I use lists in all aspects of my life from grocery shopping to priorities that I have to accomplish in a day. Lists keep things in perspective, tell you clearly what needs to be done and I have to say that there is no better feeling than crossing something off that list when it is complete. Not all lists have to be about work and shopping, some lists can be about fun and adventure. I prefer the adventure.

When we lived in San Diego many years ago, we didn’t have a lot of money and were just getting our lives started together. We didn’t have a plan for our life yet and honestly, we were just enjoying being young (well younger) and together. While San Diego is not a place that we want to live again, I do regret not seeing and doing more while we were there. We took full advantage of our SeaWorld season passes and the free beaches that were everywhere, but there was so much we missed out on. I still want to go to Disneyland as an adult, head out to Catalina and stop at so many more restaurants. I don’t regret much in my life, but I do regret not doing more while we were there. We moved north after that and I made a deal with myself that I would research and start bucket lists each time we moved so that I wouldn’t miss out on things I wanted to see and do.

When we got to Washington the bucket list was made pretty quickly. It listed everything from Mount Rainier to Pike Place Market, Hurricane Ridge to the Space Needle. We managed to add quite a few places the longer we lived there and see everything on our list, except one. I’m still determined to get out to the San Juan Islands one day as this was the one item on my list we didn’t get to see. If you are thinking about heading to Washington for a trip or vacation, let me know and I’ll share some of my favorite places.

Now that we live on the East coast, planning is a tad different. I’m from Pennsylvania originally and have seen quite a bit of the coast throughout my life, but Jorge hasn’t. We also purchased a camper while living in Washington and our bucket list now consists of filling up our map of states to camp in. We have been doing a pretty good job (if I do say so myself), but really center our bucket list around those states we haven’t been to yet. I often plan trips to camp in those states and explore what the area has to offer.

Not sure where to start when writing a bucket list? Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, it is just a starting out point. It is a small reminder to keep you moving towards your goal of seeing things and having adventures. Here are a few steps to get started and make your bucket list.

• Think about what type of bucket list you are creating (places to go, things to accomplish, subjects to learn about)
• Brainstorm
• Ask friends and family for suggestions
• Remember to add in different items. Don’t make it all about the destinations. Add in food that the area is popular or known for, or add in funny landmarks in the area.
• Keep it Simple
• If you really get stumped do a bit of research

When you are building your bucket list, remember to not put pressure on yourself. It is just supposed to be an exercise to help keep things in perspective. Our current bucket list is simply a map of the United States and we put a sticker on the states as we camp in them. Bucket lists can be a simple post-it note with things to accomplish, or a vision board filled with destinations that you would like to visit. Have fun with it and enjoy the journey.

As always, thank you for reading and joining us on this journey. We hope you share your bucket lists with us and the adventures you take!

Simply, Beth