Jackson, Wyoming: A Wild West Adventure Epicenter

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Jackson, Wyoming: A Wild West Adventure Epicenter

Jackson, Wyoming is the epitome of the mountainous, wild west I had in my imagination. If you’re looking for an adventure with dramatic mountains, two stunning national parks, copious wildlife, and a small-town feel, Jackson is the place for you.

Even though I visited this month, in a “shoulder season,” I could tell that summer and winter possibilities here are plentiful. During my six-day stay, there was a balance of all seasons: two days of sun, two days of snow, and two days of rain. Despite the weather (or because of it), I found so much to do and can’t wait to plan my next visit.

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A good walk amongst tall trees: Redwood National Park

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A good walk amongst tall trees: Redwood National Park

Redwood National Park has been on my bucket list for quite some time. I used to see photos of the tall, majestic redwoods and something in my soul would stir. I’ve always wanted to travel out west to see them and I finally had the chance this August.

Redwood National Park is home to some of the tallest trees on earth, but it is also one of the most diverse national parks I have visited. In addition to the redwoods, there are prairies, oak woodlands, rivers, and nearly 40 miles of beautiful coastline.

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Peak Season in Yosemite National Park

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Peak Season in Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is certainly one of the crown jewels of the National Park system. It was also my first experience with the high-season rush of crowds at a national park, which has me thinking about how people interact with our protected spaces.

Yosemite is in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, on the eastern side of the state. Within the 1,200 square miles, you’ll find the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Hetch Hetchy, Glacier Point, Half Dome, the Tunnel View, and many beautiful waterfalls.

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A Bookworm Bucket List: Meeting Your Favorite Author

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A Bookworm Bucket List: Meeting Your Favorite Author

This post was previously published on the BucketList.org blog in January 2015.

Authors are like rock stars to bookworms. So any bookworm bucket list will include meeting your favorite author, poet or essayist.

Who would be on your list? The author of your favorite book from childhood? The poet whose words were your first true love in a high school English class? Or the journalist who wrote the book that opened a whole new world to you?

At the top of my list are Wendell Berry, Thomas Moore, David Whyte, and Vicki Robin. Some of my favorite authors are no longer living, but I fantasize about asking Rumi, Alice Miller, Tee Corinne, or Flannery O’Connor to sign a book for me.

Luckily, I’ve met David Whyte and Thomas Moore and they were definitely bucket list experiences.

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The Staycation Bucket List

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The Staycation Bucket List

This post was previously published on the BucketList.org blog in December 2014.

Did you know that every US state and Canadian province and territory are represented on BucketList.org? Not just by BucketList.org users living all over the continent, but every state, province and territory appear on someone’s bucket list. That means that someone actually wants to come to where you live no matter how boring you think the place might be.

So here’s a quick guide on how to build a local, staycation, even, budget bucket list for your very own home state.

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Budgeting for the Bucket List Life

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Budgeting for the Bucket List Life

This post was previously published on the BucketList.org blog in December 2014.

Living the Bucket List Life inevitably costs money. Not always a lot, but oftentimes something. So how do you decide what to spend to accomplish your bucket list goals?

I asked some friends how they budget for “vacations” and did some research online, it seems like a lot of people just pick the vacation they want and either save up or put it on a credit card. Very few people actually seem to be budgeting for their bucket list life.

But you’ve got a long bucket list, right? Bucketlist.org readers want to drink vodka in Russia, pay for a child’s Cleft lip surgery, complete a Spartan Sprint, and much more!

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Review: Life Expectancy Calculators

Posted by On Filed under Bucket List, Health, Money, Pause for Reflection, Voluntary Simplicity / Minimalism
Review: Life Expectancy Calculators

I focus intensely on living a good life. I actively work on my bucket list, which has provided some crazy adventures. I focus on experiences over material possessions and have gotten my finances in order to support my larger life goals.

Sometimes, this focus inevitably leads to thoughts on how much life I might have left.

From a young age, I wasn’t spared the experience of death. I attended the funerals of grandparents and great grandparents, lost a friend in high school, and have lost many more since, unfortunately. I say this because not everyone has been this close to mortality. Some folks have never been to a funeral, for example, or are lucky enough to still have grandparents around.

I’m just laying the groundwork for what this blog post is about. To be blunt, it’s about life expectancy. But, in reality, it’s about living and living well.

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