getting inspired to make my own and take few from yours like visiting R K Narayan’s house and meeting Ruskin Bond…how innocently sweet wishes are these 🙂
Good Luck dost!
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@Scribby
Yep, I recently tried making wine at home, and it turned out quite well. I just wanted to taste it ( I am a staunch non-drinker), and I did not like the taste. My friends and colleagues LOVED it, though. 🙂 And yes, we stayed overnight at Masinagudi which is part of forest area. 🙂
Thank you so much for the sweet wishes. 🙂
Do make your own list. I would love to see it! 🙂
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Wow! This is a wonderful list. It shows great passion for life. I hope you are able to do the majority of these things. My own bucket list would include a trip to India.
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@Suko
Thank you! I hope I am able to do at least most of the things in this list too, if not all. 🙂
We would be happy to have you in India! 😀 Welcome!
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A lovely (and expansive list). I did one on my blog some time ago. And keep adding on.
No. 12 – highly recommend cocker spaniel.
No. 14 – Livemocha.com
There are so many common things on your list, even the ones I have done on it are totally worth it. Parasailing is something I am putting fight with husband, he refuses to let me be ‘risky’ when we have kids and commitments. He’s just really scared something will happen to me, so am waiting this one out until kids grow up! 😀
Missed zorbing by a whisker in NZ…family was sickish and I would have been the only one, no fun. Still on the list.
Am copying some things off your list….if we give notice and are open and transparent, plagiarism is okay, right?! 😀
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@Sangitha
Thank you!
I totally understand the concept of not taking risks – the OH is like that. 🙂 I pestered him to go for parasailing with me. 😀
You made a list too?! I somehow missed that.. Let me hop over to your blog and find it out!
I haven’t decided on the dog breed yet, but I have my heart set on a Lab. Yet to think deeply about it, though.
Livemocha is indeed a great site to learn languages. I had totally forgotten about it. Thanks for reminding me about it all over again!
LOL No, it is not plagiarism – if duly informed, it is called sharing of ideas. 😀 Please go right ahead and add to your list. Would be glad. 🙂
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