The end of a year is typically a catalyst for deep thoughts that usually evolve around what you did the past year and what you plan for the next year. Everyone sits down and sets those unattainable or undesirable resolutions. But what if you did this whenever you wanted, not during an arbitrary time period?

I am challenging you to not set any resolutions in changing your body, unhappiness in your job, or lack of motivation but instead, I am challenging you to be positive and invest in your dreams. Making yourself miserable is not the way to go. Dreaming, planning, and pursuing- that is the goal.

Be a goal digger.

This is more about dreams and aspirations and marching toward a goal (or in this case, several)! Yes, today I am sharing my ultimate bucket list.

I am sure everyone is familiar with the phrase “bucket list” and you have probably seen the movie of the same name with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. If not, to sum it up in one sentence, a “bucket list” is essentially a list of everything you dream to do before you “kick the bucket.” I know that it sounds a little morbid but honestly, I think its perfect because it gives you a “kick” in the pants to actually write down your ultimate goals and to hopefully give you the motivation to knock some off your list. I created a list about 7 years ago and I am proud to say I have crossed off many goals from my list.

As I experience different things in my life, my dreams change and evolve so I wanted to share my ever-evolving list as well as share some of my experiences with the ones I marked off. Let me warn you by saying that most of my list includes traveling. Some are large goals that may never happen and some are so small and so simple to cross off.

The simple act of dreaming, planning, and actively pursuing your dreams is the whole point.

my  ultimate  bucket  list

1. Drink tea in London
2. learn to knit
3. Experience Christmas-time in New York City. Visiting the large Christmas tree and ice skate in Rockefeller Plaza is a must.
4. Similarly, go to the New Year’s Eve event in Time Square at least once in my life. I imagine it will be a nightmare with the number of people there but to truly experience that amount of excitement and hear Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York playing – man what a dream!
5. Float in the Dead Sea
6. Photograph a celebrity (and not in a paparazzi type situation)
7. Meet a world leader
8. Have no debt.
9. Write a book and be on the New York Times Bestsellers List
10. Road trip around Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. I just picture riding along the rocky coastline, drinking at Napa wineries, and even hugging a redwood tree.
11. Visit 6 of the 7 continents that have continents. Sorry Antarctica, but we can’t be friends.
12. Walk on a glacier
13. Go to the floating lantern festival
14. Experience the Northern Lights and photograph them.
15. Stand under/behind a waterfall
16. Go on a safari
17. Have a truly white Christmas that I remember (apparently it happened once but no recollection)
18. Stomp grapes
19. Throw a dart at a map and just go wherever it leads
20. Buy this amazing historic building in downtown Ashburn, renovate the top floor to be a large loft/studio space and the bottom floor as some type of boutique stores: a coffee shop with baristas, bakery with old men having breakfast there every morning gossiping, maybe even a cool used book store.
21. Go on a cruise
22. Find a cookbook I love and cook every recipe in the book
23. Master a new language
24. touch a pyramid
25. Find the balance between my work and my personal life. Setting boundaries.
26. Sleep in a castle
27. Visit all 50 states (46 down!)
28. Find something I love that I could get a tattoo of – I have yet to find anything I want permanently on my body.
29. Have the courage to do something daring: skydiving, cliff jumping, or parasailing. I want to feel that moment of freedom and weightlessness

Marked off items from my list

1. Go outside of the country. Check, check, and check.
2. Travel to Italy and visit as many cities as possible (gallery here, here, and here!)
3. Attend the Palio race in Siena 
4. Pose with the leaning tower of Pisa
5. Ride in a limo
6. Learn from a mentor.
7. climb a lighthouse
8. Swim in the Mediterranean Sea
9. experience a sunset at the Grand Canyon
10. Make homemade fresh pasta in Italy!
11. Graduate college
12. Kiss in the rain
13. Go skiing
14. extract honey from a beehive
15. Ride in a gondola
16. Fall in love
17. Drive along Route 66 (see here, here,  and here!)
18. Visit New York and ride the subway
19. Paint a car at the Cadillac ranch – did this twice!
20. Visit Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana. Photos here and here!
21. Go to a Michael Buble Concert. Swoon. Gotta do that again.
22. Start my own business and open a storefront
23. learn how to use chopsticks
24. Visit the giant white sands in New Mexico
25. Go on a spontaneous road trip
26. See a tall cactus. You know what I mean – those cacti that are like this emoji with arms. ?
27. Ride in horse and carriage
28. Visit Paris, France, and go to the Eiffel tower. This was a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I had pictures of Paris all over my bedroom growing up.
29. Visit a poppy field in Europe.
30. Witness the gushing waters of Niagara Falls
31. Buy a brand new car all on my own
32. Celebrate a holiday in a different country
33. Visit Santorini, Greece
34. Go on a solo trip overseas
35. visit the many gorgeous colors of the flower fields in the Netherlands
36. Visit the Swiss Alps
37. Fly first class
38. Buy the dream charming house with my own home office, original craftsman wood features, and a large kitchen
39. Pay off my student loans
40. Stay in an all-inclusive situation or 5-star resort

What are your hopes and dreams? Have you ever dreamt of a goal, planned it, and pursued? My challenge to you is to take 10 minutes, a pen, and any paper you can get your hands on and write down your own bucket list.

Sit down. Think of all of the experiences you have been fortunate enough to be blessed with. Daydream about those goals that you want to achieve, those places you want to visit, reach for those impossible highs. Create your own list and

Invest in your dreams. 

xx,
Sami