Bucket Lists Redux

Yes, I've talked about these before but now I'm actually getting into the idea of making a list because all of a sudden I’m finding myself really wanting to do things that no one would expect me to try.

I just scratched off another idea – ziplines. Now, you have to understand, when I first mentioned this to the husband he looked at me like he didn’t even know who was talking; or like I had grown an extra head; or perhaps I needed to be committed. It was something he wouldn’t ever touch, and probably would forget about anyway. Nevertheless, I felt it was my way of proving that the arthritis wouldn’t get me; and that there was life in the old (okay, maybe more middle aged) girl yet. I think we also have to just challenge ourselves regularly to keep the blood moving.

In December, we went to Costa Rica, where ziplining is a very popular tourist event, and was included in our tour package. Then again, there was also some horseback riding offered too. That will never be on my bucket list and I declined. Even if they could get me on the horse, I think they’d need Paul Bunyan to get me off. My joints would never forgive me.

However, I really was looking forward to going. And all of a sudden, the hubby was into it as well. Getting suited up wasn’t easy, but I managed. And trust me, ladies, those helmets, while good for safety, are a disaster for your hair. Fortunately, mine is short so it worked out. This set of ziplines requires you to wear very heavy gloves because that’s how you brake. Of course, you can’t brake too soon or you’ll be left dangling off the cliff. And you can’t brake too late or you could hit one of the guides as you arrive for a hard landing. Nevertheless, I loved it. What I hadn’t realized though is that ziplines don’t come as a single event—there were seven of them. By the fourth one, I was wearing out. But I refused to give up and managed to finish all of --them, even if I wasn’t standing up straight at the end. It was a wonderful experience, and proved that I can challenge myself to some of the big stuff and survive.

I should add that a few days later we were at another zipline opportunity but I passed. These were a lot longer and faster, and I just didn't have it in me to go again. Plus, I think my body was still recovering from the first round. I had fulfilled the list item; no need to push things.

What’s Next?

I have no idea. I only just started to think about what else we can do, but some ideas are now popping into my head:

– Swimming with dolphins in Florida. Several groups offer this and I’ll have to look into it. My family will tell you I’m not an animal person, but I’m thinking that with the right equipment like a full body suit and some gloves, this could be interesting.

– Snorkeling, almost anywhere. Again, I’m not great with underwater stuff but there are places where I hear that there is more beauty underwater than above ground, so that might work.

– Visiting Antarctica. After this winter in New Jersey, I really am not big on the cold but supposedly they provide the coats so who knows. That’s probably a lot further down on the list though.

– Flying in a small plane. Again, something that terrifies me but we have a friend who owns his own plane and has offered to take us to lunch at the shore. Could be interesting, although they’ll probably have to peel my fingers off the arms of the seat on arrival. I did the helicopter excursion several years ago in Hawaii and it was stunning, but I did essentially crawl out of the chopper at the end and swear never to do anything like that again, but you never know. As I keep saying, we need to challenge ourselves.

– Bungee jumping. All right, this is so far down the list it probably isn’t even near the list but everyone needs something like that. Almost anything else you can think of will come before it. To me, it’s a truly terrifying concept.

What’s on your list?

Bucket Lists--At Least One Item, Anyway

I’ve never been one to make lists of things I want to do before I die, or before a certain date. Yes, there’s always something rolling around in the back of my mind if I’m asked what kind of day trip I want to take, or for a place I want to visit. But a formal list? No. Then again, I just did something that makes me think if I had a bucket list, this would have been on it.

We were in Orlando. My husband had a couple of days of business meetings and, packing my laptop, I went along. He went off to his meetings, I took a walk, sat by the pool, completed work that was being sent to me to review. But after the meetings we took a day and half for just fun. That afternoon, we hit Gatorland—an attraction we really love for some reason—and went to the Disney Marketplace just to wander around, and pick up park tickets for the experience I had booked the next day.

And that’s when the fun really kicked in. We got into Epcot at 8 a.m.—have you ever been in a Disney Park when it was, essentially, empty. It’s a bit surreal, and really startling. Also, the parking is really really good. But that’s the least of it.

We took the tour with the Segways—yes, those little two-wheeled transport systems you’ve seen people whizzing through crowds on, or used by security people at malls. Once we had signed our lives away, it was on to training. I think I caught on to driving it in less than 3 minutes; I had found my new thing. Yes, to start, I went a bit slowly, but it was a limited space and the only thing that scared me was possibly running into a wall. We learned the basics, and then how to go up and down hills, how to turn—on a dime if necessary, and how to slalom around cones, which would come in handy when we went out into the park.

Then we were off. First, it was over to breakfast (included). We parked behind the scenes and had our own space. The front end of the park was starting to fill in but no problems. When we left we headed out in a straight line—guide in front, instructor bringing up the rear—and just went through the people, calling out greetings and waving (we were told ahead of time to be friendly as we whizzed past). We went into the International Expo, which was not open to the public that early. As usual, the Disney guide knew the hidden secrets so we all could gather around for the inside scoop.

But to me, the real fun was just zipping along in that line, and having a chance to do something different. We went through all the little pathways on the Segways, including the bridges in the Japanese gardens, and the path that runs around the model trains. While we were there, we got to see people cleaning up the model trains area, and setting it up for the Thanksgiving season. A Segway makes you a lot taller than you usually are, and really alters your view of things.

What was also wonderful was watching the faces of the children—and the adults--as our line rode by. You could see they were envious. We just kept smiling and calling hello as we passed. Plus, even when we were where exhibits weren’t open, the workers setting up for the day would be smiling and waving at us. We rode through exhibits, and even through the shop In Morocco—did you know Morocco was one of the first countries to support us during the Revolution? Their prince came to cut the ribbon when the exhibit opened. And people who knew what they were doing came over to do the tilework. And then the prince gifted the exhibit to Disney.

What Else Is Out There?

I have never really thought about doing things like this. I saw the experience on the site and decided it would be fun. Now, I’m planning to check for this kind of thing—the stuff that’s out of the ordinary and not usually heard about—before I go anywhere. I want to know what fun I’ve been missing.

And now, when we plan weekends away, I’m looking up more Segway tours. Since Orlando, we’ve done Segway tours in DC – imagine zipping down Pennsylvania Avenue in the bike lanes at the start of rush hour, with the Capitol building looming in front of you. Or getting to the Jefferson Memorial in 5 minutes – a place we’ve never gotten over to because the walk was just too long. And in October when we were out there after the birth of our granddaughter, we took the other half of the grandparents and Segway’d Denver. They’re converts to the whole idea. I hear the Chicago tour is amazing—now, if I can just have a reason to go to Chicago.

Zipline anyone?