For the better part of my life I’ve been living with the mere present in mind. I had been living looking forward to the next retreat, camp, vacation, holiday, etc. However I have come to the realization that I only have one life to live and that I should make the best of it.
Basically I want to travel as much as possible. Whether or not this traveling comes now or when I retire is based on funds and confidence. I want to have a companion to travel with, as it seems to be a real downer to stare at Big Ben and have no one around to remark how awe-inspiring it is.
Therefore I’ve put together a bucket list if you will of places I want to go, either now or later. In no particular order…

• Drive cross country in my Beetle. This has long been a goal of mine…and very reachable. I envy those people who traveled out west with their families and / or friends. Lots of time on the road to view just a passing monument or mountain. The places that tend to fascinate me are those considered uninteresting by many others. Take western Kansas. This is literally the middle of nowhere, where farming is king and there is absolutely nothing to do. Residents there fascinate me, as if they have drawn the short stick early in life and landed in a place with very little opportunity unless they move to Kansas City or Denver.
  And somehow I expect to do this trip out west within the next few years…maybe multiple trips!
• Tahiti I feel in love with out of the way Pacific Islands on a trip to Hawaii in ’08. My favorite isles were the ones with very little tourist traps where I could be alone on a beach. The Big Island fit this yearning. I can only imagine that Tahiti would be the same way. And how many people do you know who have been to Tahiti?
• Easter Island For the same reasons of Western Kansas and Tahiti, Easter Island fits the mold. Its history fascinates me. Its isolation is amazing. Its difficulty in getting there makes it the least likely on my list to visit.
• Australia I would love to spend a month here. And entire continent that speaks English? Sign me up. Would love to rent a car and drive across the outback from Sydney to Perth.

So there you go. I know this list is probably a bit incomplete and could change at any minute. Life is very short. I want to be able to make the most of it and see as much of this world as possible.