40 Before 40: The Ultimate Adventure Bucket List

It’s happening.  I’ve denied it.  I’ve ignored it.  I’ve tried to go the other direction. But, it’s happening.  I am turning 40 exactly one year and one month from today.  Cue the violins.

What’s with the whole “over the hill” thing anyway? Sheesh!  The way I see it is if 40 is “over the hill”, 39 must be the summit, and I don’t intend on wasting it.

For the past two months, I’ve been putting together my 40 before 40 bucket list.  I have picked things off the ever growing list I keep in my journal.  I have poached ideas from other people’s bucket lists.  I have searched the Pinterest bottomless pit of life’s must dos.  I have only included experiences I’ve never had before, and it’s going to be legen…wait for it….dary.  You fellow 40ish year olds will get that reference;).

Without any further buildup, here’s the list:

1. Swim with manatees ✅
2. Go on a train trip in the US✅
3. Stay in an igloo or ice hotel ✅
4. Drive on Route 66 ✅
5. Go dog sledding ✅
6. Go fat tire biking✅
7. Play a game of paint ball ✅
8. Go snowboarding ✅
9. Learn to play the guitar ✅
10. Drive a tank✅
11. Have coffee on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas ✅
12. Walk on the yellow brick road in the Land of OZ (No, I am not losing my mind.  It’s a real place in Beech Mountain, NC.)✅
13. Edge walk at Toronto’s CN tower✅
14. Go horseback riding on a beach ✅
15. Milk a cow or a goat✅
16. Sleep in a yurt ✅
17. Go flyboarding✅
18. Go on a solo trip (not for business)✅
19. Place a bet on a horse✅
20. Hike “The Narrows” at Zion National Park, UT✅
21. Participate in a Chinese tea tasting✅
22. Walk on the Great Wall of China✅
23. Shuck oysters✅
24. Wade in a cranberry bog✅
25. Do a Polar Plunge✅
26. Hit the archery bulls-eye ✅
27. Go curling ✅
28. Take fencing lessons✅
29. Go skeet shooting✅
30. See the Terra Cotta Army✅
31. Ride a Segway✅
32. Sleep in a capsule hotel✅
33. Hike into Antelope Canyon, Arizona✅
34. Have my palm read✅
35. Go Zorbing✅
36. Go on a family camping trip✅
37. Go hang gliding✅
38. Go to a trampoline park for a date night✅
39. Go spelunking✅
40. Sleep in a covered wagon or a gypsy wagon✅

I know.  It’s probably more like a two bucket list, but I’m determined to make it happen.  You are only at the summit once, right?  Well…wrong….I plan on acting like a kid for years and years to come, but it’s an excellent excuse for a bucket full of fun!

I’ll be writing about each experience as I check them off the list.  It’s going to be an exciting (maybe a little wild) ride!

So, who’s signing up for the Polar Plunge with me?

Update:  Mission accomplished!  The 40 Before 40 Bucket List is complete.  Turns out I was better at completing the adventures than I was a writing about them on the blog.  Oops!  Check out this video recap: