The end of a year is typically a catalyst for deep thoughts that usually evolve around what you did the past year and what you plan for the next year. Everyone sits down and sets those unattainable or undesirable resolutions. This year, I am challenging you to not set any resolutions in changing your body, unhappiness in your job, or lack of motivation but instead, I am challenging you to be positive and invest in your dreams. In my mind, New Year resolutions get a bad rap because people mock how soon they cave to a resolution. You have seen the dieting resolution memes where someone starts their new diet at 8:00am but at 11:00am they end up eating a donut. Making yourself miserable is not the way to go. Dreaming, planning, and pursuing- that is the goal.

Be a goal digger.

This is more about dreams and aspirations and marching toward a goal (or in this case, several)! Yes, today I sharing my ultimate bucket list.

I am sure everyone is familiar with the phrase “bucket list” and you have probably seen the movie of the same name with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. If not, to sum it up in one sentence, a “bucket list” is essentially a list of everything you dream to do before you “kick the bucket.” I know that it sounds a little morbid but honestly, I think its perfect because it gives you a “kick” in the pants to actually write down your ultimate goals and to hopefully give you the motivation to knock some off your list. I created a list about 7 years ago and I am proud to say I have crossed some off my lists.

As I experience different things in my life, my dreams change and evolve so I wanted to share my ever-evolving list as well as share some of my experiences with the ones I marked off. Let me warn you by saying that most of my list includes traveling. Some are large goals that may never happen and some are so small and so simple to cross off.

The simple act of dreaming, planning, and actively pursuing your dreams is the whole point.

my ultimate bucket list

1. Buy a brand new car all on my own
2. Drink tea in London
3. Visit Santorini, Greece.
4. learn to knit
5. visit the many gorgeous colors of the tulips fields in the Netherlands
6. Celebrate a holiday in a different country
7. Experience Christmas-time in New York City. Visiting the large Christmas tree and ice skate in Rockefeller Plaza is a must.
8. Similarly, go to the New Years Eve event in Time Square at least once in my life. I imagine it will be a nightmare with the amount of people there but to truly experience that amount of excitement and hear Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York playing – man what a dream!
9. Float in the Dead Sea
10. Photograph a celebrity (and not in a paparazzi type situation)
11. Stay in an all-inclusive situation or 5 star resort
12. Meet a world leader
13. Visit the Swiss Alps
14. Write a book and be on the New York Times Bestsellers List
15. Road trip around Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. I just picture riding along the rocky coastline, drinking at Napa wineries, and even hugging a redwood tree.
16. See Maroon 5 in concert because duh, Adam Levine.
17. Ride a camel
18. on a similar note, ride an elephant
19. Go on a solo trip overseas
20. Visit 6 of the 7 continents that have civilizations. Sorry Antartica, but we can’t be friends.
21. Fly first class
22. Walk on a glacier
23. Go to the floating lantern festival
24. Buy the dream farm house with my own home office, original craftsman wood features, and large kitchen
25. Experience the Northern Lights and photograph them.
26. Stand under/behind a waterfall
27. Go on a safari
28. Have a truly white Christmas that I remember (apparently it happened once but no recollection)
29. Pay off my student loans (halfway there!)
30. Stomp grapes
31. Throw a dart at a map and just go wherever it leads
32. Buy this amazing historic building in downtown Ashburn, renovate the top floor to be a large loft/studio space and the bottom floor as some type of boutique stores: coffee shop with baristas, bakery with old men having breakfast there every morning gossiping, maybe even a cool used book store.
33. Go on a cruise
34. Find a cookbook I love and cook every recipe in the book
35. Master a new language
36. touch a pyramid
37. Find the balance between my work and my personal life. Setting boundaries.
38. Sleep in a castle
39. Visit all 50 states (41 down!)
40. Find something I love that I could get a tattoo of – I have yet to find anything I want permanently on my body.
41. Have the courage to do something daring: skydiving, cliff jumping, or parasailing. I want to feel that moment of freedom and weightlessness

Marked off items from my list

1. Go outside of the country. Check, check, and check.
2. Travel to Italy and visit as many cities as possible (gallery here, here, and here!)
3. Attend the Palio race in Siena 
4. Pose with the leaning tower of Pisa
5. Ride in a limo
6. Learn from a mentor.
7. climb a lighthouse
8. Have no credit card debt
9. Swim in the Mediterranean Sea
10. experience a sunset at the Grand Canyon
11. Make homemade fresh pasta in Italy!  
12. Graduate college
13. Kiss in the rain
14. Go skiing
15. extract honey from a bee hive
16. Ride in a gondola
17. Fall in love
18. Drive along Route 66 (see here, here,  and here!)
19. Visit New York and ride the subway
20. Paint a car at the cadillac ranch – did this twice!
21. Visit Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana. Photos here and here!
22. Go to a Michael Buble Concert. Swoon. Gotta do that again.
23. Start my own business and open a storefront
24. learn how to use chopsticks
25. Visit the giant white sands in New Mexico
26. Go on a spontaneous road trip
27. See a tall cactus. You know what I mean – those cacti that are like this emoji with arms. 🌵
28. Ride in horse and carriage
29. Visit Paris, France and go to the Eiffel tower. This was a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I had pictures of Paris all over my bedroom growing up and it was so incredible to finally visit Summer 2013.
30. Visit a poppy field in Europe.
31. Witness the gushing waters of Niagara Falls

What are your hopes and dreams? Have you ever dreamt of a goal, planned it, and pursued? My challenge to you is to take 10 minutes, a pen, and any paper you can get your hands on and write down your own bucket list.

Invest in your dreams. 

xx,
Sami

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