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 life is lived in the big and the little, the spectacular and the everyday.

Over the course of the last several years, 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.

  1. Donate enough money to have my name on something at West Point
  2. Celebrate the 4th of July in Boston - DONE!!
  3. Win 1st place in my age group in a race - DONE!!
  4. Cross something off a friend's life list together - DONE!!
  5. Sing in a symphony chorus
  6. Go to the Olympic Games
  7. Watch Army play in a bowl game in person - DONE!!
  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 - DONE!!
  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 - DONE!!
  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 - DONE!!
  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
  47. See a baseball game in every MLB stadium
  48. Take a Cross Country Skiing vacation
There are plenty of things I've done in the last couple of years for which I haven't updated on a blog, but I will try to do that here and there as I look back at the things that make up the extraordinary life with which I've been gifted!.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!

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