Build A Bucket List To Find The Perfect Travel Destination
- by Dylan Dembrow
- – on
- in Lifestyle
There are few things more exciting than having some time off from work or school. But knowing exactly what to do with that time off can be a bit of a quandary. While there’s nothing wrong with hanging around the house and catching up on some chores and Netflix, sometimes an individual needs to take a much-needed vacation. And if they can cross a few items off their bucket list at the same time, it’s all for the better.
However, many people don’t actually take the time and sit down to think of the extracurricular activities they want to accomplish in their lives. The day-to-day grind can be exhausting enough that when one finally gets home for the evening, the last thing they want to do is plan an adventure. So let’s plan one together by figuring out which items would make it onto the bucket list, and see how they would correspond with a travel destination.
There are countless countries, cities, and natural wonders in the world to explore. But since time is of the essence, finding one that's the best fit is of the utmost importance. So let's try to define a sense of adventure and figure out the dream destination!
Want to go skydiving?
Skydiving may not be quiet as safe as bungee jumping, but the idea of jumping out of a plane with nothing keeping you attached to the earth is surely a feeling like no other. But while some may find the prospect exhilarating, others would be downright terrified even to just board a small plane.
Want to eat something that’s still alive?
For some people, even just the idea of eating something that’s still raw — like sushi — is enough to make them squirm. But there are others who love to expand their food horizons, all the way to eating something that’s still alive. After all, it can’t get any fresher than that.
Want to climb a mountain?
Not only is hiking up a mountain a fantastic workout, it could also give someone the most rewarding and beautiful views that they’ve ever seen. But hiking up a hill for hours on end is not something that one can go into without any training, meaning it might be too much of an undertaking for some people.
Want to run a marathon?
A marathon is just over 26 miles (or 42 kilometers), meaning it’s no small undertaking even for those who consider themselves to be in great shape. But actually completing one is something that very few people can say they’ve done in their life, making it an aspiration to many. Are you one of them?
Want to travel to a new country?
There’s only so much that someone can see by staying in their own country. So if taking in views and learning about other cultures is something you’re into, there’s going to come a time when you have to hop on a plane for a lengthy flight — if you haven’t already that is.
Want to learn a new language?
The older one gets, the harder it is to pick up a second language. Meaning that if this is on your bucket list, it may be something you want to get to sooner rather than later. Not only will this help keep your brain sharp, but it will also make traveling abroad a whole lot easier.
Want to ride in a hot air balloon?
Although traveling in a plane is statistically way safer than driving in a car, someone people still have a hard time flying anywhere. If you’re one of them, then surely going for a ride in a hot air balloon is out of the cards. Unless facing your fear is a priority.
Want to walk the Great Wall of China?
As children, many of us used to hear that the Great Wall was so big it could actually be seen from the moon. But in truth, this isn’t actually the case. Even still, the Great Wall is considered one of the most impressive man-made marvels of the world, making it a must-visit to many.
Want to experience weightlessness?
Many children grow up dreaming of becoming astronauts. But the older they get, the less desirable (and unrealistic) this job actually seems. Still, many would be thrilled at the chance of getting to experience weightlessness, which can be achieved through a zero-gravity flight. It may be pricey, but the out-of-this-world sensation may well be worth it.
Want to learn to ballroom dance?
For many people, dancing is nothing more than packing into a club or a bar and jumping up and down with their friends. But learning to ballroom dance is something else entirely. While it may not be as fun at first, it will definitely be a more impressive skill to have the older one gets.
Want to visit the Colosseum?
Most people will only ever see the Colosseum in movies — where the structure is actually portrayed much larger than its real-life counterpart. That being said, visiting this piece of ancient Romain history is truly a once in a lifetime experience, as it’s not everyday one gets to see something so impressive that was built nearly 2,000 years ago.
Want to learn to sail a boat?
Sailing might seem like an antiquated technology, but it’s still a pretty impressive skill to be able to go out on the water and navigate oneself using nothing but the wind. That also means that this hobby takes a lot of dedication and quite possibly a lot of money to accomplish.
Want to spend the night in a haunted house?
For some people, simply going to an amusement park haunted houses around Halloween is scary enough. But what about the actual prospect of spending the night in a supposedly real-world haunted house? Does this sound like a nightmare? Or a legitimate thrill? Whether or not someone actually believes in ghosts might be the deciding factor.
Want to take a cross country road trip?
Some people can’t stand taking road trips. Why drive hours when one can fly there for a fraction of the time? But sometimes a road trip is an adventure unto itself, and there’s a lot more one can do and see on a lengthy road trip with a ton of stops on the way to their destination.
Want to sleep under the stars?
Plenty of people will go camping at one point or another in their life. But many of them will end up sleeping in a cabin or at the very least in a tent. But does the idea of sleeping out in the fresh air sound like something you want to do before you kick the bucket?
Want to swim with sharks?
Here’s a task that only the boldest of thrill-seekers will be looking to accomplish. Many people are scared of the ocean without sharks. So the idea of actually heading out to actively swim alongside these terrifying sea creatures sounds like an absolute nightmare to many rather than a life goal.
Want to run with the bulls?
There are plenty of bull runs to participate in around the world these days. But if it’s truly one of the things on your bucket list, you might as well go for broke and venture to Pamplona, Spain, where you can participate in the most famous bull run in the world.
Want to learn how to surf?
Surfing may seem like a far less harmless undertaking than both swimming with sharks and running with the bulls, but anything that takes place in the unpredictable ocean is not something one should go into lightly. So anyone that wants to learn surfing at some point better make sure they’re a strong swimmer first.
Want to get a tattoo?
Tattoos are a lot less taboo than they used to be, with plenty of people — no matter their walk of life or profession — sporting some ink somewhere on their body. But for many people, they’re not opposed to the idea of getting a tattoo, they’re just waiting for an idea that seems worthy of something so permanent.
Want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower?
Paris is no doubt toward the top of many people’s lists of cities they want to visit. And if one is going to make the trip to one of the most romantic cities in the world, they might as well also go to the trouble of taking a trip all the way to the top of Paris’s most recognizable structure.
Want to write a novel?
For many people, the idea of writing as a hobby was destroyed through countless high school and college essays. But creative writing is something else entirely, and many people have no doubt had story ideas that would work great in a novel. But few actually commit the ideas to paper.
Want to be on a game show?
Thanks to HQ Trivia, many people feel like they’re a guest on a game show every single day. But there’s still a big difference between playing a game at home and going in front of a live studio audience and appearing on a show like The Price is Right or Jeopardy. The prizes are a lot bigger too.
Want to walk across hot coals?
With the earliest example of firewalking dating back to 1200 AD, many are probably wondering why this right of passage is still a thing. However, because the material that’s usually used isn’t a great conductor of heat, this exercise is more about bravery than it is actually burning one’s feet.
Want to visit the Great Pyramid of Giza?
It’s hard to fathom how this massive structure was built without the use of modern machinery. In fact, many continue to theorize today how the ancient Egyptians ever managed to build such a marvel — which was the tallest man-made structure in the world for nearly 4,000 years. So is the Great Pyramid a must-see on your bucket list?
Want to take a polar bear plunge?
Many people can’t stand to even take a shower when the hot water tank is broken, so forget about the idea of jumping into a lake in the dead of winter. However, most polar bear plunges aren’t just for the experience, but their profits often go to help local charities as well.
Want to learn how to fly?
Here’s another bucket list item that will likely be getting a “No” from many simply due to the amount of time investment that it requires. So while it might be nice to know how to fly a small plane and go anywhere one wants, they simply don’t have the time or money to put into it.
Want to give a best man/ maid of honor speech?
While many people enjoy going to weddings, most would agree that there better when you can just sit back and enjoy the festivities. But at some point in your life, it might be a nice honor to be named the best man/ maid of honor, especially if you can successfully face your fears and give an impressive wedding speech.
Want to be in a play?
Because we live in such a celebrity-dominated culture, many people grow up fantasizing about being in the spotlight. And what better way to do so then taking part in a local play? It’s far easier than flying to Hollywood and hoping for the best, and the small brush with “fame” might just be all you were looking for.
Want to be an extra in a film?
Often times, when movies need to incorporate huge crowds into their story they often invite locals to play extras in the movie. While this may mean that an individual never appears any larger than a speck on the screen, it would still be a cool addition to anyone’s list of life accomplishments.
Want to see the Northern Lights?
If you’re someone who is into stargazing or watching meteor showers, then seeing the Northern Lights might just be the thing to add to your bucket list. This means that one is going to have to travel to someplace like Alaska or Northern Canada and get away from the cities to experience this natural wonder.
