August 18, 2019
This is my 50 before 50 bucket list. This post might be remembered by long-time readers as it was pinned as a page for the longest time. It’s not one of those l can’t die without doing this list.
It’s more like things I would like to do by the time I hit that milestone age. It all started during my high school years in Boston. I had a list of places I wanted to visit and things l wanted to learn or do, including visiting the most popular destinations. Like every girl l knew, I had my little notebook that l jotted things in. As the saying goes, I am a day late (make that five years!) and a dollar short. Read all about the progress.
50 Before 50 Bucket List:
I turned 55 just recently and that is what made me dig up this list. I wanted to see what else l had accomplished. I must admit, l have been lucky in life as l have managed to do quite a bit of these, but it was planned luck.
I was able to visit some of my favourite places after college. I was single, making good money, and knew l wanted to be child-free. It was by design, you could say. Some of these things l have done, some l have not, but I look forward to doing. Some l’m pretty sure are never going to happen (like swimming!). I will update the list as l think of more things l would like to do ( I was at about 27 done when originally written). Either way, it’s fun to look at my list and cross off the ones done!
50 by 50: Here Goes
1) Be Jessie’s girl (told you it was old!)
Who didn’t love Rick Springfield and that song? While l never got to be Jessie’s girl, I did attend every concert he did in Boston. I remember once we found out he was staying at one of the posh hotels in Prudential center and my friends and l stalked him. I still remember my polka dot dress (the off shoulder ones popular back then) and wearing cream coloured high heels that killed my feet. We made it to his floor (getting off the elevator at a lower floor and climbing the stairs for the rest), but we were foiled by the bodyguards!
2) Sing on stage with Billy Idol
Never happened! I loved and still love Billy Idol. I went to every single concert in Boston, and all the nearby areas like Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. I dyed my hair blonde, well, yellow! Now l am still paying the price :-). Haha! Later on in life, I did meet him at least once, and he was super nice. In my profession, I met pretty much everybody, everybody! HIPPA privacy rules prevent me from naming names, though.
3) Learn to ride a motorcycle
Done! It was a gift to myself for my 30th, and l rode for 10 years before selling my motorcycles. I had a Suzuki 450, a Kawasaki Vulcan, and a Suzuki Intruder 1400. It was fun riding around the streets of L.A and Calabasas and running into folks like Arnuld and Jay Leno amongst other riders. Stopping at Paradise Cove for food with friends and thinking of Beach Blanket Bingo and always humming “Another Pleasant Valley Sunday” under my helmet.
4) Visit France
Done quite a few times and hope to do it again for sure. Paris is always fun. I still have the fondest memory of visiting Versailles with a stranger and discovering the postcard she mailed me years later, visiting Marseille, which was amazing, and made me happy that we ignored the warning from others.
5) Visit Spain
Haha! We know how that has turned out! My first visit to Madrid was like yikes 35 years ago by my lonesome, way before the internet, and l didn’t speak a word of Spanish, it was just me and my guidebook. I remember my day trip to Toledo and meeting two old ladies who were visiting from Kansas or Arkansas (can’t remember which) and were so thrilled to have ditched their boring husbands to take their once-in-a-lifetime trip. Now, we live in Valencia so close to Madrid. We have lived in Seville and Malaga, also. It’s hard to believe because l certainly never pictured living here back then. Having purchased our flat here, we are staying here for a while.
6) Visit Portugal
Done! We love Portugal. We have visited the Algarve region, had a horrendous day trying to visit Sintra when we visited Lisbon, and we both agree that Porto is hands down our favourite part of the country, and we can’t wait to revisit.
7) Live in Europe
Done! Who freaking knew this would happen! It was a pipe dream. You see the movies and you dream. Who knew years down the line l was going to meet a Roman and think seriously about it. Some of you know what triggered the hard look at moving. Our first stop was Malta and we enjoyed it very much, and now we are living in Spain. I still tell Federico I want my “Under the Tuscan sky” experience!
8) Visit Berlin
I don’t even know how this was on the list. I can only imagine that it had to do with Hogan’s Heroes or my former obsession with the amazing singer Nina Hagen. I had to see the wall after it came down, I guess. We enjoyed the city. Learning history is so much more fun now, better than reading books.
9) Visit Prague
I’m guessing this one made it there at some point because I read so much about that city being a place l had to visit..blah..blah..blah. I have done, and l know it pisses off people, but l didn’t really like Prague. It is a very pretty city, no arguments, but it just didn’t jell for me like it did for Federico. Do l hate Prague? No, not even in my first impression, but l found it Meh! I much preferred our day trip to Cesky Krumlov and l would go back just to revisit the Museum Tekniki which was the most amazing place.
10) Write a book
Done. My dream since l was a little girl has always been to be an author. I can not tell you how l used to devour Enid Blyton and James Hadley Chase books. This progressed to Harold Robbins and Sidney Sheldon to name a few. In my head, I was the next Jackie Collins. My first novel was a bad romance novel in 2012. I have written a short get your shit together self help book and have just recently completed a moving and settling how to book for Spain with a focus on Valencia.
11) Learn Yoga
It has not happened, not unless you count a couple of classes with Nintendo Wii :-). It’s one of those things l just keep putting off. Maybe someday! My gym does offer the classes, so it’s not like l don’t have access to it. I just prefer Zumba and Body Combat classes.
12) Learn to cook Thai food
Does watching Chasing the Yum count? I have made a couple of things, like pad thai with peanuts, but nothing to get excited abou,t so l still would love to learn.
13) Visit Japan
Done! I remember very well how this started. Growing up, my dad was a huge fan of wrestling, all forms, including Japanese Sumo wrestling. He had been fortunate to attend some in Japan, and it was a bonding experience for us to sit and watch his many VHS tapes of wrestling. I always wanted to visit since then. Ironic that when we eventually visited Tokyo and Kyoto, I didn’t once think of catching a match. It needs to be rectified.
14) Watch the Lakers play
Done! I had many chances when I lived in Los Angeles. In the good old days, one of the biggest drug distribution companies used to give us complimentary tickets to the Lakers’ home games. Fifth row behind the Lakers bench, I always joked that l could spit and hit Shaq or Kobe’s head! The best part was we always got four or six tickets, so my co-pharmacist and l were able to take our technicians on a rotating basis.
15) Watch the Celtics play
Done! I lived in Boston for ten years and got to see them play a few times with my brother, who is still a die-hard Celtics fan, while l changed allegiance to the Lakers after moving, and he never did, even after moving to Houston.
16) See Paul Simon in concert
Done. I got into trouble with my older sisters as l didn’t tell them where l was off to and came home super late because he was playing at a suburb of Boston and l got lost on the way back. I got a few smacks on the head from each one of them!
17) Visit Brussels
I will admit to having a crush on Jean Claude Van-Damme as a youngster! He always did van damage in his van epic movies! That split too, and no, he hasn’t lost it as witnessed below. We loved Brussels, by the way, and Ghent was amazing. I still love the muscles from Brussels!
18) Visit Switzerland
I keep this one on here from a long time ago, but truthfully don’t care much now. I’ve been on a layover, but I have no urge to visit for some reason. Money maybe?
19) Volunteer
I have done some volunteering from time to time, and it’s always a good feeling. We did do some volunteer duties on our travel deep Dominican Republic cruise. I would love to do more, though. Sadly, that cruise no longer exists. I am working on it.
20) Learn Graphic Design
Done! I ended up going to Graphic Design school while we lived in Malta. I enjoyed it, but unfortunately, I never attempted to use it to secure jobs because it was for fun. Glad l did it, and still use those skills every so often.
21) Grow my hair
It ain’t gonna happen :o( !!!. Between the dye jobs of long ago and the shaving it off while my sister was in chemo, and it never growing back, it’s not meant to be. I have fully embraced it now and gone the extra step of not dyeing the grey anymore! What a relief. I still don’t love it, love it. I do, however, wish it would grow every second like my armpit hair seems to do :-), but c’est la vie!
22) Crash a wedding
I’ve gone to ones where l wasn’t technically invited, plus Nigerian weddings don’t count because we are all one big family who knows someone who knows someone etc… etc… I would love to crash an American one because people always seem to be so uptight and food is provided for the sole number of guests, no loosy goosy till they all get drunk :-), at least that’s what l see.
23) Go on an African Safari
Done! This has been on my list for what seems like a million years. My uncle used to live in Kenya for years, many moons ago, and my siblings all got to visit and go on safari. I was always in a rush to finish school, and went to summer school, and just never made it. We did finally go on a safari, and we loved it.
24) Make unique beaded jewelry
Done. Self-taught. I did it for like three years, and my late sister, who was really into flamboyant dressing, was my litmus test. I sold it on the net and would sell it to Nigerians when l visited home. After she passed away, my passion for that died with her.
25) Write my Dad’s life story
I would so love to write my dad’s life story because it is so inspiring. I have written a little bit about him before. At various stages, I have written one or two chapters, then discarded them. The truth is that it hurts like a motha! I think about him and l start crying. His death was huge for me, and l still can’t bring myself to get over it twenty-something years later.
26) Live in Italy and learn Italian
The learn part was added over 13 years ago when l met Federico. Still hasn’t happened. It is a work in progress. I can understand more now and know the cuss words, but l am kind of too lazy to learn it, plus priorities, and the fact that Google Translate is handy when l have to chat with his family. He does not want to move back to Italy to live, and l’m okay with that.
27) Learn Spanish
Something else in progress. I am interacting more with Spanish people when l walk the dogs, at the gym, and in some intercambio, which means 10 min Spanish before switching to English. I have to do better. My comprehension is so much better than speaking.
28) Learn HTML
Not gonna happen! I think l put this one years ago when l had made my first website circa 2005 or something. I understand it a bit better, but it’s still gibberish.
29) Learn S.E.O
Learning that now. We’ll see how it goes, but it keeps the little grey cells engaged.
30) Learn to play the piano
Not gonna happen. I remember one of my older sisters wanted to learn the piano when she was about 10, and l must have been 6 then. She got her wish and took lessons. I asked and was denied, but did get my aquarium, which was my other wish.
31) Use kickboxing moves learned as a kick boxer
Like use it on a thief, knocking him out with a right hook, not just practicing on a bag. Probably not going to happen as l don’t want to get mugged, but l will hurt anyone who attempts to hurt me first. I am certainly not a kick boxer, just someone who will fight dirty to save my life :-).
32) Visit London
Done, done, done done,done, done, again ..and too many more done to count, but l love it and l would do it again.
33) Visit Thailand
This was from the Jean Claude days as well. A lot of his movies were shot in Bangkok, and it was great when we finally got to visit Bangkok many, many years later. I came to appreciate it for the food.
34) Visit Taiwan
Came about from one of my older sisters. She travelled there often on business and speaks highly of it, but now that l’m a bit older, I am ambivalent about visiting. It just doesn’t sound as inviting to me as it used to.
35) Visit Budapest
We visited Budapest twice and we loved it. Here’s a place that l believe deserves all the hype. I would gladly go back, even though l am hearing some not very nice things about the government and creeping fascism, which makes me sad. We visited the museum of terror while there, and it’s looking as if we are regressing, just like the States.
36) Visit the Great Wall of China
Another one l’m ambivalent about. Looking at this list again after so many years, I have noticed two things about myself. Asia as a destination is not very desirable to me. Distance plays a big factor. If l could sort of zap myself to places like China and Vietnam and eat to my heart’s content, I would be happy. Desire to see the wall or rice fields? not so much. I would visit Japan and Thailand again, but l am hard pressed to think of other places l have a burning desire to see. The other thing l notice is that l am quite content to revisit places I like. Country counting and all that crap, I don’t care about.
37) Learn how to crochet
I know how to knit, not greatly, but okay. I have always wanted to learn how to crochet. I have a friend here who has given me a lesson or two, but we need to work harder at it because l suck! She is teaching two of us, and the other lady is so much better than me… I need to catch up.
38) Become more social
I know reading this blog, it’s hard for people to imagine that l am one of a kind. I have had the same group of tight-knit friends for over 30 years, a very small circle which suits me fine. Having moved away from the U.S and traveling so much, it has been hard to make new friends, and it became a priority once we decided to settle in Valencia. Readers of our newsletter (I know l don’t write enough 🙂 ) know that along with two friends, we had started a Foodies group in the city. We meet once a month for lunch to try a new restaurant. This has been great for meeting people and establishing friendships with other immigrants from all over. We have smaller meet-ups thanks to this, like the crochet, the intercambio, the Scrabble, that l keep busy enough. Sometimes, I even drag Federico to these lunches :-).
39) Get healthy, wealthy, and wise!
That is ongoing. Health-wise, the gym has been a great help and l love my Zumba and other fitness classes. I miss my gym and the people I met there, but hopefully will see them again outside of the gym once summer winds down and life returns to normal. Wealth? Not much l can do since we can not work (and don’t want to). I have been honest with you about trying to make a few dollars off this blog to cover the costs.
The one thing l did not know when l first started blogging was all the things that went along with the hosting, which is cheap enough. The true cost is way, way, way higher. It would be nice to even out rather than all the money just flowing out. We appreciate your using our links to find hotel accommodations, buy travel insurance, or find the latest novel. Hopefully, the literal cents here and there will add up.
40) Visit Egypt
What a wonderful trip that turned out to be. Once again, we put aside our fears and concerns and ventured to the motherland. Nowadays, I feel safer going back there than visiting some Western first-world countries, which is a sad commentary, but there you have it.
41) Go to Hollywood
It was, and still is, a dream for most people. To visit Hollywood at least once in their lifetime. Not only did l visit while in school, I decided to move there from Boston at the age of 24 and lived there for the next twenty years. I was so proud of myself. I almost gave up a few times because of loneliness in the beginning, but l stuck it out and made wonderful friends who have become family. I also met Federico there :-).
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50) Retire early – the biggest accomplishment on my 50 by 50 list!
Done! This dream came true. I did it six and half years ago by working for 29 years, 11 months, and 2 weeks, not that l’m counting of course :-). Blogging has helped keep me busy, among other things. We are taking our next bite of life! Get it? Haha! The other spaces will get filled up as we take more bites out of life. I did it at 48.5 years!!!
My 50 before 50 bucket list is still very much a work in progress. It’s been a fun ride so far, and l hope it keeps on in that vein. Sure, it might become a 50 before 60 or a 60 before 60! For me, the journey is what counts.
As to why there are still empty spaces, easy. I’ve got a whole lot of living to do! :-).
Hopefully it won’t be another five years before l revisit this page. Then l will have to increase to 60 by 60!
How about you? Did you ever make a list? Anything on there that you were proud to check off, or is it just sitting somewhere collecting dust?
Hey way to go for doing so many things on your list. And way to go for even having a list! Not me. Never had a bucket list. Oh sure, there’s places I’d like to visit and things to do but I keep that as a mental list. I used to write down goals in my planner, back in the olden days before smart phones, and I only had a handful of things written down and mostly they were financial goals. One of my goals was to buy a red Suzuki Burgman 400, the sport model. Failed! Bought a black one. I decided that although I liked the color, I didn’t like the design. It’s a 2005 and I’m still riding it and smiling. PS – motorcycle lessons were my 44th birthday present. Pretty edgy for an old lady learning to ride a motorbike!
I think it all started with my wanting to be th next Harold Robbins, the habit of writing things down. I do have a mental list as well, but sometimes the little grey cells forget…hahaha! Days before smartphones, it sounds so long ago, but it isn’t really..and even with the phones, you should see my desk…pages everywhere.. I never use the phone except for playing Scrabble and Words. 🙂
How cool that you learned to ride the motorcycle too! Hahah.. it is edgy. I remember the classes were held at the Hollywood Bowl parking lot and l was under the hot sun sweating away on my birthday. I loved it! It is so freeing isn’t it. I’m thrilled that you’re still riding and loving it. It is so freeing and fun. Good for you!!!!
Ha ha I used to have all Harold Robbins novels, buying many at a used bookshop in the 80s. A couple of moves ago I downsized some books that I wasn’t planning to read again and they hit the thrift shop.
I’m sure your classes at the Hollywood Bowl were a lot more fun that my classes in a BC winter. My road test is memorable by the torrential downpour and a malfunctioning railway signal with me trying to figure out what to do after the cars ahead of me eventually crossed the tracks. I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to cross tracks when the railway crossing lights are on. But when there’s no train in sight?!
If the deadbeat had done things the right way I’d have probably signed the Suzuki over to him because he was more into riding. But he didn’t so screw him. It’s still mine.
His novels were the best and l was really devastated when he died even though the last few novels were basically shite, but what fun! Yeah.. I’m pretty sure my classes were much more fun than yours. Yours sounds like it was a real nightmare. Good for you for keeping the bike :-).
I really loved reading your list and all those accomplishments. It’s really inspiring, actually and it really makes me believe that I do have to write such a list myself. Put some thought into it and work on getting it done!
I guess (in my books, at least), your #50 is by far the most impressive. So congratulations for that (and everything else, of course) and keep it up!
Thanks for that C! I have to admit l thought #50 was also the most impressive..haha! talk about tooting my own horn. I think it is nice to jot things down and check them off. You have seen my office and desk in real life so you know how messy it is with notes everywhere. I have no clue how l manage to find things. I’m sure there are things l have lost and should be on the list from so long ago. I guess l will have to expand at some point. Hopefully there will be a 70 by 70! 🙂
Interesting list. More interesting in that barely 5 of them would make any of mine!
Haha! I should hope not. You, as a polymath with interests in important things such as chemistry, medicine,engineering and bacteria, not to mention your various medical inventions should have wishes that are completely over the average person’s head :-). But l hope one of the five is a love for Billy Idol 🙂 :-).
Kemkem, great list and congratulations for accomplishing so many items from the wish list. I have made lists along the way, but can’t even think where they have ended up. I think it is great to take stock and apreciate all that has come to fruition. Also see how much you have changed and some items that are no longer desirable. I think you rock your grey hair. Also love that photo of you back in 1979 visiting London. I hope you will give it a go again at writing your father’s memoir, even if only for the family to keep and have a record of…sounds like he had an amazing life.
Thanks Gilda. I’m kind of proud of what l’ve done so far. You should try and dig up the list, l’m sure it would be fun to revisit it assuming you can find it, or maybe just work from recollection. Thanks for the kind words on the grey hair. I find that people tend to remember me more and l think l am getting the old people respect here which is cool :-). I definitely would love to write my father’s story, one of my sisters had said l should, even if only for the family to have. He did have an amazing life, very inspiring.
It’s amazing that about 20% of them you are resigned to not happening and you’re ok with it!
Totally. I’ve never been one for regrets, not gonna start now..plus they are mostly frivolous, not a cure for cancer or anything important :-).
Kem, when sports, music, writing and travel dominate your interests you know life is fun. I love all the empty spaces and look forward to how you will fill them up. Cheers to living life!
Life is indeed fun and l am enjoying taking a bite out of it :-). Thanks for cheering me on, and cheers to life!!!
It’s funny that l didn’t even realize what dominated the list… a keen observation by you. Yep! Life is indeed fun and l am enjoying taking a bite out of it. Thanks for cheering me on, and cheers to life!
What a great list. You sure have traveled to many places. There are a few of those places I haven’t hit yet and I’m in my 60s now, I also retired early at 55 and am so glad I did and have had a chance to do more traveling, I hope you do pick up yoga in your life after 50 as I became a yoga instructor at 58 and just love yoga and mindfulness meditation. It’s great way to relax after all that traveling.
Perhaps l should indeed rethink yoga. I did find it a bit difficult on wii but it is offered at the gym so l might suck it up and try it one day soon. How cool that you love it enough to teach it. That’s fantastic. I know they say it keeps you limber. I hope you get to knock off things on your list too :-). Thanks for the comment.
Imagine that! My own comment disappeared on my blog..haha! I think l will have to rethink yoga because l definitely hear good things, like it keeps you limber etc.. Classes are offered at the gym so l might have to suck it up and try it. How great that you took it up later in life and enjoy it enough to teach it. Awesome!
I hope you get to knock some more traveling off your list. It’s always fun to look back.
I love this list! I wish I’d thought to make such a list when I was young. I did have a list in my head, which had to do with places I wanted to visit that had fun names: Timbuktu, Kalamazoo, Bora Bora, Zanzibar, etc. Nowadays I’m pretty indiscriminate about it: I’m happy with traveling pretty much anywhere!
Thanks Rachel. Oh my.. I love the idea of your list, places with fun names..haha. I would have never thought it, but it would have been quite a good one. You’re right though, it’s just really nice to be able to travel and in good health that l don’t really mind so much where, just love the fact that l can. Here’s to more travels in the future, be it to Bora Bora or Kalamazoo !
It’s interesting to see how our priorities change as we age. While we never compiled a 50 before 50 bucket list, we can see ours would hold some similarities to yours. I suppose it has to do with the adventurer spirit that resides in so many of us. We look forward to seeing what 10 you add in 5 years.
It’s true that our priorities definitely change. Thank goodness for that though..haha! I think as people with a fondness for discovery of the world around us, there has to be some similarities. I am also curious as to what the other ten will be, as even though l have been to more places, they were never on the list so to speak. Let’s hope they are interesting :-).
What a fun post – we should all do one of these! And not beat ourselves up if we don’t end up ‘learning html’ for example! Not gonna happen for me, either! And of course the best one of all was ‘retire early’. Although this blog thing makes the definition of ‘retirement’ very different these days – and better!
Thanks for reading Jane! Yes, I think we should all have one. I contemplated leaving off the first two as they were so “teeny boppy” but then l remembered how then, they seemed like the most important things in my life and l would “die” if they never happenned. Never mind the fact that all my friends also felt the same way, especially about Rick Springfield :-). Yep! #50 is definitely the best and my favourite.
It looks to me as if you need to start a whole new list, actually two. One for those wonderful accomplishments and another for the things yet to be experienced and enjoyed.
Now that I am at that ‘middle age’ point (maybe?–75, that is) not sure I believe in lists, but if I were to make a list it would definitely be 150 by 150 list. “Never Give Up, Never Surrender”~~Galaxy Quest.
Have a great day.
That’s why l have empty spaces on the list so l can fill it in if something is accomplished. “I gotta whole lot of living to do”… haha! I’m not sure if l want to live to be 150 …. haha! I don’t think l would like the world by then, at least not from the doomsday movies that l see. I picture Book of Eli world. Don’t want that, but l will “never give up, never surrender”. 🙂