101 Things to Do Before You Die

Thing to Do #36: Visit New Zealand-Zero Hour

Jessica — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:38:26 +0000

I’M GOING TO NEW ZEALAND!

Ok, that’s out of my system. My bags are packed! I have my travel pillow, power adapters, and passport/travel itinerary/travel vouchers/proof of travel insurance. We’ve packed every medication you can get over the counter, umbrellas and ponchos, sunscreen and hats, winter AND summer clothing. I’m bringing my laptop to record my adventures daily (or almost daily) because at the end of 2 weeks, I’m going to forget what we did at the beginning. I’m bringing seven books with me-I hope its enough.

I’m nervous/excited/anxious. I haven’t been able to concentrate on much of anything for the past week. I’m not even there yet and I’m already dissapointed that its going to end. I hope I have energy to keep going the whole time-I love sleep too much but I don’t want to sleep away my time there. I hope Alex has a good time and isn’t too anxious while we are there. I want him to have a good time and enjoy doing some of the more adventurous stuff we have scheduled.

I have such high hopes for this trip and have been talking about it and looking forward to it for so long that I’m convinced there is no way it can live up to expectations. AND I’m still trying to kick this cold!

But its going to be awesome. I know it. It HAS to be!

Try not to miss me too badly while I’m gone. I promise I’ll have lots of photos and stories when I return.

Thing to Do #16: Get into the Guinness Book of World Records

Jessica — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:38:07 +0000

I had mentioned for my goals in 2010 that to accomplish this thing on the 101 Things to Do Before You Die List, I would try to be the world’s largest blood donor. Well, I have yet to begin that, although I’m not saying I won’t. However, a new opportunity has presented itself and I’m thinking this one is just too awesome to pass up.

It began with a post from Gina. #83 on the list is to go Skinny Dipping (which I have done) and she recounted her experience of skinny dipping in Costa Rica. At the end of her post she mentioned that she had discovered that a World Record for the largest number of skinny dippers was recorded last July. I did some research and may or may not have signed up to receive e-newsletters from the American Association for Nude Recreation so that I would be alerted if they planned to do it again. Lo and behold, the very first newsletter I get is about the 2010 World Record Skinny Dip Attempt, scheduled July 10, 2010. Of course I have the date marked on my calendar and even contacted fellow TTDers Gina and Miranda to make sure they were aware of the date, in case they’d like to participate.

I’m actually trying to get some friends to do it with me, as odd as that sounds, but I think I’d feel better doing it with people that I know rather than strangers. And I know this must just sound crazy, but just think of the awesome story it would make. As I continue the list, I think its the potential for awesome stories that keeps me going.

Here’s the info about last year and this year’s attempt:

On July 11, 2009, history was made when 13,648 people throughout North America celebrated the joys of skinny-dipping, and in doing so, set the first world record for this marvelous experience.

At 3 p.m. Eastern Nudist Time, people gathered at 143 locations – beaches, pools, resorts, lakes and hot tubs – and happily shed clothes for the pure pleasures of sun, wind and water. According to reports received, all participants – even the “newbies” – remained in this state of nature after the official count and proceeded to enjoy the day with new and old friends.

Some of these thousands of participants were regulars at AANR clubs, campgrounds and resorts, and this was one more fun event they regularly enjoy at these locations. Others were attracted by the widespread media coverage of the event, the novelty or the urging of friends and family to “try something different.” The unanimous view of all was that this event should become a regular part of the celebration of Nude Recreation Week, and plans are already underway to break the 2009 record on July 10, 2010.

This exciting project was the brainchild of AANR marketing consultant Randy Savage, who suggested contacting the Guinness organization in April of 2009. After lengthy discussions, in which Randy explained that the skinny-dip events would be held at dozens of locations, not at a single location such as Spencer Tunick uses for his fascinating photography. With cooperative goodwill and mutual enjoyment, Randy and the Guinness representatives worked out the rules for validating events that ranged from 25 participants at one location to over 600 at another.

Media enjoyed this original story and covered it in publications such as Sports Illustrated and USA Today, and on television and radio shows as far away as Australia.

A question frequently asked by those who have not yet enjoyed skinny-dipping is, “Why?” The answer was simply summed up by one of the first-timers splashing happily in a pool long after the 3 p.m. official count: “Once you’ve felt how wonderful it is to be without a bathing suit, you’ll never want to wear one again!”

So who’s with me?

Thing to Do #69: In Various Languages, Learn to say…

Jessica — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:51:46 +0000

Luckily I don’t need to know another lanugauge for New Zealand, although the official language is Maori. For this thing to do on the 101 Things to Do Before You Die list, I learned how to say Hello, Goodbye, Please, Thank You, Order a Beer, Insult, and Swear in three different languages. I chose to learn Spanish, Italian, and German:

Phrase	Spanish	Italian	German
Hello!	Hola!	Ciao!	Hallo!
Good-Bye!	Adios!	Ciao!	Auf Wiedersehen!
Please	Por Favor	Per Favore	Bitte
Thank you	Gracias	Grazie	Danke
I would like a beer	Quiero una cerveza.	Voglio una birra	Ich will ein bier
Your mother wears Army boots!	Su mama lleva sus botas!	Tua madre indossa stivali escercito!	Ihre Mutter tragt Armee striefel!
St!**	Mierde!	Merda!	Schiesse!

The insult isn’t really that good; insults tend to not translate very well, so I welcome the addition of good Spanish, Italian, and German insults, and feel free to tell me if I’m wrong with any of the above.

The Worldwide Obsession With Creating a “Life List”

Jessica — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:01:00 +0000

I guess I often find myself very protective over my list. I first created my 101 Things to Do Before You Die list in High School and started out then marking things off. That first list wasn’t as ambitious as my current one, but it still gave me something to strive towards. Without sounding too dramatic, the list gives me purpose. When I found Richard Horne’s book, I think the thing that struck me first was “Wow! Are there other people that have a list of things they want to do before they die?” In my self-centered world, I was the only one who had thought of it. I have since realized there are many of us out there and I found this article (albeit old) from the New York Times about the worldwide obsession with creating a “life list” that I thought was very interesting:

Ten Things to Do Before This Article Is Finished

By ALEX WILLIAMS

1) Write a catchy opener.

“Zen has no goals,” according to a traditional koan. “It is always on its way.”

If so, Rachael Hubbard, a preschool teacher in Salem, Ore., will not be accompanying it. Ms. Hubbard has many goals — 78, to be exact. And it is only by dutifully ticking them off, she said, that she has found her path toward enlightenment.

Two years ago Ms. Hubbard compiled what is known as a life list, a contract with herself enumerating dozens of goals she hoped to accomplish before she died (build a house for Habitat for Humanity, read “Pride and Prejudice,” etc.) and posted it online.

“I just felt like I was slowly getting older and was looking around saying, ‘Well, I haven’t really done a whole lot with my life yet,’ ” she recalled.

But once she began the journey prescribed by her list, it quickly became an addiction.

“Earn a master’s degree” (No. 5): check.

“See a dinosaur fossil” (No. 27): check.

As for her latest challenges, “become quadri-lingual” or “swim with dolphins,” well, she is only 24.

“Hey, I am actually accomplishing things with my life,” she said, “even if it’s little by little.”

2) Distill the point of this article in a “nut graph.”

Once the province of bird-watchers, mountain climbers and sufferers of obsessive-compulsive disorder, the life list has become widely popular with the harried masses, equal parts motivational self-help and escapist fantasy.

3) Demonstrate the popularity of life lists.

Evidence of the lists’ surging popularity is all around. The travel writer Patricia Schultz currently has two “1,000 Places to See Before You Die” books lodged on The New York Times paperback advice best-seller list, two in an avalanche of recent life-list books, like “1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die” and “101 Things to Do Before You Turn 40.”

In December, Warner Brothers will release Rob Reiner’s “Bucket List,” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as cancer patients who set out on a series of life-list adventures, including a Harley ride on the Great Wall of China.

Multiple life-list oriented social-networking Web sites have cropped up, inviting strangers to share their lists and offer mutual encouragement. Even Madison Avenue has chimed in. Visa is currently running a print campaign built around a checklist called “Things to Do While You’re Alive” (and credit-worthy, presumably).

4) Offer an explanation of the phenomenon.

And no wonder life lists are so ubiquitous. They are, proponents say, the perfect way for anxious time-crunched professionals to embark on spiritual quests in a productivity-obsessed age. The lists are results-oriented, quantifiable and relentlessly upbeat. If Aristotle were alive, he might envy the efficiency of a master list in which the messy search for meaning in life is boiled down to a simple grocery list: “get a tattoo,” “learn to surf.”

5) Consult the experts.

“People are dying to make this list, and most haven’t been given a chance since grade school,” said Josh Petersen, a founder of the Robot Co-op, a Seattle company that runs the Web site 43Things.com, which since 2004 has enrolled 1.2 million members who post customized life lists, find others with similar goals and encourage one another to check them off. Sky diving ranks 24th in popularity; losing weight, unsurprisingly, is first. “Pull a prank involving 100 lawn gnomes” is a goal shared by 65 members.

“In school you’re asked, ‘What do want to be when grow up?’ ” Mr. Petersen said. “Then people stop asking the question.”

Caroline Adams Miller, a life coach and motivational-book author in Bethesda, Md., asks that her clients create their own list of 100 things to accomplish. “What it does is give you a road map for your life,” she said. “To check items off your list gives you a sense of self-efficacy, or mastery.”

Gary Marcus, a psychology professor at New York University, agrees that people are happiest when making progress toward clear-cut goals, but said that those who set unreasonable goals (or overly ambitious timelines to meet them) set themselves up for stress. “Evolution vested us with a carrot — happiness — and a stick — anxiety,” he explained. “We feel happy when we make progress toward our goals, anxious when we don’t.”

6) Include the celebrity angle.

There was a time when life lists seemed mostly favored by overachievers who viewed their years on earth as heroic narratives. As recounted in “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” the motivational speaker and self-described adventurer John Goddard wrote a list of 127 life goals when he was 15 — pilot the world’s fastest aircraft, milk a poisonous snake — and now, at age 88, says he has checked off 110 of them. (He has yet to visit the moon.)

The college football coach Lou Holtz jotted down a life list of 107 items that included telling jokes on the “Tonight” show and winning a national championship. By 1988 he had done both.

Last year Ellen DeGeneres asked celebrity guests to share their lists on her talk show. Orlando Bloom vowed to learn to play the bongos. Beyoncé Knowles promised to take ballet lessons.

7) Return to the experiences of everyday people.

Non-celebrities tend to use their lists to overcome more-fundamental hurdles. Stacey Morris, 40, a sales manager at a housewares company in Ventnor, N.J., created a 100-item list after consulting with Ms. Miller, the life coach, because she said she felt unmotivated and “needed more focus.” Several of her items seemed vague (“develop a more positive attitude,” for example), but the goals have forced her to take specific steps toward self-improvement, she said.

To make good on her vow to “develop persistence,” she trained herself to pause at work every 15 minutes to record the activities she had just finished. The point, she said, is to eliminate distractions like inessential phone calls. She says she has doubled her daily productive hours.

“Having a life list,” she said, “changed my life.”

When she turned 40, Jill Smolinski, a single mother and freelance writer in Los Angeles, drew up a life list that unearthed ambitions she hadn’t known she had. “The first thing I wrote was ‘live in a beach house,’ ” said Ms. Smolinski, now 46. “That’s weird. I didn’t even know that was important to me.”

“Within a week, I was going for walk and noticed a beach house for rent,” she said, adding, “and I’m standing in it right now.”

The list also yielded a novel. Her book “The Next Thing on My List,” about a woman who vows to live out a dead friend’s life list, was published in April by Shaye Areheart Books.

Explore grand theories about the lists’ popularity.

Ms. Schultz, the travel author, who has sold 2.5 million copies of her first book and has seen it spun off into games, desk calendars and a Travel Channel show, surmised that there were demographic factors behind the sudden interest in this alluring, if gimmicky, pursuit.

“Seventy-nine million of us baby boomers are at a point in our life that this is the moment to stop and take stock,” she said. Ms. Schultz, 54, added that she had visited 80 percent of her 1,000 must-see places. “If ever there was an awareness that this is no dress rehearsal, this is it.”

Those in midlife, wrestling with issues of personal worth, seem to be the target for many of the life-list books, like “Fifty Places to Play Golf Before You Die,” by Chris Santella (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2005).

But Justin Zackham, 36, who wrote the screenplay for “The Bucket List” and was one of its executive producers, argues that the life-list impulse is actually strongest among members of Generation X, like himself: those who have grown up watching boomers stress out over high-paying conventional jobs and have vowed to chart their own course.

“We grew up as a generation questioning all that,” said Mr. Zackham, whose own life list includes sky diving (check) and “get a bunch of movies made” (check). “People do more lists now because they are actually thinking outside the typical progression of what life is supposed to be like.”

9) Postulate that life lists show a universal longing for adventure, fulfillment and grace.

The concept of the life list is as old — and American — as the self-improvement regimen that the young Jay Gatsby scribbled inside his tattered copy of “Hopalong Cassidy,” in which he vowed to “practice elocution, poise and how to attain it.”

Decades later the life lists of average Americans do not seem unlike those of people who strived to be extraordinary, and became so. For a companion book to “The Bucket List,” Mr. Zackham collected life lists from dozens of celebrities and high achievers. Jerry Rice, the football great, said he wished to visit Rome. Mr. Freeman, the actor, said he hoped to attain the perfect golf swing.

“These people pretty much want the same thing you do,” Mr. Zackham said. “So how extraordinary are they — or how un-extraordinary are you?”

10) Find a humorous “kicker.”

Then again, some Americans lead lives too extraordinary to augment with a life list.

For his book, Mr. Zackham visited Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion and asked him what he still hoped to experience.

“Nothing,” was Mr. Hefner’s answer to him. “He said, ‘I honestly can’t think of anything I don’t already have.’ ”

Thing to Do #48.5: Attend a UNC v. Duke Game

Jessica — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:44:58 +0000

Now I can die happy!

Chris (Duke Fan=Boo!)

Tip Off!

The original Thing to Do #48 on the 101 Things to Do Before You Die list is ”Be Present When Your Country Wins the World Cup.” When I updated the list in September I changed it to #48: Be Present When UNC Wins the National Championship, Redskins Win the Super Bowl, or Hurricanes Win the Stanley Cup (since I couldn’t care less about soccer). However, I’ve posted several times about my obsession with UNC and that seeing UNC play Duke was a pretty big deal. And I managed to accomplish this feat on Wednesday night.

I had made plans with my friends to watch the UNC v Duke game at a local bar (originally Flying Saucer but it was way too crowded and we changed it to Hi5 at the last second). We arrived at the bar around 7:30pm, and had just ordered our drinks when my phone rang. It was Steve and the first thing he asked was “Do you want to go to the game tonight?” A million questions rushed through my brain and things began happening very quickly. After quick and furious discussion, it was decided that Alex was too tired and not interested in going, but my friend Chris (who is a yucky Duke fan) was VERY excited about the possibility, having also never gone to a UNC v Duke game. Logistics were quickly hashed out for transportation from the bar for Alex and Chris’s wife Monica and Chris and I were literally running from the bar to the parking deck.

Downtown Raleigh is a good 30-45 minutes from Chapel Hill and by the time we got on the road, it was 7:50pm. We met up with the other couple that had gotten the tickets around 8:30pm and were driving like crazy people towards the campus. Understandably there was a lot traffic but they had a parking permit and we parked rather closely and ran/walked to the Dean Dome. When I left Hi5 in Raleigh, I had to use the restroom but I didn’t think there was time; an hour later I was about to pee my pants but all I could think about was making it to the game in time for tip off. We arrived in our seats a whole minute prior to tip off and the game had begun!

I can’t put into words the experience of being in the Dean Dome during the biggest rivalry in all of college basketball. Yeah, sure, its an off year for UNC, a team of young guys that are still finding their way. Nevertheless, this is Duke and Carolina – it doesn’t matter how the season is going, everyone is going to bring their A-game. And it WAS a good game, close for so long. I finally went to the rest room during the first TV time out and managed to return just as the game was resuming. And then at Halftime, Tyler Hansbrough’s number was retired and I was present for that too!

If someone could have video taped me, I’m sure I looked like a woman possessed. I was completely uninhibited and lost myself in the moment, screaming and jumping up and down. Chris kept his jacket on over his Duke T-shirt, cheering quietly so that no UNC fans would know a Duke fan had entered our midst.

And then came that moment in sports that is an incredible phenomenon, an intangible force. Something in the atmosphere changes, the air goes out of the room, and everyone in the building knows a shift is happening. I’ve played softball games when I felt it on the field and I’ve watched games when I felt it as a spectator. It happened around the 6 minute mark of the second half. The players felt it and the fans felt it, and although there was plenty of time left to recover, fans began leaving, further enforcing what was to become fact – UNC was going to lose. And we did, 64-54. However, it had been an incredible game till that moment and the experience was like none other, a once in a lifetime experience. Typically seeing UNC play Duke at Cameron Indoor is on many people’s To Do list and I definitely wouldn’t pass up that opportunity (Cameron only being about 9,000 seats strong, its certainly a more difficult ticket to get). However, this was a tough one to get for me – the first offer I’ve gotten in 29 years and I’ll probably have to wait another 29 years to go again.

Thing to Do #48.5: Attend a UNC v Duke Game: COMPLETED

What sporting event would you like to attend? Olympics? World Cup? Super Bowl? (ACC Tourney is still on my list, too!)

Thing to Do #67: Visit…

Jessica — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:43:35 +0000

Ok, this thing to do on the list of 101 Things to Do Before You Die is a list of iconic places to visit all around the world. So far, all I have marked off is the Roman Colosseum from my visit to Italy in January 2001. The other places that I have to visit before I can count this ONE thing as done are:

Uluru (or Ayer’s Rock), Australia
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Sydney Opera House, Australia
Great Wall, China
Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Machu Picchu, Peru
Pyramids, Egypt
Grand Canyon
Golden Gate Bridge
Taj Mahal, India
Angkor Wat, Cambodia

When we visited Rome in January 2001, I was dissapointed to see how much of the modern city had encroached upon the colosseum and the Roman Forum that was across the street. While the Roman Colosseum was an impressive structure from the outside, I had to habitually remind myself that it was built over 2,000 years ago with none of the modern conveniences of today’s technology. Once inside, it was difficult for me to visualize what it must have once looked like, as the original floor is no longer there. There were also lots of places within the building that you weren’t allowed to go. I may have gotten more out of it if I had taken a guided tour, but back then, I wasn’t interested in that type thing. (Nowadays, I will sign up for a guided tour in a heartbeat!) Outside of the colosseum are men dressed as Roman Centurians that you could take your photo with – I thought it was cheesy then and didn’t do it, but it would have been kind of funny and would have made a good photo.

So there are a LOT of Australia items on this list, huh? But I think this is a pretty comprehensive list of iconic places to visit, minus tall buildings, which is another thing to do. Its interesting that there aren’t any mountains to climb on the 101 Things to Do List – I’ve been thinking a lot about Mt. Kilimanjaro because it doesn’t require any climbing equipment, yet its the tallest mountain in all of Africa!

When we have our 10 hour lay over in San Francisco coming back from New Zealand, I think I’m going to try to make my way to the Golden Gate Bridge. What other places should I visit (either in a quick stop in San Fran or the world in general)

Thing to Do #36: Visit Every Country-Mexico Redux

Jessica — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:42:20 +0000

With the trip to New Zealand now 23 days away, all I can think about is traveling, so here’s a recap of our trip to Mexico in August 2008.

We enjoyed our first visit to Mexico (albeit short), so we decided to go back, this time staying a bit longer. Although Cancun is usually the destination for many tourists along the Mayan Riviera, I voted for the quieter Playa del Carmen, an hour to the south. We elected to also stay at an all-inclusive resort and all in all were very happy with our choice.

The Hotel Riu Palace Riviera Maya was a rather impressive facility and immediately lived up to our expectations. With a liquor dispenser in the room, regular restocking of the mini-bar, and 24 hour room service, we were in Heaven; we also probably didn’t really take advantage of the amenities. We drank non-stop the first two days, but then it got pretty old and we didn’t drink much for the rest of the trip. (Also, I kept drinking strawberry daquiris and would just get full before I got buzzed=way too watered down). The resort had several restaurants (Japanese, Mexican, French Fusion, Brazilian, American Steakhouse), and ate once at each for dinner. For breakfast and lunch, we stuffed ourselves at the buffet and for afternoon and midnight snacks, room service.

You would think that I would have gained weight but I usually stay pretty active on my vacations…

As I’ve mentioned before, Alex prefers his vacations to be opportunities to relax; I see vacations as a time for excitement and exploring. As this particular vacation was 8 days long, we could strike a bit of a compromise with a good bit of laying around tempered with experiencing the Mexican countryside. We arrived on a Thursday and laid around until our first excursion to swim with whale sharks on Sunday. I’ve already detailed that experience here.

We slept in on Monday and awoke Tuesday to travel to Coba, which is the oldest and largest Mayan site. Most people visit Chichen Itza or Tulum (which I visited while on the Cruise in 2007), as both sites are well excavated and the buildings in rather good shape. I haven’t visited Chichen Itza, but Coba was much larger in area than Tulum, with many buildings not even excavated and mostly hidden by the encroaching jungle. It also has the tallest pyramid of the Yucatan Pennisula, Nohoch Mul. You cannot climb the large pyramids at the other two Mayan sites, and the story was while we were there in August 2008 was that Coba would soon be following suit, so we were lucky to have visited when we did.

After our tour guide had shown us around many of the excavated ruins and shared information about the Mayan civilization, we were encouraged to walk, bike, or be driven in a little rickshaw-type contraption the 2 miles to Nohoch Mul. Alex and I elected to rent bikes, and that was an adventure itself as it had probably been 10 years since I had ridden a bike (but its true, once you learn…).

We rode past several other partially excavated sites on our way, choosing to stop at some on the way there, and stopped at the rest on the way back. Alex likes to act like he couldn’t care less about this stuff, but he was rather enthralled, taking photo after photo. We arrived at the base of the pyramid and it truly was a site to behold. Photos don’t do justice to the sheer steepness of the pyramid. We began climbing up the pyramid, slowly due to scared and/or out of shape people in front of us. Arriving at the top, we had a great view of the jungle surrounding us, with only a few ruins poking out here and there. On our way down, Alex was able to step down as if he were going down modern stairs, but the shallow, uneven steps made me too nervous to be that confident and I went down the pyramid crouched (but not on my butt as some people were doing).

Arriving back at our van, we took off down the highway, on our way to a Mayan village. The tour group that we booked with pay these people to stay in their village and continue living in the tradition of their ancestors. Upon arrival, we stripped off our clothing to nothing but bathing suits and tennis shoes and began traipsing through the jungle surrounding the village. Along the way, the tour showed us the flora and fauna of the local area. At one point, he halted us and became extremely serious. He said, “Stay as far to the left through here and hurry through quickly,” giving no explanation as to why. After we had proceded along to a safe distance, this is when he shared that he had spotted a jumping pit viper.

But not to worry, if anyone had been bitten, there was medicine in the village that would preserve the victim for an hour, which was long enough to make it to nearest hospital for the medicine that would save their life.

I’m sorry, but why couldn’t you just have the LIFE saving medicine in the VILLAGE?!

Anyway, as I’m not too afraid of snakes, we carried on, first arriving at a collapsed cenote (underwater river), which had become home to crocodiles. We were to zip-line across, which was cool, but after our Honduras trip , I think Alex and I just have high expectations. Further down the path we arrived at another cenote, this one still entact. We were to rappel down into the cold, blue water below and paddle about on inner tubes. However, prior to going down, we were to be blessed by a little Mayan priest dude. The theory was that these waters are sacred to their culture. It was cool and all but being the cynical Americans that we are kinda thought it was just a big touristy act.

Look at my face!

I have never done any mountain climbing or other sport that requires ropes, so I was nervous about rappeling down into the water. It wasn’t until I saw the small boys (age 8 and 12) in our group have no trouble with it that I was prepared for my turn and I rappelled slowly down into the water. After climbing up rocks and trekking in a humid jungle, the cold water was Heaven. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to stay long at all and soon it was time to leave. We had two choices: a rope ladder or the Mayan Elevator, which were two Mayans hoisting my big butt out with ropes. Alex, being the big tough dude that he is, elected the rope ladder, but I was smart and chose the “elevator.” He remarked during the remaining days of our vacation how dumb that idea was, still sore days later.

By this point, we had been awake since 6 am with nothing to eat all day and it was already 2pm in the afternoon. We had worked up appetites and were STARVING! However, there was still canoeing to be done. Alex and I were ready to eat and literally paddled out into the middle of the lake and paddled right back, with the attitude of, “Ok, we did everything. Now can we eat?”

I don’t remember exactly what was even served, except that it was traditional Mayan cuisine and I skipped over most, being a rather picky eater (as well as nervous about contracting “Montezuma’s Revenge”). Alex mentioned only after we had left the jungle that he had seen a tarantula; I was happy to not have glimpsed it as I think I may have started running (not safe in a jungle full of jumping pit vipers). We also saw a monkey in a tree during our outing, therefore checking off Monkey and Crocodile on the #38 thing to do (I also count seeing Whale Sharks on this list).

The next day, Wednesday, was our last full day at the resort and we mostly just laid around, although we did take a moment to take a photo with the monkey they would take around the resort once a day. Alex had become obsessed with the monkey and had been begging to take a photo with it all week.

We also finally went parasailing, which was actually a hold over from my original list from high school. While it had been sunny all week, when we got on the boat, a storm, complete with lightning, came along. The storm quickly passed and we went up. It was fun to be able to see the resort and the beach from that height, but I think Alex and I have built up a tolerance to most things, seeking a bigger adreniline rush with each new encounter.

We had a great time and I would definitely go back. I’d like to go down into more cenotes and check out Chichen Itza finally. There’s also supposed to be this eco-water park near Tulum that I think would be a lot of fun to do snorkeling in. I’ve never been to the west coast of Mexico though; anyone have any suggestions about making it over Cabo or even Mexico City (I think at least going to Tenochtitlan/learn about the Aztecs).

Thing to Do #36: Visit A Lot of Countries

Jessica — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:33:01 +0000

Let’s be realistic. I’m probably not going to visit every country. I don’t even WANT to visit EVERY country (I mean, I’m cool if I never visit Chad or Uzbekistan). BUT there are certainly ones that I’d really like to visit and if I ended up just making it to every continent, I’m doing pretty well! So here are the countries I want to visit for my 101 Things to Do Before You Die, listed in priority:

New Zealand (obviously that’s getting ready to be checked off)
Sweden/Norway (I desperately want to stay in a Ice Hotel and maybe check off #32 See the Northern Lights)
Antartica (they offer cruises there and you can get off the boat and see penguins!)
Kenya (I want to do a safari and climb Mt. Kilimanjaro)
Greece (I was this close to going my Senior year of college. I paid my deposit on September 7, 2001. The next week changed international travel for awhile. BUT a group still goes every other January and they are always looking for chaperones…)
Japan (My friend Heather lived there and taught English as a Second Language for 2 years and I never took advantage of having a place to crash and a person that could give me all the “must-see” places to visit)
Peru (Machu Picchu)
Brazil (Maybe during Carnivale? and to see Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janiero)
United Kingdom (Deep down, I’ve always been terribly fascinated with all things British/Irish/Scottish-sorry Wales-and I think I could easily spend a month here)
Germany (Ditto about all things German. AND I’ll get to brush off my incredibly rusty German. At least I already know how to swear-Scheisse!)
Russia (Kremlin)
Australia (Ayer’s Rock, Sydney Opera House, Great Barrier Reef)
Spain (Running of the Bulls in Pamplona!)
China (Great Wall)
India (Taj Majal)
Egypt (Pyramids)
Cambodia (Angkor Wat)
Turkey (Hagia Sophia)

I can hear it now: you mean, no France? Yeah, never really felt the need to visit France. And Canadia isn’t on the list either, but I figure I’ll visit “North Montana” eventually. And if I don’t, am I really missing anything?

So what other countries should I put on my list? These are definitely my top 18 but I’m open to adding others.

MTV’s List of Things to Do Before You Die

Jessica — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:36:25 +0000

Like so many things before, fellow TTDer Miranda has turned me on to a new show from MTV called The Buried Life. I’m not a big MTV fan; in fact, I can’t remember the last show I watched on there (Maybe I Love the 90’s?) But she seemed to be impressed with it so I DVRed it. I have to say, I’m a fan. The premise is this: (according to The Buried Life’s website)

Relying on goodwill, guts and gumption Duncan, Ben, Dave and Jonnie travel the globe in a purple transit bus to complete a list of ‘100 things to do before you die’ and to help and encourage others to go after their own lists. For every item they complete on their list, they help a stranger achieve one of their dreams. Everywhere they go they ask the question: What do you want to do before you die?

They’ve been doing this since 2006 on their own without the support of MTV (although they did a lot of fundraising and got sponsors). So they’ve had a grassroots following for awhile now, and it is admirable how dedicated they are to accomplishing their goals.

Their list is below. As Miranda said, it is rather Entertainment-centric, but its pretty varied and some things are acts of simple kindness that anyone could do. And that is what sets the show apart; not only do they try to complete their list, but they also try to help someone else do an item on THEIR list. The first week they crashed a party at the Playboy Mansion (which Alex was rather in awe of), last week was “Do a toast at a stranger’s wedding” and this week I think they are going to try to ask Megan Fox out on a date.

The only thing that (slightly) bothers me about this show is that as it gains a larger following, people will assume I began MY LIST after watching The Buried Life (If someone calls my list a “bucket list” again, I think I’ll scream). Not the biggest deal in the world, but I’ve marking things off my list since I was in high school. It is cool that others will be inspired to begin their own lists and hopefully will stick to it (rather than getting excited about it and then forgetting it in 3 months).

What do you think of their list? (I’m rather jealous that they’ve completed so many items but I guess if I quit my job and dedicated my life to the list full time, I may have more success too!)

1. Open the six o’clock news
2. Lead a parade
3. Get a tattoo
4. Start a dance in a public place
5. Go down a mountain on a longboard
6. Be in a Hollywood movie
7. Plant a tree
8. Ride a bull
9. Destroy a computer
10. Learn to fly
11. Get a college degree
12. Kick a field goal
13. Help someone build a house
14. Grow a mustache
15. Get on the cover of Rolling Stone
16. Start a block party
17. Start a huge wave
18. Tell a joke on Late Night Television
19. Write a book
20. Get a song we’ve written on the radio
21. Become a licensed minister
22. Approach the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen
23. Learn how to play an instrument
24. Go to a rock concert in all leather
25. Drive across North America
26. Tell a judge: “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!”
27. Give a stranger a $100 bill
28. Send a message in a bottle
29. Scream at the top of your lungs
30. Make a big donation to charity
31. Cut a ribbon at a major opening
32. Get something named after you
33. Hold public office somewhere
34. Pay for someone’s groceries
35. Sing the national anthem to a packed stadium
36. Throw the first pitch at a major league baseball game
37. Win and yell “Bingo!” at a Bingo hall
38. Kiss the Stanley Cup
39. Stand under a plan while it lands
40. Make the front page of the newspaper
41. Make a toast at a stranger’s wedding
42. Host a cooking show
43. Become a Knight for a day
44. Catch something and eat it
45. Sleep in a haunted house
46. Do a sketch with Will Ferrell
47. Get in the Guinness Book of World Records
48. Skydive
49. Take a stranger out for dinner
50. Dance on stage at a major concert
51. Climb a large mountain
52. Go on a blind date
53. Start a television show
54. Donate blood
55. Kiss Rachel McAdams
56. Write an article for a major publication
57. Spend a week in silence
58. See a dead body
59. Deliver a baby
60. Go paragliding
61. Draw a mural
62. Be in a protest
63. Run a successful business
64. Visit Folsom Prison
65. Learn how to sail
66. Camp at the Playboy Mansion
67. Make an important speech
68. Swin with sharks
69. Smash a guitar on stage
70. Compete in a soap-box derby
71. Take a kid on a toy shopping spree
72. Throw a surprise party
73. Make a music video
74. Race a sports car
75. Be a contestant on a gameshow
76. Go dog sledding
77. Go to Burning Man
78. Fall in Love
80. Dance with Ellen Degeneres
80. Meet the lonely island dudes
81. Tour with a major band
82. Win an award
83. Street perform and make $100
84. Run a marathon
85. Throw the most badass party ever
86. Teach an elementary school class
87. Pay off our parent’s mortgage
88. Jump off a waterfall
89. Experience zero gravity
90. Rider a rollercoaster
91. Represent Canada in an international competition
92. Learn how to surf
93. Rider through the desert in a dune-buffy
94. Party with a rockstar
95. Play ball with Obama
96. Host a lemonade stand
97. Be in a boxing match
98. Race horses
99. Host Saturday Night
100. Go to space

Thing to Do #103: Go Snow Sledding!

Jessica — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 05:02:05 +0000

In honor of our little “snow storm” we’re experiencing here in NC (which, by the way, means 4 inches of snow and 1 inch of ice has plunged us into a State of Emergency and has effectively shut the whole state down), I’ll repost this little entry from about a year ago. Enjoy!

Ok, ok, I know there are some of you that may think this is something easily accomplished when you are six years old, but considering I am from Eastern North Carolina where 1) the average temperature in winter is 50 degrees and 2) there is mostly flat coastal plain, I have never had the opportunity.

I remember when I was younger and we had one snow storm, my father MADE a sled out of wood. We had one slight hill in my neighborhood, but it really didn’t work for sledding. I could drag my younger brother around, which was fun for him, but I soon realized I was getting the raw end of the deal. My father tried to remedy this situation and tied the sled to the back of his Ford Ranger. He plopped my brother and I down on the sled, bundled in scratchy Army blankets, and we took off behind him down our road. This worked until he stopped to check on us. When he got back in the truck to continue our ride, he took off too quickly, taking the sled and leaving my brother and I and all of our blankets sitting on the icy road.

Needless to say, I don’t count this experience as having gone sledding. I attended Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia; by attending a school in the mountains, I thought for sure I would get the chance to go sledding. Even before I began my studies there, I had heard stories of girls sledding down Tinker Beach (a large hill behind Tinker Dorm where girls would sunbathe in warmer months) on cafeteria trays. Alas, I managed to miss all of the snow storms during my tenure, either being away for the Christmas holidays or away on internships during the month-long January term.

So today when I was out and about helping cover both the winter weather and the Presidential Inauguration, I saw some kids sledding down the big hill near the Amphitheater at Neuse River in Downtown Smithfield. I pulled over to get some video footage and mentioned to one of the parents that I had never experienced it. She quickly offered up a sled and, with camera in hand, I took off down the hill.

It was almost fun enough to wish I lived in snowier areas of the country. Almost.