The Bucket List

THE BUCKET LIST

Song : Travelin’ Man (1961) – Ricky Nelson

This month I decided to explore ‘The Bucket List’ as it relates closely to my last blog ‘Having a Purpose’.

A Bucket List is basically a list of goals, achievements or experiences that a person hopes for in their lifetime.

The term ‘Bucket List’ comes from a screenwriter Justin Zackham who began ‘A List of Things to do Before I Kick the Bucket.’

A Stanford University Study in 2020 found that 91% of people had a Bucket List. Bucket Lists can include travel destinations, health or finance goals, relationship or career goals or achieving life-long dreams in retirement.

I asked many of my retired Baby Boomer friends and relatives what is the main item on their Bucket List. The most common response was travel.

A few of my personal Bucket List items include travel, swimming with turtles and dolphins, donating blood, a hot tub spa in the snow while it’s snowing, a white Christmas with my family and seeing Lady Gaga live with my four grandchildren. I can already cross off donating blood as this year at 66 years young I donated blood for the first time. I am now a regular donor and I feel great that I finally got around to becoming a donor.

As travel is a priority of many Baby Boomers there are many things to consider to make the travel Bucket List very enjoyable. Things to consider:

• Places that require a lot of walking, steps or endurance should match your fitness level.
• Time of year to travel. I prefer to travel in shoulder periods. It is usually a bit cheaper, less crowds and cooler if travelling to places in autumn or early spring. (These days I am not too keen on hot and humid places.)
• Avoid travel in peak holiday seasons such as Christmas or school holidays if possible.
• Consider what access there is to medical help if needed while travelling.
• Make a list of places you hope to travel to during retirement. Prioritise the list according to length of stay, time to destination, accommodation style and what type of holiday such as coach or train, guided tour, self planned or cruise.

For myself I imagine I will do more cruises when I reach 80 years and older and more trips locally.

These days there is so much choice available I think I could pick a new place to travel to each month. However, budget is always a consideration and how often you want to be away from family or aging relatives.

My next two trips are planned. A safari tour to South Africa this year and a coach and cruise tour of Canada and Alaska next year. I also will do some road trips within New South Wales or interstate while driving is not an issue.

Lets not fool ourselves though, that travel doesn’t often have its frustrating moments! I think everyone could write a ‘Bill Bryson’ chapter on their personal travel experiences. Some hilarious others so annoying, upsetting and frustrating that you swear you will never travel again. But just like childbirth you forget the pain and soon plan the next holiday.

Some of my personal horror stories include:

1. Losing my handbag in Puerto Rico. It contained jewellery, money, prescription sunglasses and medication. Fortunately my mobile and passport were in my pocket. And thank goodness for travel insurance as I got compensation for most of what I claimed.

2. Picking up the wrong travel bag at a luggage claim area and only discovering it as the train to our next destination was arriving!

3. Being just minutes from being stranded in Phuket after forgetting what time the last tender boat departed to go back to a cruise ship.

4. My husband becoming so ill with pneumonia in Texas that our 10 day self driving trip never happened and we had to fly home.

I actually think every trip I have been on, something has gone wrong however, in my opinion, the excitement travel brings is well worth the problems encountered.

My goal is to still be travelling when I am a centenarian. I truly believe that travel has an integral part in improving our memory and keeping our brain healthy and stimulated.

Therefore another reason I am mindful now of looking after myself is to be fit enough, have the stamina, muscle strength, patience and mental capability to enjoy travel and the ‘Bucket List’ for many years to come.

While I researched for my blog I found this link, about how travel benefits the brain and health. Click on the link below if you are interested to view this information.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/neuroscience-traveling-why-benefits-your-brain-health-rogers-ph-d-

So, my like-minded friends – please re-read my earlier blogs on Diet, Exercise, Balance and Stress Management as a reminder of the importance of giving ourselves the best opportunity to fulfil our ‘Bucket List’ at our healthiest potential.

Please feel free to share in the comments your “Bucket List’ and any travel experiences, good or bad.

Till next time- ‘Keep on rocking and rolling’.

Kim