10 Tips for Making Your Bucket List Dreams Come True

 

Do you have a bucket list of destinations you’ve always dreamt of going too?

Fortunately, a bucket list dream vacation that has been on my list for 10 years is finally happening. Once it was booked and planned I had something to look forward to but the wait seemed like it would never come!

The thrill and excitement for the week leading up to the trip was uncontainable. I thought about what I was going to pack for an entire week. I started packing two days before the trip and had way too much stuff to bring! The last day I found myself laying out outfits and counting the days and evenings of the trip to find I definitely needed to narrow my clothing choices.

The day of the trip I found myself an exhilarated morning person! I literally jumped out of my bed and turned off the alarm. No snooze for this girl and that is highly unusual.

This is why I think everyone should have a bucket list!!  Doing new things and going new places is breaking up old routines suddenly makes your life seem more exciting. Your bucket list doesn’t have to be full of travel, it can be whatever it is you’ve always wanted to do or learn. Travel just happens to  “A Bonnie Thing!” I have a USA bucket list, my adventure bucket list, a wine travel destination list, an experience list, a list of events and parties around the world that I long to attend, oh, and all the places in the world I wish to explore.  (Big run on sentence but my point is it’s endless! It will always be changing because I will continue to add new things to it!

Your list could include…..

Bungee jumping in New Zealand (definitely not “It’s a Bonnie Thing!)

Jumping in a cage with Great Whites in South Africa, (think I’ll pass on that one too),

Hiking a 14er in Colorado?

Sipping Champagne in the Champagne region of France and toasting your spouse on your twentieth anniversary!

Snorkeling from your Overwater Bungalow in The French Polynesia

Taking a road trip in the USA

Bucket lists can go on and on because they are dreams. Everyone could write a bucket list and they would all be different because we are all different. I find that so fascinating! It is one of the reasons I love to talk to people about travel. It would be a tragedy to never cross an item off your bucket list. So let’s start with ways to get inspired and make your bucket list dreams a reality.

 

Believe me when I say it, you want to make these things happen because you will feel like you a truly living a life of passion, excitement & adventure.

1. Organize your list into categories, travel, adventure, and experience. If you have a long travel list you may need to make different travel categories. I have a USA list since it is where I live and an abroad list of places I long to visit.
2. Next rank each list in priority. I like to create a top 5 to focus on and a top 10 lists for each category. My top 5 places I wish to travel abroad are Greece, Prague & Budapest, South Africa, Thailand, & Croatia.
3. Now that you have priorities ranked – take the first one on each list and set a date! Commit! This is your end goal of making this happen. Set a date for each #1 in each category.  Once you commit you will make it happen!
4. You may want to rank them financially. Making your bucket list takes some planning. Planning them makes them happen. Time & money often comes into play. My husband and I wish to spend a month in Annecy, France but we can’t take a month off right now so this one is undoable at the moment. It has moved to the retirement bucket list. You know what they say, Dream big & Travel! Well, at least that is what I say!
5. Create a savings account titled Bucket List – contribute to it each payday! I find it more fun to spend money on FUN!!!!  I’ve worked extra shifts to take my husband to Venice for an Anniversary trip.  Even 6:00 am shifts, Ugh I’m so not a morning person! The Brittany Spears song, “Work Bitch” was my morning alarm ring tone because YES I work to party in France!! Every morning when that alarm went off, I made myself think of holding hands in St. Mark’s Square. 6:00 am was so worth it!  I sold massage pillows at a home show to get to Europe- 30 days in Europe for my 30^th!  That was a big goal! I can tell you from experience extra work has always been worth it. My travel account has come in handy as a place to save money for my dream bucket list trips.  As we age and are more financially stable, we are able to enjoy the bigger trips we couldn’t always do when we were younger. I’ve always been convinced if you want something bad enough you will make it happen. Working for something makes the end goal even better!
6. Credit cards miles and rewards are saved for most bucket list trips. Utilize your everyday spending to create reward miles for travel. I love the 2X gas, dining, and groceries on the American Express Gold since that is where our normal spending lies. We charge everything for rewards points! Just make sure you pay your bill in full every month. The majority of my abroad travel happens by using rewards points for airlines flights and hotels.
7. Create a change jar and gather up all the change throughout the year- take it to the bank before your trip for some extra spending money. Usually, it is enough for a nice meal, activity, or souvenir. Although most of our spending is with credit cards, I still end up with extra change in my purse.
8. Look for deals on Travel Zoo, Groupon, or Living Social. There are deals for travel, activities, and tours that might be on your bucket list. I recently met a young girl last week and she travels once a year using Groupon. Last year she even went on a Safari in South Africa and that has been on my bucket list for 20 years now!!!
9. Start with your smaller items first. Bucket lists don’t always have to be as big as standing on the Great Wall of China but it can be as simple as doing something in your hometown. For me, that item is dogsledding. I live in an area where we have dog sledding but I still haven’t been on a dog sled tour. It will happen before the year is over.  It is high on my experience bucket list.
10. Just GO! Pick something off your list & just make go! Once you do it, it is time to pick something off next! Don’t you just love the feel of crossing items off your list and accomplishing something awesome?

I believe having a bucket list enriches your life. Once you make a few items happen you create more. Often I am surprised that I can’t cross off an item because after doing it, I want to do it again or I fall in love with a place and long to return. You have one life and you were meant to LIVE!!

Do you have a bucket list experience or trip that enriched your life? Did it change you? How do you feel when you cross something off your bucket list? What is your big bucket list dream? How will you make it happen?

Happy Travels,

Bonnie

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