We all have things we want to do before we die. My bucket list just so happens to be growing and growing and growing. Like, seriously, I'm going to to have to live to 120 before I can even comprehend finishing all of these. I'm going to stay positive though, because even if I only accomplish half of these, I will have lived an amazing, adventure filled life.
1. Live in the Outer Banks. I don't need to live on the ocean or have ocean views, I just need to be able to smell the salty air and know that I made it. I've yearned for this since I was tiny, and I blame my family (shout out to my mom and nanny, the original beach bums!) for this because they brought me to this place almost every year for vacation. Every year I look forward to going home (I don't consider Ohio my home) and every year I slump into a depression from leaving after a week or two in paradise. If I just live there, I'll never feel this way again. I can deal with the hurricanes in order to say "I live in the OBX."
2. Own a pet fox. Before all you animal enthusiasts out there chase me down with your fire and pitch forks, just hear me out. I'd like to possibly rescue one and nurse it back to health. Maybe we will form an unbreakable animal-human bond, y'know? Oh well, a girl can dream. I haven't thought all this out yet, but I would looooooove to have a fox companion one day. Oh, and this fox's name will be Lady (even if its a dude fox) and he/she will be my Foxy Lady. Laugh at this, you know its punny.
3. Have a bunch of pet dogs of all shapes and sizes with human names. How awesome would this be? Steven, get off the couch! Timothy, stop humping on Tina's leg! She's a giant mastiff and you're a chihuahua. It's never going to work. Carl, quit hogging all the food, you dumb labradoodle! I'm not too keen on the idea of children, so I may end up living vicariously through my "dog kids" by dressing them up and dropping them off at ballet class or something. I just think this would be absolutely hilarious. I would talk about my daughter, Dorothy, to all my adult friends about her achievements and then I'd be like Oh, speak of the devil! Here she comes, and then she jumps on my friend wagging her tail and licking my friend's face. She'd be so confused. I'd love it.
Edit: Now that I think about this later on, this is a good way to have me hauled off to an insane asylum somewhere. Worth it.
4. Get a (very, very, very, very, very small) tattoo. I am deathly afraid of needles, causing myself pain, permanence, and anything sharper than a crayon. This is one thing on my bucket list that I would not mind never accomplishing, but I figured I should put it on here anyway. I would like something small, heartfelt, and well thought out. It will definitely NOT be a spur of the moment thing. No no, I'm not about that life.
5. Live in a tiny house. This would be a great way to save money after college. I won't have any furniture or money because of college debt. Spending $10,000 (or less) for a tiny house is much better than paying $100,000 (or more) for an actual starter home in my opinion. They are better for the environment and I would also have the option to move it wherever I need to. This will come in handy when going on the job hunt after college. Owning a tiny house just makes sense to me. A small house for a small person! Also, how cool will it be to be able to tell your kids (if I ever have any) and grandkids about the adventures I had in my tiny house?
Oh, and don't forget about my pack of dogs and fox. They will be with me too, of course. I will never get lonely (or have floor space)!
6. Go on a road trip in the West. California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, I want to see them all. I'm used to hills, trees, and beaches. I want to see tall cacti, deserts, and rock formations. Something new, y'know? Maybe I'll take my tiny house along for the ride and camp out in RV camps or lodges. I just want to really go rugged for a while and really experience nature for all that it's worth. Maybe I'll give up my day job dramatically and leave without any warning to go on a journey of self discovery in the foreign wilderness. At this rate, however, I won't have much to discover about my self by then (check out my previous articles to understand why! Sorry for my shameless plug).
7. Live off-grid. I saw an episode of House Hunters on HGTV about a couple who were buying a house off-grid in Hawaii and ever since then I have wanted to do this. I don't plan on buying a actual house, but maybe going on an extended camping trip in the Hawaiian mountains will satisfy my hankering. This should be fun because I don't like bugs, not being able to shower, and not having WiFi. I'll never know till I try, though!
8. Ride in a Pumpkin Boat. Throwback time: It was Halloween time circa 2010. Mom and I were watching Food Network while getting prepared for trick or treat later that day. I don't remember what show we were watching, but out of nowhere the host started talking about a festival that involved racing pumpkin boats. Yes, you heard me right, my dear reader. The pumpkins were hollowed out, fitted with actual engines, and shaped into primitive boats. You could actually sit in those suckers, steer them, and drive around on a pond. It was so badass. If I don't do this one day, I will be thoroughly disappointed in myself.
9. Publish a novel. As an aspiring writer, this is a no-brainer. It doesn't have to happen soon, but it must happen sometime. I don't know what it will be about or what genre, but I can promise you this: it will be good. Just image my previous articles but on steroids. I am tossing around some ideas, but the process is so daunting. The thought of sitting down and pouring myself into a novel is terrifying. I feel like George McFly from "Back To The Future" because I am so scared to fail and be rejected. But have no fear. I will conquer these inner demons one way or another and publish a novel.
10. Get married. I am a hopeless romantic. I don't want meaningless flings and one night hookups. I want comfortability, lifelong love, and a best friend until death do us part. I want to hopefully experience all of these things on my bucket list with someone and have everyday adventures of going to the grocery store, picking out paint colors, and trying to adopt yet another dog (ahem, child). I believe love is almost dead in the world, but not for me.
11. Have one of my novels turned into a movie. I hate when amazing books are turned into shitty movies just to make a quick buck. My novel-turned-movie will be an example to all the skeptics like me out there that a book can be turned into an amazing movie that follows the story line. Nobody will ever understand how infuriating this is for me. I go to the theater and pay money to see this movie in order to see the novel and characters come to life, not a whole new movie. My movie will be done right, or so help me.
12. Go to every concert possible. I love concerts so freaking much. I'm always counting down to my next concert. This is a short and simple need for me. I want to listen to good live music, surrounded by people doing the same thing, and being in the presence of my heroes. Sounds pretty perfect to me. Some concerts I'd love to see are Twenty One Pilots, The Struts, Green Day (once was not enough), AC/DC (I'm so mad I missed them), the Rolling Stones, amongst others. Some bands I have seen are Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, Bon Jovi, Halestorm, The Black Keys, and Social Distortion. All were amazing. 10/10 would recommend.
Green Day two days before they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the Cleveland House of Blues
13. Travel the world. I want to see it all! I want to see England, France, Australia, Canada, Italy, uninhabited islands, all 50 states, and everything in between. It's blasphemous that we live on this amazing planet and most of us don't get to enjoy its full beauty, let alone our own country. I want to hike and go on adventures and meet new people. Maybe this experience will be enlightening or an inspiration for my best selling novels. Exploring the world is the first step to understanding it. Who knows, the world may not be the same as it is now in a few years due to pollution, wars, and global warming. We will never get our planet back from these outside forces, so I might as well enjoy it before its gone or forever altered.
14. Renovate an old house. I want to find old, decrepit houses and return them to their former glory. Once I become famous and rake in the cash from my best-selling novels, I want to do this in order to relieve communities from these eye sores. I'd rather do this than spending my money on expensive cars and mansions. I obviously know nothing about home reno besides the stuff I've seen on HGTV, but hiring people to do what I can't will be where my money goes. I will never live in these house because of obvious reasons, such as ghosts and whatnot. I don't mess with that stuff.
I hope you all enjoyed my Bucket List! Thanks for reading!
