As I am back from vacation and settling into my routine, these flashes from different moments of last week keep popping up in my mind.
I can’t help but be amazed at the wonderful adventures I got to participate in… Watching the launch of the SpaceX rocket from the beach is way on the top of my list… the beautiful sunrises and sunsets over the ocean… exploring new surroundings and many more…
There is one adventure that tops them all, and some of you might think it lesser to the launch of the rocket, but in the end, it does mean more to me since I was an active participant in this one:
A 2.5 hr kayak tour on the Indian & Banana Rivers in search of manatees and dolphins. Sound exciting yet?!? Well, here’s the story. All of my vacation week the weather was a bit iffy and changing constantly, which, I guess, is pretty normal when one lives on the coast. So, this tour was scheduled for 12pm and only a mild shower was supposed to happen at that time, but then clear up quickly.
Well, the tour guide, 2 other kayakers and myself started off and wouldn’t you know it?!? It started raining. And it wasn’t just a quick shower, yet nobody complained... Afterall, we had agreed to set off even with possible rain in the forecast. The overall feeling was that of calmness and curiosity. I couldn’t help but smile. We kept paddling along, conversing with our guide and even saw a couple of manatees. As huge blue herons were flying past us, marking their displeasure at our presence with loud squawking, we kept going as the rain came and went, and came and went again. IT WAS EXHILARATING! Being out there, in nature, getting super wet and not even caring about it was strangely satisfying. For the last part of the tour our guide lead us through what I call the Mangrove Tunnels. What an amazing experience. There were areas where we had to pull ourselves along by grabbing the roots of these beautiful trees for there was no room for the paddles. A-MA-ZING! Now hang in there with me… for here is my point with all of this:
This tour has had such an impact on me that I truly feel that it is bucket list worthy!
But, wait… I don’t HAVE a bucket list. Hmmm. Now what?!? I have been blessed with a personality that actually does not like to make lists. However, I do realize that many times making a list is rather good, very pro-active and helps me keep things more organized. And yet … no bucket list! And you know what? That is ok. It is rather exciting to say yes to something that you are scared of, or that you are trying out for the first time. I had kayaked before, but not under these conditions and through those tunnels. When it was time to paddle back onto shore I kinda smiled at the tour guide and jokingly said, “I’ll see you back here in an hour!” Well, I was actually rather serious for I’d had too much fun. And when I sat back in my car with the heat blasting at me in order to not get cold from my still wet shirt, I marveled at how this tour had become a not-yet on my bucket list bucket list checked off item.
The morale of this story is this:
Yes, have a bucket list by all means… but… if you don’t, don’t sweat it… but DO go out there trying out new things… whatever they may be… and surprise, surprise… your bucket list with checked-off adventures on it will build itself as you are living life all along!
