My Life List

The Bucket List, Hopes & Dreams, Life Goals, Things To Do. People call it all kinds of things. I call it my Life List, because in the spirit of Coussoule 365, life is lived in the big and the little, the spectacular and the everyday.

Over the course of the last year and a half, I've captured and crossed off a few aspirations and destinations on my own list. It has been a wonderful touchstone for me and an inspiring place to begin race and travel planning, among other things. I feel like it's become a big enough deal for me and my family, it deserves its own page on my blog now, a place I can go to see how I'm doing with accomplishments and to add the cool ideas that strike me along the way.

1. Donate enough money to have my name on something at West Point
2. Celebrate the 4th of July in Boston
3. Win 1st place in my age group in a race - DONE!!
4. Cross something off a friend's life list together
5. Sing in a symphony chorus
6. Go to the Olympic Games
7. Watch Army play in a bowl game in person
8. Take a train as my primary mode of transportation on a trip or vacation
9. See my cousin Jay perform live
10. Become a published author
11. Visit the American Cemetery in Normandy
12. Take my kids to the Army/Navy game
13. Be in Punxsutawney on Groundhog Day
14. Run a marathon in all 50 states
15. See Mt. Rushmore - DONE!!
16. Take a Creative Writing course
17. Go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC 
18. Buy something at the actual brick-and-mortar Akinz, my cousin Suzanne's retail store - DONE!!
19. Swim around Key West
20. Watch the Dallas Cowboys play a regular season game in Cowboys Stadium
21. Spend a whole day riding roller coasters and amusement park rides with my kids - DONE!!
22. Give a graduation speech
23. Tour the White House
24. Complete a full Ironman Triathlon
25. Hike some of the Appalachian Trail
26. Grow strawberries in my garden - DONE!!
27. Learn to surf
28. Visit Yellowstone National Park - DONE!!
29. Sew matching outfits for my daughter and her American Girl doll
30. Qualify for and run the Boston Marathon 
31. Decorate a fancy cake, like one from a bakery
32. Cook / bake every single recipe in a cookbook
33. Own season tickets to something
34. See the Rose Parade in person
35. Take a vacation with my sister Susannah, just the two of us
36. Read a biography of every U.S. President
37. See Lenny Kravitz in concert
38. Own a convertible
39. Take my kids on a Civil War staff ride vacation
40. Apply to be a contestant on The Amazing Race
41. See the California Redwoods
42. Walk underneath / behind a waterfall
43. Legitimately begin a presentation with the words, "My fellow Americans..."
44. Ride my bike across a state
45. Hike to the most remote spot in the lower 48
46. Ride my bike through a national park

Hopefully, I'll have periodic updates to share with you on the blog. Y'all feel free to leave me a comment if you have something I need to add, or a recommendation on how to accomplish something on my list. Here's to many years and opportunities to add and complete my aspirations and destinations!