My original Bucket List is now my LIFE LIST. This Life List is a work in progress. I imagine it probably always will be, but hey…Rome weren’t built in a day. It contains things that I always wanted to do and things I’ve already done, I included stuff I’ve already achieved for a reason: I think it’s pretty important to remind yourself sometimes just how far you’ve come already rather than just staring at a mountain of to-do’s. Items completed are RED as COMPLETED.
“It’s better to regret something you did then to regret something you didn’t do.”
Back in January, 2012 I met Phil Keoghan, of the Amazing Race, No Opportunity Wasted and the new Podcast, Buckit, while he was visiting Bermuda. Phil gave both of my boys a book called NOW – No Opportunity Wasted. Phil’s bucket list is called his “List for Life”. It was pretty inspiring. I hope my boys have a list of things they wish to do and/or accomplish..and tick the items off their list, one by one…as they grow and find themselves.
The following is my growing Life List which started years ago…and has continually, slowly, growing.
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A. The Grand Facilitators
- Live in a different Country COMPLETED (Bermuda: 2007 – present)
- Live on an island COMPLETED (Bermuda: 2007 – present)
- Build a successful blog/FB page (The Plan B Project, Tourist Whisperer and soon SpencerIsland Trading – Blog & Facebook)
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- See both of my boys get Married (my wife and father sitting next to me) and hold both of their children (my grandchildren)
- Build SpencerIsland/Plan [b] into something BIG! November 2015, rebranded Plan [b] to become a “For-Purpose organization spreading social good to individuals, organizations and non profits around the globe. – Official re-launch, January 2016 with big changes coming in 2018!
- Receive duel citizenship (COMPLETED – Became Naturalized as a British Overseas Territories Citizen on 4 June 2015 and received Bermudian Status on 13 June 2015)
- At age 50 (turned 50 on 19 April 2018) be in the best shape of my life (both physically and mentally) THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ONE. (Still a work in progress….but now, at 53+, I feel amazing!)
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B. Share the Wealth
- Donate $ monthly to a worthy cause – COMPLETED! As of the end of November 2014, we began working with Feed My Lambs Ministry in Haiti and are sponsoring a little Winder!
- Donate my time to make a difference COMPLETED (Building a legacy with Relay For Life of Bermuda – May 2014). Info can be shared at www.BermudaRelay.com. 30-31 May 14 – the first Relay For Life event occurred in Bermuda. Since that event, we have raised over $5,500,000 where the first few years went to build a new Radiation Centre here in Bermuda (see article: http://planblimited.com/radiationfacility/) So far, the event continues to be a huge success. Visit a few articles regarding the event, CLICK HERE.
- Donate $ to someone that will make a big difference. COMPLETED KIVA – currently 12 loans made. Also, see B1 above! – Became a Co-Founder for the Purpose Hotel
- Item 1 above, or donate 10% of my salary
- Create a Charity…give back to the [b] degree. Become a B-anthropist
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C. Adventures, Experiences and Stuff
- Start writing my bucket list – ONGOING (here it is…work in progress)
- Ride in a Helicopter COMPLETED (3 times to date: Flew a Robinson Helicopters w S. Aman’s instructor. Gold Coast Australia 1996. Vancouver – Whistler 200ish)
- Take a cruise with Becky and Boys COMPLETED (Aug 2013, Disney Magic – Mediterranean. Another to follow)
- Travel by Private Jet COMPLETED (Gulfstream III – Long Beach, California to Colorado to Wyoming to Nevada back to California – One Amazing week.)Camp on a deserted Tropical Island and see the sunrise
- Do the above again!
- Speak at a Ted and/or Ted X event
- Drink a Black & Tan in England (This may not happen. I asked for one…and almost got thrown out of the bar. There must be some history here..)
- Collect 100,000 air miles (in the air) in one year
- Road trip….coast to coast in the USA
- Learn to Scuba Dive COMPLETED (Advance PADI Certification – have dived Catalina Island CA, Hawaii, Bermuda, Yucatan Peninsula-Cancun & Cozumel and Puerto Rico…more placed to follow) Climb a mountain..(a BIG mountain). Any will do
- Swim with Dolphins COMPLETED (Becky and I swam with them in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico +/- 2001)
- Spend time backstage at a concert (I did hang “on” stage with Mishka & Heather Nova…see video I took HERE)
- See the sunrise every day for one week COMPLETED (When living at SpencerIsland @ Oxford, Mangrove Bay…I saw that everyday…)
- Collect sand from around the world COMPLETED and ONGOING (Currently; Black Beach Hawaii, Bermuda, Cape Cod, 2013 – Turks & Caicos Islands…2013 – Santa Margherita, Italy, 2013 – Barcelona, Spain)
- Create my own drink and/or dish, and get it on the menu at a bar or restaurant
- Visit Disney World COMPLETED (surprise trip in April 2011 with Tommy & Bryan – from Bermuda to Orlando)Accept people for who they are (this one is ongoing)
- Fly a plane COMPLETED (with Dave Williams – California to Nevada)
- Watch my boys (without them knowing) playing together…nicely! COMPLETED and ONGOING (This continues to be on my list…even though I have seen this…on only a “few” occasions…)
- Spend time in Bermuda with my favorite cousin Cari and her boys COMPLETED (Aug 2014! Had a GREAT week with Cari, and family…)
- Spend time in Bermuda with my sister Katie and her family
- Hot Air Balloon
- Tattoo (hmmm I have some ideas!) – Getting closer to ticking this one off…
- Go to a Major racing event with my Dad and boys together – but not in California
- Get plastered with locals in another country (Didn’t get plastered….but had a few drinks in London with the Jupp family! – Cayman 2018?)
- Meet Sir Richard Branson
- Meet Phil Keoghan COMPLETED (met in Bermuda in January 2012 and he invited Becky, the boys and I to a private screening of his movie “The Ride”)
- Meet Jimmy Buffett
- Meet Spencer Antle, Creative Director of the Island Company and Island Company Rum (2014)
- Live walking distance to the beach COMPLETED (Bermuda: 2007 – present + Dec 2013 – when we had 2 private beaches)
- Fly in a seaplane in the Caribbean
- Get paid to travel – Jan 2018; Due to my NEW position at work, I am now spending more time traveling to our Caribbean regions…so this is sort of ticked off the list?
- Be debt free
- Meet the Saarloos Family. (COMPLETED: First met in Los Olivos, April 2017….and then spent time in Oahu, Hawaii….for a week during an amazing wedding! Sept 2017, had a Vineyard tour with Keith as my son was driving behind us in Tommy’s jeep!)
- Raise my boys to be caring, love to cook, sew, live on their own and give back (work in progress)
- Obtain dual citizenship (see A7 above)
- Enjoy the best Bloody Mary in the world (I WILL LEAVE THIS OPEN BUT: Jan 2014, Florence, Italy…at Hemmingway’s…believe it or not. Blended Tomatoes, ask Kathy Perry)
- Stand on the Equator (Galapagos? Equador?)
- Take a trip where I will be required to carry 5 different types of currency. (Jan 2014, U.S. Dollar, Bermudian Dollar, British Pound & Euro. Close…but still cannot tick off the list!)
- Take my boys to the Desert…and go Motorcycle/Quad riding. Like I did as a kid. (ALMOST COMPLETED: Oct 2019, spent a few hours at Pismo Beach, California, with both boys…as we rented Quads. The boys had a BLAST! Was a great day!)
- Do a retreat with Becky. Self improvement.
- Build some amazing friendships with individuals around the world. (Ongoing….daily)
- Learn an instrument. (Currently teaching myself the ukelele)
- Read 10 Books a year. (In 2020, my goal was 12 and I read 17). In 2021, I will increased my goal to 20!)
- Educate. Continue to learn and educate my self. Every month in the year, I will be learning something new.
- Participate in the Mongol Rally. Quick trailer here. Thanks for introducing me J. Singleton!
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D. Plan [b] – Do the right thing (Also see Share the Wealth above)
- Give back (work in progress – see B1, 4 & 5 above)
- Be published for “doing the right thing” COMPLETED (currently….3 times, found a wallet in the reefs in Bermuda which I sent back to the owner, helped out Bermuda local Johnny Barnes , bringing Bermuda’s largest Cancer Fundraiser to Bermuda – Relay For Life….and another Relay For Life article…..can’t wait to list the next item here: ___________ ) Oh…and Bucket List item B2 (above) – Actually…see Plan B News
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E. Places to see with my own eyes
- Once a year go someplace you’ve never been before:
- 2023 | Jan – Cambridge, UK. After spending time in London on Business, Becky flew out to spend a few days in London, and then up to visit friends in Whaddon, Royston area. Visited Cambridge…which is a “must return” trip. Soon, Cambridge, soon..
- 2022 | July/Aug – Staten Island, NY. Spent time in NYC w Ryan looking at the Film Academy he wishes to go to in 2023 and then a week on Staten Island. Also popped to the Jersey Shore and the Stables and Home of Matt & Dara. Earlier in July vacationed on LKN aka Lake Norman, North Carolina (visited Beaver Trash Cove, Matt & Jen Power, proprietors) – First vacation off Bermuda w Becky (and Alexandra, Darren & Arden Mosher) without the kids. Was “A” mazing.
- 2021 – COVID
- 2020 | Jan (went to Florence, but not my first time) MUST go somewhere new. – Due to COVID, travel came to a stop after returning to Bermuda from London/Italy.
- 2019 | UGH – Could this be the year that I have NOT gone somewhere new?
- 2018 | Jan (spent time London with my family. This was “their” first time!) Feb 2018: Cayman Island & Bahamas; Sep (Hong Kong & Bali) – Celebrated our 21st Wedding Anniversary in Bali.
- 2017 | Apr 2017: Oahu, Hawaii (w Family), Jan 2017: Berlin, Germany (WOW)
- 2016 | Jan 2016: Sevilla, Spain (I will return with Becky)
- 2015 | Oct/Nov 2015: Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia…Fried Chicken, Grits and Sweet Tea…or Fire Fly with Lemon aid!
- 2014 | Oct 2014: Vermont | Jan 2014: London, England
- 2013 | Turks & Caicos and later in the year Barcelona, Spain; Monte Carlo & Eze, France; Monaco; Portofino, Santa Margherita, Capri, Sorrento & Pompeii, Italy
- Visit Australia COMPLETED (Dec 1996 – Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast)Visit Australia with Becky (& boys)
- Visit Italy COMPLETED (Jan 2015: Florence, Jan 2014: Rome, 2013: Portofino, Santa Margherita, Capri, Sorrento & Pompeii, 2004 or 2005: Rome, Florence & Venice)
- Visit France COMPLETED (Aug 2013: Monte Carlo & Èze)V
- isit London, U.K. COMPLETED (Jan 13, 2014: DONE – and 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) Jan 2018, visited London, U.K. with Becky (& boys)
- Visit Bali – COMPLETED: (Sept 2018 – Celebrated our 21st Wedding Anniversary) – Maybe, just maybe, live in Bali 3-6 months out of the year.
- Visit Costa Rica
- Visit Spain COMPLETED (Jan 2016: Sevilla, Aug-Sept 2013: Amazing in Barcelona – will come back with Becky.)
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- Visit Greece (added 19 Oct 17; Navagio Beach, Zakynthos, Greece)
- Take my boys to (Barcelona Football Stadium COMPLETED – Camp Nou was in Aug 2013) and Old Trafford (Manchester Football Field)
- See the Northern lights
- Watch sea turtles hatch and make their way into the ocean. (not sure where, maybe Heron Island, Australia almost Bali)
- Visit South America (Argentina and/or Brazil…or both)
- Visit Necker Island
- Visit New York City with Becky and the Boys COMPLETED– (Visited August 2014.)
- Visit Copenhagen, Denmark…as referenced in the World Happiness Report 2013
- Attend the Holi Festival – Holi also known as the festival of colours or the festival of Sharing love. It is an ancient Hindu religious festival which has become popular with non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia, as well as people of other communities outside Asia.
- Visit Minnesota to visit good friends and to have our first hotdish… WOW…a hotdish made the bucket list! Ya betcha. Really, just to see friends…you know who you are 😉 )
- Visit Rockport, Massachusetts
- Visit the Florida Keys, including Islamorada & Key West – Visited Dave & Maria Bootle, 2 weeks before they were hit by Hurricane Irma.
- Visit Hawaii with the Family (Becky and I already did a little scuba in Maui + a few cheeseburger’s in paradise – but in April 2017, we were able to spend time in Oahu, Disney’s Aulani Resort with the entire Family for Bryan & Tommy’s Wedding – Met some AMAZING people that will be in our lives forever!)
- Visit and hike the Haiku Stairs aka Stairway to Heaven in Hawaii (Unfortunately, there was some crazy security so we climbed the Koko Crater Trail)
- Visit Germany (Visited Jan 2017) & drive the Autobahn (Did not drive the Aurobaun, but drove 180 kmh in a turbo VW)
- Visit Sweden with family. As of 2020/2021, this is at the top of Dylan’s travel list.
- Visit Belgium (have a nice cold beer with new friends…and visit Relay friends.)
- Swim with Stingrays in Cayman (Check! June 2018)
- Spend time in Alaska with my Sister Katie’s Family and my Family, including Dad and Cousin Cari and her family.
To be continued….
“Every experience counts…”
Last updated on 26 January 2023 – SpencerIsland Headquarters, Bermuda