When I was a 17 I started a Life List which at that time mostly included school related items and travel dreams. I’ve been adding to and working on my Great Big Wish List ever since.

· ♥ WANDER · · · · · · ·

[ √ ] Get my passport.

[ √ ] Backpack in Europe by myself. (My longest solo trip was 2 months).

[IP ] Visit 25 countries and territories worldwide (Austria, Belgium, China, Costa Rica, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, the US and Vatican City – 18 so far.) 

[     ] Visit the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, Canada.

[     ] Go to New York City and visit the Statue of Liberty.

[ √ ] Travel to China (Beijing) and walk the Great Wall.

[ √ ] Climb to the Top of the Eiffel Tower.

[ √ ] Tour the Vatican and see the Sistine Chapel.

[     ] Visit some ancient castles in Ireland.

[     ] Travel to Lhasa, Tibet.

[ √ ] Explore Paris. (6 times so far!)

[     ] Explore the historic city of Tallinn, Estonia.

[ √ ] Visit Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany.

[ √ ] Take the Chunnel.

[ √ ] Travel Throughout France (Paris, Versailles, Loire Valley, St-Germain-En-Laye, Mont-St-Michel and Carcassonne so far).

[     ] Tour the Greek Islands.

[ √ ] See a volcano up close. (Irazu and Poas, both in Costa Rica)

[ √ ] Tour chateaux in the Loire Valley in France (Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Chambord, Chenonceau, Langeais, Rigny-Usse, Saumur and Villandry so far).

[     ] Shop at a Christmas Market in Europe.

[IP ] Travel To Peru and Bolivia to visit Lima, Machu Picchu, Cusco, the Nazca Lines, Lake Titicaca and Tiahuanaco. (Lima and Miraflores, so far).

[IP ] Travel throughout the United States (23 states so far)

[ √ ] Visit Graceland.

[ √ ] Tour Elvis Presley’s birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi.

[     ] Travel to Slovenia to see the church on the island in Lake Bled.

[     ] See Niagara Falls.

[     ] Visit the Holy Lands (Jerusalem, Israel, the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee and Petra, Jordan).

[ √ ] Explore Costa Rica.

[     ] Visit Moscow and St Petersburg in Russia.

[ √ ] Visit a historic Temple in Japan. (I visited Meiji Jingu Shinto Shrine and Senso-Ji Buddhist Temple).

[     ] Travel to Cuba.

[ √ ] Travel to Mexico and visit ancient cities/ruins (Cancun, Tulum, Chichen Itza, Mexico City, Teotihuacan and Playa del Carmen).

[     ] Explore the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia.

[     ] Visit Transylvania, Romania.

[ √ ] See the Bayeux tapestry in northern France.

[     ] Visit the Great Pyramids in Egypt.

[ √ ] Travel throughout Italy (Alassio, Bologna, Florence, Genoa, La Spinea, Lago di Como, Menaggio, Mestre, Milan, Pisa, Rome, San Gimignano, Savona, Siena, Sirmione, Toirano, Treviso, Valleggia, Varazzo, Varenna, Venice and Verona).

· ♥ TWIRL · · · · · · ·

[ √ ] Take a belly dancing class.

[     ] Learn a country line dance.

[     ] Learn to Swing dance.

[ √ ] Learn how to latin dance. (I can do the Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Cumbia and Cha-Cha).

[     ] Take a Lindy Hop class.

· ♥ NEST · · · · · · ·

[ √ ] Have a 612 area code.

[ √ ] Live on the West Coast (I lived in Portland).

[     ] Live in Paris or Venice for a year.

[ √ ] Stay at a youth hostel. (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Portland, OR.)

[ √ ] Buy a home in Minneapolis.

[     ] And pay it off early.

[ √ ] Stay in a monastery. (I stayed at Conception Abbey in Missouri).

[ √ ] Sleep in a castle. (I stayed at Stahleck Castle, a 12th-century fortified castle built on hilltop along the Rhine river).

[ √ ] Live in downtown Minneapolis.

· ♥ BITE · · · · · · ·

[ √ ] Try sushi.

[ √ ] Eat escargots. (I first tried them at a cafe in Paris)

[ √ ] Order room service. (Lima, Peru)

[     ] Learn how to make homemade flan for José

[     ] Perfect my use of chopsticks.

[ √ ] Drink tea at a cafe in London.

[ √ ] Eat breakfast at the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo.

[     ] Learn how to make a really great quiche at home.

[ √ ] Eat a lengua quesadilla.

[ √ ] Dine at the Café des Deux Moulins (Amelie’s cafe in Montmartre).

· ♥ STUDY · · · · · · ·

[ √ ] Travel to France and Switzerland for the School Study Program & stay with a French family.

[ √ ] Earn a 4 year degree in Interior Design.

[ √ ] Earn a Master’s Degree. (Textiles & Fashion)

[     ] Learn a magic trick and be able to perform it flawlessly.

[ √ ] Study web design and create a website from scratch. (Certificate in Web Design from Normandale Community College)

[ √ ] Learn how to use WordPress and set up my own blog.

[     ] Learn how to speak conversational Spanish.

[     ] Learn about types of retirement options and set up a savings fund.

[ √ ] Take a knitting class and make something I would actually wear. (I made a scarf!)

[     ] Learn how to speak conversational Italian.

[     ] Research the Begijnhofs of Europe.

[ √ ] Take a yoga class.

[ √ ] Learn how to film and edit a video.

· ♥ HUSTLE · · · · · · ·

[     ] Write and publish a full length ebook.

[ √ ] Work in a skyscraper downtown. (15th & 29th floors of Target HQ, Mpls)

[ √ ] Be a hair model at a hair show.

[ √ ] Participate in a group art show.

[ √ ] Show my artwork in a solo show.

[ √ ] Sell a piece of my art to someone I don’t know personally.

[ √ ] Exhibit my artwork publicly in a gallery.

[     ] Create a body of creative work on my YouTube channel of at least 100 videos.

[     ] Complete a full year of memory keeping in my Happy Planner. (View a video of each month on my Happy Planner playlist.)

[ √ ] Teach a community education class.

· ♥ MINGLE · · · · · · ·

[ √ ] Meet my penpals Monia and Elly in Italy.

[ √ ] Go to a Duran Duran concert.

[     ] Watch a movie at a drive-in theater.

[ √ ] Go on a blind date.

[ √ ] Party on New Year’s eve.

[ √ ] Participate in a speed dating event.

[ √ ] Go skinny dipping.

[ √ ] Attend Philip & Fei-Chien’s wedding in Taiwan. (Bali, Danshuei, Taipei)

[ √ ] Attend a Planner Conference. (Atlanta, GA & San Francisco, CA)

[ √ ] Go to my high school reunion.

· ♥ INDULGE · · · · · · ·

[     ] Get behind the wheel of a vintage 1950’s car.

[     ] Experience a hot rock massage.

[ √ ] Swim in the ocean. (I swam in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Costa Rica)

[ √ ] Go for a ride in a limousine.

[ √ ] Visit a hammam. (I spent a day at the Hammam Mosqué Paris)

[     ] Have professional photos taken of J & I.

[ √ ] Buy a book at Shakespeare & Company in Paris and be sure to have it stamped.

[     ] Have a mud bath at a spa.

[ √ ] Experience a past life regression.

[ √ ] Fly business or first class.

[     ] Get a mani/pedi at a salon with a girlfriend.