I’m a lover of lists. They make me feel at ease and organized. There is something especially satisfying about crossing off an item on whatever list is your current focus. There are grocery lists, to-do lists, to-watch lists, to-read lists, and then there are bucket lists. Bucket lists are great and all, but oftentimes they include lofty wishes that are either ultra-expensive, hard to come by, or can only occur far in the future. For instance: go sky diving. That sounds thrilling (and terrifying), but that’s not something you can easily just wake up and do. It takes planning. So while the lifelong, dream-filled bucket lists are important to have, it’s also nice to make an easy bucket list to fulfill along the way.
I compiled a list of my wishes and those of my friends to create a master bucket list that doesn’t require much more than you enjoying the sweet little things our world has to offer and using them to create some of the best memories you'll ever have.
1. Laugh until your stomach hurts.
2. Watch the sunset/sunrise.
3. Read a book without stopping until you finish.
4. Go on a spontaneous road trip with your friends.
5. Have a picnic in a park.
6. Take a bubble bath.
7. Bake a pie from scratch.
8. Sleep under the stars.
9. Try a new food.
10. Dance in the rain.
11. Participate in a photo scavenger hunt.
12. Dress up as your favorite fictional character for Halloween.
13. Have a movie marathon.
14. Go sledding.
15. Carve a pumpkin.
16. Go berry/ apple picking.
17. Collect sea glass.
18. Jump in a pile of crunchy fall leaves.
19. Make a wish on a dandelion.
20. Run on the beach.
21. Sing karaoke.
22. Tie dye something or dye Easter eggs.
23. Build a snowman.
24. Finish a game of Monopoly.
25. Make a gingerbread house.
26. Get a henna tattoo.
27. Climb a tree.
28: Take pictures with sparklers.
Happiness can come easily when you appreciate the simple pleasures of life. As one of my favorite quotes says, “enjoy the little things, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things.” You don't have to find an exotic animal to hug or a cliff to jump off of to be adventurous, you can be two feet from your house, climbing a tree. You don't need to spend a fortune to have fun, you can sing your heart out and spin freely in the rain. It's all about perspective. You decide what matters and what's worth adding to your bucket list. If it would be a positive experience for you, then go for it!
