Bucket List

Since I am turning the big 30 this year, here are some things I would like to accomplish at some point in my life... or at least I dream of accomplishing them because some of these things scare the crap out of me. 

1. Sky dive out of an airplane into the Great Blue Hole in Belize. Some people did it here in this video, some pretty thrilling but scary stuff: Skydiving into the Blue Hole. If I don't skydive, I at least want to boat to it or something.
2. When I get my own house or even when I retire and have more time to devote to pets and animals, I will own the following:
   A black or harlequin Great Dane named Riley, an Australian Shepard named Penny, a German short-haired pointer named Lex, a white or grey Andalusian mare named True Blue Supernova (Nova for short), two black cats named Licorice(female) and Boston Blackie(male), a black/white/gold tabby named Saige, a white/grey tabby named Loki; four lovebirds named Beaker(Orange-faced), Daisy(lutino), Kiwi and Comet (rosy-faced); a white cockatiel named Cricket, and finally, a blue and white budgie named Cloud.
   I would like to own a lovebird again as soon as possible, maybe in the next couple of years, and chances are if I get another one, it will be a dutch blue peachfaced lovebird, but I'm not sure what I would name him. No bird or pet will ever take the place of Ollie.
3. Keeping with the pet theme for another second. I am terrified of spiders, no real reason why, maybe just because they're creepy and crawly and fast. However, I've watched many videos about different tarantula species and think they are fascinating to observe... from a distance. So, I would like to own either a female Greenbottle Blue or a poecilotheria metallica and name it Sapphire, not because P. metallica's are known as the Gooty sapphire, but just because I like that name. I also find the Avicularia Versicolor very interesting. Versi slings look really cool, and although their colors are different as adults, I'd still like to get one. Finally, the Avicularia Diversipes (Amazon Sapphire Pinktoe) is another species I'd like to own, there's not a lot of info out there on these ones but they look pretty cool too.  I would even hire someone to clean their enclosure and do all the hard work, I just want to look at them.
4. My future residence will have many pieces of artwork adorning the walls. I currently own a huge Starry Night by van Gogh, so I will just add to to it. I'd like to own other artworks by van Gogh, some by Picasso, and J.M.W. Turner. I would like to own any type of artwork relating to birds, animals, or flowers I can get my hands on, especially watercolors. See my Pinterest for more.
5. I would love to take a trip just to go bird watching, possibly here in Canada or even in the United States. I want to be able to see so many species of birds that I just don't get to witness here in New Brunswick. If I can't travel anywhere, then I will do whatever I could to attract many different species of birds in my own backyard. I will have many bird feeders, bird houses and nesting areas, etc. 
6. I want to sit in a rustic Adirondack chair on the dock overlooking the autumn foliage across the lake where my future cabin retreat is located. Take a look here...
7. There will be a room in my future house solely dedicated to books, a personal library I suppose. Every wall, shelf, and nook and cranny will have books on them. There will also be cozy and comfy couches and chairs to sit and enjoy all of these books.
8. I would eventually like to have a child, not sure when, and either a boy or a girl would be fine, but if I have a girl, I would hope she'd have gorgeous blonde curls and cerulean blue eyes. Her name would be Olivia.
9. I WILL see the Dave Matthews Band at least once in my lifetime. No ifs, ands, or buts. They're coming to Bangor, Maine early this summer and the tickets sold out in a matter of days and now I'm kicking myself in the ass because that would have been an amazing present for my 30th birthday this year. So, I need to be more on the ball for the next time they come so close. Oh, and maybe... just maybe, I would like to see them at the Gorge, in Washington state, where they perform every Labor Day weekend.
10. As much as I despise winter, I do love Christmas. And I would love to be able to decorate my home from top to bottom, inside and out. Christmas tree, lights, fancy decorations (not the cheap-ass dollar store ones either). Then I will pay someone to take them down and put them all away for me.
11. Not really sure if this counts as something that should be on a bucket list, but there are soooo many recipes and desserts that I want to try and make. Cakes, cookies, and pastries. Savory dishes. Everything!
12. There are so many places I want to travel! Where do I start?? New Zealand to visit the set of Hobbiton. Walk on the sands of Kahala Beach in Hawaii. Lay on a hammock in a palm tree over the crystal blue waters of Ponce, Peurto Rico. Ride on the back of a camel and visit the Pyramids in Egypt. Walk the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and oh so many more!
13. So of course I want to meet some famous people, not sure what I would say or do, but just to meet them and have a conversation with them for a few minutes would be satisfying enough. Celebrities and music artists that I would like to meet include: Dave Matthews, the cast of CSI: Miami, Ashley Judd, Mariska Hargitay, the cast of The X-Files (all of them!), Maura Tierney and the cast of ER, Chantal Kreviazuk, Darren Hayes, and Sarah McLachlan. I'd also like to meet the cast of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, as well as Sir Peter Jackson himself. I might have to think about this one a little more and see if I can come up with some more people to add to this list. 
14. For as long as I can remember, my Dad always talked about starting a little take-out shack or something where they live in Cambridge-Narrows. We could create a few comfort foods with fresh, local ingredients and make a couple of extra bucks in the summer time trying to appeal to the tourists and bring more people to the small village. 
15. I would like to visit Holland and see the garden of Keukenhof, the world's largest flower garden. Lot's of tulips and I love tulips!
16. I actually love all flowers, any flower, and my future backyard will be filled with flower gardens containing lilies, tulips, hyacinth, dahlias, phlox, clematis, lilacs, hydrangea, and so many more. I'll spread wildflower seeds all over the property as well so I can get the most enjoyment out of my flowers!
17. I want to buy a telescope, go somewhere high, and watch the sky. For like a week straight. Sleep all day and stay up all night and look at the constellations. Maybe during the Perseid meteor shower. Make wishes on all those shooting stars. 
18. The Ferris wheel was the only ride I could stomach at the exhibition or Gagetown Fair, so if I can work up the courage, I would like to ride the London Eye in Great Britain, the Singapore Flyer in Singapore, and the newly constructed High Roller in Las Vegas, which is the world's tallest Ferris wheel.
19. This sounds absolutely crazy, but I would like to see a real tornado, preferably not where I live, but maybe in the southern United States. Maybe witnessing a spectacular thunder and lightning storm at the same time could be arranged. 
20. My future house will have an amazing deck/patio with an outdoor kitchen and a bonfire pit and lovely swimming pool like this one. Or maybe all of the stuff here.
21. Since I am a Canadian, I should probably see the rest of my country. A few years ago, my grandparents bought an RV and drove across Canada and then down into the states and traveled back to the East coast through the northern part of the USA and back up to New Brunswick. I'd love to do that with my family or my friends. As a kid, my family and I (grandparents, cousins, aunt, uncles) would take summer trips to New Hampshire. It'd be fun to do to that again or go RV'ing across the country.
22. I would really like to get a tattoo to remember my lovebird, Ollie. Not sure exactly what I would get, maybe one of his feathers tattooed on my wrist or shoulder or maybe a sketch of his face or his whole body with a quote or his name underneath.
23. I really want to travel to the island of Saint Martin (Saint Maarten) and visit Maho Beach which sits on the edge of Princess Juliana International Airports where the planes are taking off and landing at extremely low altitudes right over the beach! Pretty amazing sight to see, not that I feel like being jet blasted with sand or have my ear drums punctured, but I'd love to see it! Check out these links: Crazy St. Maarten Takeoff and KLM Boeing 747 Landing St. Maarte
24. I'm terrified to try flying, especially after watching some airplane crash documentaries and with the disappearance of MH370 and the crashes of MH17 and QZ8501 in recent news, but they say the odds of dying in a plane crash are very low. The only thing that really makes me afraid want to get on a plane besides that, is air sickness. I get motion sickness pretty bad and the last thing I want is to be barfing the whole time. I know I could take gravol and other antihistamines but I'm afraid they wouldn't work. However, I would love to board a Boeing 747, particularly a KLM or a Lufthansa. I also want to go to some of the busiest airports around the world and plane spot for a day. I have a desire to be up close to a Boeing 747 and an Airbus A380. 
25. When I do in fact die, I do not want to buried the traditional way in a box cemetery, I would like to be returned to the earth cremated and have a tree grow up out of my ashes. 
26. I think most of the world was affected by the 9/11 attacks in NYC, and living in the closest country to the USA meant that Canada was there for those people that needed refuge on that terrible day. I remember where I was when I heard about it and I remember seeing the news reports and watching for updates in the days that followed. One of my favorite TV shows was set in NYC and it was talked about on a regular basis. Now, thirteen years later, a 9/11 memorial and museum has since been built to remember those that died. I would very much like to visit it and pay my respects to the victims, even though I never knew any of them or even lived in the same country for that matter. I just want to stand in the same place where all those people lost their lives. 

This is it for now, I will add more in the coming days.... so stay tuned!