71 Awesome Things I’m Gonna Do: My Bucket List

Posted in: Goals, Life- Jun 11, 2009 36 Comments

Hold a Plant

A lot of things other people want to do in their lives I have no interest in. But here is my list of the  Here are the ideas I’ve had so far, that I’d like to do.

I’d want to:

1. Learn to play the guitar, write a good song and sing it.

2. Help build a community centre,  a school or homes for poor people. Done. I took a team of 27 students and 2 other teachers to Vietnam last year and we built 4 homes. 

3. Throw a party on a tropical island. I’d like to go somewhere really out there, like French Polynesia.

4. Write a book that I’m proud to recommend.

5. Visit 100 countries. In my 20′s I was making a lot of progress on this one. So far the countries I’ve lived in or spent a decent amount of time in number about 56: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Eqypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, England, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Slovenia, St Kitts and Nevis, Spain, Scotland, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the UAE, Uganda, United States, Vatican City, and Vietnam.

6. Become semi-fluent in 5 languages (Be able to have a 5 minute conversation in each of them). Update: Just spent a year in Brussels. Learned a little French. This year (2010) we’re off to Singapore, so I guess I’ll be giving Mandarin a go.

7. Go to the Olympics Update: Just attended the first ever Youth Olympic Games, which was held in Singapore (August 2010). Not sure if that counts. 

8. Volunteer after a natural disaster

9. Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge

10. Run a marathon. Update: Done! I ran the Toronto marathon with my friend Peter Noseworthy and finished in the more-or-less-adequate-for-an-unfit-guy time of 4 hours and 15 minutes. But, never again.

11. Paint an abstract painting that looks expensive (or at least looks good). Update: taking some art lessons, one Saturday a month.

12. Give a nearly perfect speech and/or get a standing ovation

13. Scuba dive somewhere amazing. Update: Done! Bettina and I went to Fiji and found a guy who let me scuba dive alone through caves and coral. He didn’t tell me he was going to abandon me down there, but it’s hard to argue with a guy using only scuba sign language, 30 feet under water.

14. Be acknowledged or thanked in a book. Anyone?

15. Fly a plane

16. Build a piece of furniture.  

17. Host a fun family reunion

18. Kite surf. I’ve done this. but I’m not counting it yet, because I failed pretty awesomely. It was fun though. I’d love to be great at kite surfing.

19. Walk or cycle across a country. Done! Today (April 20, 2013 I walked across Singapore. Here’s the video I made at the end. It was not easy.

20. Run for a government office. I’m not saying I’d like to win, but one of my history teachers at Fort Frances High School convinced me that everyone should do this.  

21. Help on a sustainable building project

22. Raise $10,000 for a good cause. Update: Some some baby-steps toward this one. We’ve started to get involved in Kiva, making small donations/loans to aspiring small-business owners in developing countries.

23. Cook a romantic five-course dinner for my wife

24. Go on a week-long sailing trip

Penquins25. Fly or boat to Antarctica

26. Build (and sleep overnight in) a hut made of sticks and leaves

27. Help to change a law

28. Do an orienteering race

29. Raise a chicken

30. Have a vegetable garden

31. Build a real wood oven and make my own pizza in it. 

32. Swim with sharks

33. Spend a night in the outback

34. Plant 1000 2600 trees. This is apparently the number that would make up for my carbon footprint.

35. Either build my dream house or transform a house in a dream house. Something really calm, with a reflecting pool, a room to write in, and a bed with a view of the water. 

36. Make a fire the old fashioned way –the really old fashioned way, by rubbing sticks together.

37. Read the Bible, Quran, the Bhagavad Gita, the Egyptian Book of the Dead (though that sounds kind of depressing) and Mao’s Little Red Book Update: So far I have read the Bible.

38. Skydive and bungee jump

39. Make my own maple syrup

40. Learn to spit fire and do it myself. Probably just once though.

41. Fly over the Grand Canyon. I’ve heard you maybe can’t do this any more, but hopefully I can.

42. Ride in a fighter jet. Apparently in Russia and South Africa go can ride in old fighter jets, but it’s slightly on the pricey side.

43. Swim with a whale

44. Visit Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal We visited the Taj Mahal this past April (2010). The picture of me on the website header was taken at a nearby Monkey sanctuary. Yes, there are monkey holy-places in India. Monkeys can be holy too.

45. Go hang gliding and paragliding

46. Ride in a hot air balloon

47. Make a piece of pottery. I almost did this in Belgium, but the piece didn’t work out. 

48. Learn to make a pot of chili that’s so good people find themselves at a loss for words and in awe of my culinary greatness.

49. Skate in that rink outside Rockefeller Centre at Christmas time and sing a carol

50. Surf (decently)

51. Swim with dolphins

52. Do some original, serious research that really helps people. 

53. Do a fire walk

54. Visit Victoria Falls (which I believe is somewhere on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe)

55. Go to Disney World or Disney Land (or Euro Disney). 

Northen Ontario

56. Ride the scariest roller coaster in the world. I’m not sure where this is though. I’ve heard Michigan has some good ones.

57. Bring attention to a worthy stranger (i.e. see that a good person gets a prize they deserve)

58. Mentor someone. Done.

59. Hit a home run in a baseball game again. (Last time I played I struck out more times than I hit the ball. Not cool. Really not cool actually.

60. Rebuild an engine

61. Get a free upgrade to First Class. Done. The lovely people at Delta graciously upgraded us on our honeymoon. Try it. And fly Delta!

62. Go a week without electricity, maybe on a canoe trip in Northern Ontario, or maybe on a sailing trip somewhere warm. 

63. Spend at least a week boating (and snorkelling) around various islands in the Caribbean. Barbados looks incredible.

64. Ice Fish.

65. Go deep sea fishing. Done! I just did this in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. (February, 2010).

66. Take a capoeira lesson

67. Start and develop a successful small business.

68. Drive a dog sled. 

69. Ride in a real glider

70. Make my own wood oven (by hand) and then cook some pizzas in it. Yum.

71. Go on a hot air balloon ride.

72. Any ideas for me?

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  • Matt Hickling

    Here's one that I've done…that you might enjoy as well. Take a foreigner to Fenway Park to experience American culture and explain baseball. As for one I haven't….visit every national park/national historic site in Canada and the US. Hike the Appalachian Trail. Go deep sea fishing Hemingway-style. Yeah…those would be on my list. Cheers!

    • http://www.henleyreview.com/ timwoods

      Nice one. There is something so compelling about that kind of American experience. –singing in the seventh inning stretch, looking around and feeling like that whole stadium is your family. I like that one.

      I like your other ones as well. I was actually thinking of the deep sea fishing one too. Hmmm. Let me know if you need someone to do that one with when you get around to it. :-)

  • http://www.henleyreview.com/ timwoods

    Nice one. There is something so compelling about that kind of American experience. –singing in the seventh inning stretch, looking around and feeling like that whole stadium is your family. I like that one.

    I like your other ones as well. I was actually thinking of the deep sea fishing one too. Hmmm. Let me know if you need someone to do that one with when you get around to it. :-)

    • Maureen Kaplan

      Hey Tim…I really enjoyed your list of things you would like to do. I am so totally impressed that you have been to 60+ countries already. I've been to 3. Can I tell you which ones I have accomplished from your list and then I'll add an idea…#12, 14, 17, 26 (ok does a tree house count – not really made of leaves but I lived in a tree house with a tarp for a roof for one week during girl scout camp!, 29, 30, 31 – again girl scout camp, 36 (uhmm…girl scouts- there seems to be a theme here), 39 (yes gs again), 47, 48, 55, 58(does that include being a parent?!), 61…no comment!, 62…see #26.

      Ok now something I would like to do that I've never done is to ride in a subway as I have never had the opportunity.

  • Alicia Elliott

    63. Explore Toronto, and contemplate (very seriously) moving there…no pressure. Actually, this is multi-media pressure…can't wait for your visit!

    • http://www.timwoods.org admin

      Thanks for adding your 2 (Canadian) cents worth Lish. You have good ideas. :-) We can’t wait to visit either.

      As far as moving, I’ll have my people call your people.

  • http://www.nerdynomad.com/ Kirsty

    Nice list! I like a bunch of those… might steal some. :-) Here's my list: http://www.nerdynomad.com/99-things/

  • http://www.rickert-creative.com/ nick

    18. Kite surf.

    The two best places to learn Kiteboarding: Cape Hatteras North Carolina at REAL. And Maui Hawaii. I live in Maui and work for Cabrinha kiteboarding. If you want to come ride sometime let me know. You can get lessons here and I can get you gear to try.

    * I'm trying to convince Ferris to come down here to Maui again. He LOVES hana.

  • http://www.othersideboardsports.com/brands/kiteboarding/slingshot.html Slingshot Fuel

    This is so nice, I gave 10/10.

  • http://www.othersideboardsports.com/brands/kiteboarding/slingshot.html Slingshot Fuel

    This is so nice, I gave 10/10.

  • JayC

    If you're looking for company on that sailing trip. You know how to get ahold of us.

    • http://www.timwoods.org/ Tim Woods

      We definitely will! There's a Canadian couple on our Travel Channel who sail around the world constantly. I'd love to do that for a couple of years.

  • Kathryn

    Hey team! Great list. You inspired me to write my own:
    http://chocolatemartinipaper.blogspot.com/2010/

    • http://www.timwoods.org/ Tim Woods

      Great goals. Pretty cool that you wrote a novel at 13!

      You might want to check our Pimsleur for your language goal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimsleur_language_… I'm using their French lessons now and they're excellent.

  • http://www.timwoods.org/ Tim Woods

    We definitely will! There's a Canadian couple on our Travel Channel who sail around the world constantly. I'd love to do that for a couple of years.

  • http://www.timwoods.org/ Tim Woods

    Great goals. Pretty cool that you wrote a novel at 13!

    You might want to check our Pimsleur for your language goal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimsleur_language_… I'm using their French lessons now and they're excellent.

  • http://www.sharebuckets.com Kham

    Here is a great site that I made to create, manage and share you bucket list with friends and family.

    http://www.sharebuckets.com

    Check it out.

  • Twoods416

    Hey my name is Tim Woods and I am biking across Canada right now!!

    • http://www.timwoods.org/ Tim Woods

      Cool. Good for you. Where are you at the moment? Hope it's going well.

  • Twood

    Hi – re biking across Canada – my name is Tim Wood and I biked across Canada in 1989. Interesting that another was apparently doing it this past summer. Would love to hear from either of you.

  • Wanglaoma2009

    just enjoyable

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    Let me know if you need help with fundraising ideas, I have helped 43 people raise over $178,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters. 

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  • SassyCat69

    Hey man! I think your philosophy is super! I look forward to being like you in the recent future. Hey maybe one day you could mentor me ;) ….and ur wife

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  • B1GN1GG69

    Ive literally done all of this. Lick my nuts

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  • lonelyoldman7

    this bucketlist brings back good memories…… like the time i had sex with four homeless men under a freeway