How you're been neglected for a number of years.
Basically, here's what happened, I think.
I went to Egypt with Kathy, to sip champagne on a Nile river cruise. Which was likely to be a long blog entry, but when I got back I had to get stuck into devising and performing a 24 hour impro show with Reid. I got further and further behind updating the blog that it became a chore... A chore I didn't have time or energy to follow up on.
Shame. The bucket list got a little neglected too as life overtook me. I have been achieving items at a steady rate, but there are a number that it looks like I will never get to.
I've just had my 38th birthday. It's time to take stock of which items I've achieved, and then focus on getting as many done as possible before the deadline.
- I went to Egypt with Kathy.
It was at the height of tourist fears of Egypt being a dangerous place. It totally wasn't, but there was no tourists anywhere. My example is the Valley of Kings - it used to get 10,000 tourists a day. When we were there we spotted about 6 tourists.
As such, when we booked a cabin on a Nile river cruise, it turns out we had booked a BOAT. We were the only customers on ship and so they upgraded us to the two nicest cabins. Champagne was consumed.
- Reid and I devised and performed a 24 hour impro show.
It was called "Hotel Incognito", and was set in a hotel filled with spies.
It was so much fun, we did another show, "Schnitz Street", the next year. Then it became annual and we did "The Bold and the Hospitalised" and "Camp Radicool" after that. We haven't done it the last couple of years, despite receiving a number of requests for us to do it again.... from the cast.
- A number of us skydived onto the beach.
Geoff and I were dressed as Batman and Robin. We also had a Flash and a Catwoman. The skydiving place asked to take photos of us to use for marketing on their website.
- Henry and I spent an afternoon on winter solstice wandering around Canberra, taking photos of ourselves not wearing any clothes.
The only place that told us not to was the Canberra Theatre.
- Lara and I did a beginner Italian course.
We considered continuing after the first term, but ended up deciding we were finito.
- I walked the Milford Track. Unfortunately, after doing the lion's share of organisation, Kishen injured his ankle and couldn't do the trek. There was still a fun group of us who did it in his honour though.
It was incorporated into a trip around New Zealand, which is a beautiful country.
Kishen ended up joining us for the trek to Everest base camp, so that partly made up for him missing out.... I hope.
- I bought a new car, and Dad came along to help pick which one.
I ended up buying a Volkswagen Polo.
- Naomi and I (and others) got our tarot cards read.
It all seemed a little silly to me. I can't recall how accurate the predictions ended up being. I should have taken better notes.
- I went on a trip to Italy, but Jules couldn't come along.
Unfortunately, I lost my driver's license in an earlier part of that trip (riding rollercoasters in Chicago), so I wasn't able to drive a Ferrari. Italy was still a wonderful visit though!
Also, Ferraris cost a TON to rent.
- I went paragliding with Kelly when I was on a trip to Brisbane.
It was great fun, though I definitely got a bit queasy.
- Kieran and I (and others) trekked to Everest base camp.
It was tough. Not because the walk was hard itself - it was actually pretty easy going - but rather it was the altitude. I was one of a number in the group who got sick and it really took it out of you.
Everest base camp itself was completely unremarkable, but the views for most of the trek were absolutely spectacular. The scale of the mountains is something that you can only really experience in person. Seeing it on TV just doesn't do it justice.
Nepal was also an interesting country to visit. I particularly enjoyed my days in Kathmandu.
- Jeremy and I organised a cake eating contest for my birthday.
Everyone who participated brought a cake. We put the cakes around a table, and everyone made there was around, eating a slice of cake at a time. The winner was whoever ate the most cake in 30min.
Kathy smashed the rest of us, by going round the table one and half times. I struggled big time, but was proud to make it to having one slice of each cake (just!). I felt sick for the rest of the day.
- My family and I sang a traditional Welsh song in the middle of Canberra, wearing (some) traditional Welsh clothes.
We sang an encore even though nobody asked for it.
So there's still a long way to go to complete the list, but I have done a great number of unique experiences I would not have otherwise done.
I've come to grips with the fact that I won't get to all of them. Many are wacky challenges that are too much of a bother to get done (sing a duet with the Hoff for example). For some, such as running marathons, I've been unable to do it because of injury. And others, were created by people I have since drifted apart from (either our friendship has drifted apart, or we have physically drifted apart by people moving overseas).
