"A dangerous dreamer:" Some things I wanna do before I kick the bucket …

All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.
T.E. Lawrence

I’m a dreamer. Always have been; always will be. The first time I heard of a bucket list, though, I was slightly put off by the idea—it just seemed so morbid to itemize the things I want to do before I die, as though it’s some race to make sure I accomplish my dreams in case I meet an untimely end. But then I thought about it some more and realized it’s actually a pretty great idea. Why not dream big and then set out to reach those dreams—whether I live to be 30 or 103? Too many people have dreams they never realize. Even worse, some people don’t dream at all.

For me, dreams are equivalent to goals. If I dream something for long enough, I do everything I can to turn it into reality. So, I started my bucket list a long time ago. It began with just a few things, but I’ve slowly added to it over the years. As my desires turn into reality, I put a check next to them, but I leave them on the list to remind myself to always, always dream, and never stop chasing those dreams. I have them for a reason.

Below is my bucket list. Then, some of my favorite quotes about dreaming.

Do you have a bucket list? If so, what’s on it? If not, why don’t you have one? E-mail me or comment—I’d love to hear what other people have on their lists.

I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
William Butler Yeats

My Bucket List

Learn a foreign language, then visit the country where I can converse with native speakers

Live in Europe (Did it!)

Compete in a dance competition

Go canyoning in the Alps (Did it!)

Adopt a child

Dance in the rain

Attend surf school

Go on safari in Africa

Drive a car over 100 miles per hour

Be in two places at once (and capture it on camera!)

Set foot in every U.S. state

See a U2 concert in Ireland

Swim with dolphins

Take a cooking class in Italy (Did it!)

Compete in a triathlon

Spend Christmas in the Austrian Tyrol

See 4th of July fireworks in New York City

Live in New York City

Skinny dip in the ocean

Make a wish on a falling star (Did it!)

See a whale playing in the ocean (Did it!)

Spend the night on the beach under the stars

Take a trip around the world

Write a book

Swim in the Mediterranean Sea (Did it!)

Be baptized in the Sea of Gallilee


Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.
Henry David Thoreau

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.
Andre Gide

Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.
Ashley Smith

The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment, when you are between asleep and awake, when you don't know the difference between reality and fantasy, when for just that one moment you feel with your entire soul that the dream is reality, and it really happened.
Unknown

There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.
Douglas H. Everett

Dreams are illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you.
Marsha Norman