The Top 7 of My Bucket List

Unbelievably, seven years ago I really did not have a “bucket list” per se. My goals were to buy a house, make sure my children (all five of them) graduated and write full time. I thought that was all I wanted.

All of that changed once I met my husband. He came to the U.S. 1981 from Poland. After we married, he said he wanted to go to Poland and see his dad. Ziggy, hadn’t been back since he left, so he really wanted to go. However, there was one problem. I was terrified of flying. The last time that I had been on a plane, I was probably 10. Dread filled me until it was time to leave. That was six years ago.

Now, all I want to do is travel and since I’ve beaten my fear of flying, I have more to conquer. The top seven on my list are:

1.Travel to Romania. I have always loved vampires. I have all the old black and white Dracula movies as well as Nosferatu.

2 &3. Go to Scotland as well as Ireland. I have had a fascination with their culture since Elementary school. I would go into a clover field during recess, looking for a four-leaf clover. Yes, I did find a couple. I remember seeing something in a book about the Isle of Skye one day in Junior High. Before the class was over, I wrote a song about it. My husband wants to go to England, so I see us combining that.

4.Learn to swim. I can swim under water, but I have to come up to breath eventually. Sorry, no gills here.

5.Scuba dive. Living in Florida, you would think I would have been started this. I have one small problem. I am terrified of fish. Alive or dead, I am scared to death. But I’m not afraid of sharks. If I could pet them and not worry about them biting my hand off, I would.

6.Learn to surf. Yes, something else with the beach, but hey, this is Florida!

7.What goes with surfing? Paddle boarding. Being able to swim on top of the water is an absolute prerequisite.

Since my children are grown, sticking close to the house is no longer necessary. Now it’s just putting in the time request off. We’re good for this year and with our fingers crossed, Ziggy and I can get down to working on the list.