My Bucket List

We've all got a list of things we want to do before we die, popularly known as "bucket lists."  I thought I'd share mine, just for fun.  Some of my items are serious, and others are more comical.  I'm sure it will grow.  But for now...


Cross-country road trip: from Washington, D.C. to California.  A few of my friends and I have jokingly discussed this before.  It'd be expensive these days with gas prices as they are, but it would be an incredible experience!

Get a book published: a dream of mine since middle school!  With two projects in the works--although one has been on hiatus for a year or two--maybe it will happen!

Visit one aquarium in each state (that has one): I can check Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, California, Maryland, and Tennessee off.  46 more to go!  My favourite so far is the Georgia Aquarium, by a long shot.  I've been there three times, and I'm amazed more and more after every visit.  The penguin, otter, and whale shark exhibits are my favourites.

Study abroad: if all goes well, this will happen next summer.  The English department at VT offers a six-week "London Calling" program every year, and I'm hoping to participate next year.  I love London, and would go back in a heartbeat!

Stand at the top of the Eiffel Tower: I could have done this last summer when we were in Paris, but being a claustrophobe, I wasn't sure how I'd handle the crowd at the top.  Still...maybe one day I'll push my discomfort aside and do it.  I bet the view is astounding.

Go to grad school: right now, I'm planning to go directly to grad school after graduating from VT.  I have a feeling that if I don't do it immediately, I'll never go back.  I've got a list of schools and programs to look into: UNC, UGA, Tennessee, South Carolina, Elon, Clemson, and VT, of course.  UGA has one of the best journalism schools in the country...a famous alum: Katie Couric!  A noteworthy alum from VT: Earl Cox, creator of the Geico gecko!

Zip line: Check!  I did this in Alaska.  It was the scariest, but most awesome and breath-taking thing I've ever done.  Even though I'm not afraid of heights, it still took a world of courage for me to jump off the platform and go down the lines.  I'd do it again, especially if I'm doing it somewhere where it's warm, sunny, and not raining!  Although the rain did make me zip a bit faster, which was fun, and challenging.

Go to a UNC-Duke basketball game at Chapel Hill: I would go crazy...at least crazier than I do during any other UNC game.  I can't even begin to imagine what it's like to be at the game, not just watching it on TV from my family room, although that's quite an experience in itself.  And to join with Tar Heel Nation in singing "Hark the Sound," immediately followed by "I'm a Tar Heel Born"...I would be in heaven.  Kind of like this:

Swim with dolphins: My parents have done this and say it's so much fun.  One day...

See a bear up close and personal: Mom saw three when we were in Alaska.  She backed out of zip lining due to her extreme susceptibility to motion sickness, and went on a nature hike instead.  A mama bear and two cubs walked right in front of her and the tour guide, and she got to watch them play for a while.  Lucky.

Learn another language and be comfortable speaking it with natives: I took Spanish in high school, and was pretty good at it.  Unfortunately, I couldn't continue taking classes at VT, so I've been out of it for a few years.  I'm good at languages in general, though, so maybe I could pick it up again later...maybe it would come back easily and quickly.  I'd love to learn other languages, too.  German would be fun, as would Italian.

Rush Worsham Field: Pretty please?  I've got two more years of games to attend...

...more to come, I'm sure!  But that's all for now.