20 Adventures Everyone Should Add To Their Bucket List
These 20 ideas are a must-add to any bucket list! Live your life to the fullest and cross these off as you go!
1. Dart Travel
You may have heard of dart traveling already but in case you haven’t, dart traveling is when you blindly throw a dart at a map and go to whatever state or country it lands on. You can do this with a world map or specific part of the world such as just the United States of America. Of course, if you are using a world map, the chances of you getting a location out of your country is high, so do this with enough time to save!
Dart traveling should be on everyone’s bucket list because it forces you to be spontaneous and perhaps visit a place you wouldn’t have visited prior. You never know, you could be discovering the place you’d love to move to!
2. Learn to Snorkel or SCUBA Dive
Many people are fearful of the ocean but learning to snorkel or SCUBA dive is something everyone should have on your bucket list. The ocean covers 71% of the Earth’s surface, aren’t you curious? The underwater world is a totally different world and the beauty it holds is remarkable.
There’s something very peaceful about snorkeling or SCUBA diving and everything is much calmer under the waves. Learning to snorkel or SCUBA dive is something that everyone should do at least once in their lifetime!
3. Watch the Sunrise
For anyone who’s ever watched a sunrise, you know why doing so is something everyone should experience! Often times, we forget how amazing the world really is. With all the stress we face on a day to day basis, it’s easy to forget that living on Earth is truly a miracle. Think about it, everything had to be perfect for us to be here. Realizing this is quite humbling and watching the sunrise is a great way to reconnect with the earth and feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and peace.
Watching the sunrise isn’t a difficult thing to do and no matter where you are, you can do this. Put this on your bucket list and you won’t regret it!
4. Go to a Music Festival
Going to a music festival is already on a lot of people’s bucket lists. If it’s not already on yours, consider adding it! People go to music festivals for various reasons but there is something so unifying about being in a place where everyone is there for (usually) the same reason.
Music has a way of bringing people together and that shows when you go to a music festival. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to go to a music festival. Yes, many music festivals cost a lot of money, but many don’t! Add this to your bucket list and experience unity and great music at the same time!
5. Adopt
Whether you want to adopt a child or an animal, adoption is something everyone should experience! Adoption is a huge responsibility but you are giving an opportunity to a being who may not have had those opportunities otherwise.
Many of the people and animals who are put up for adoption have never experienced love or a family and how amazing is it that you have the ability to change that? Of course, you should only adopt when you are fully prepared, but it is something everyone should at least consider.
If you can’t adopt, you can still give this love by volunteering! There’s always something you can do!
6. Travel Alone
Traveling alone may sound scary, but you don’t need to travel to a different country alone! Traveling alone, even if it’s just to the desert or mountains for the weekend, is something everyone should experience.
Traveling alone is not only freeing, but is a great way to build independence, empowering, and a way to explore yourself. When traveling alone, you can also do whatever you want, whenever you want which is just an added bonus!
7. Do Something That Scares You
We all have something we want to do but are too scared to do it. Whether you want to go skydiving, bungee jumping, or even something like applying to college, we all have something that seems too scary. Facing your fears is what makes us grow. Think about it, the first time you did anything like going to school for the first time was scary, but you did it!
Doing the things that scare you will increase your confidence, make you stronger, and you will be proving to yourself that you can do it! Stepping out of your comfort zone is something everyone should do. So if you have an activity penciled in on your bucket list, write it in ink! Prove to yourself you can do what scares you!
8. Visit at Least 1 of the 7 Wonders
Depending on which list you look at, the Seven Wonders are different. However, the classic Seven Wonders include The Great Pyramid of Giza, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, The Colossus of Rhodes, The Lighthouse of Alexandria. However, there are hundreds of wonders in the world which have now expanded to The Great Wall of China, Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro, Machu Picchu in Peru, Chichen Itza in Mexico, The Roman Colosseum, The Taj Mahal, and Petra in Jordan.
Visiting at least one of the wonders of the world should be on everyone’s bucket list! Not only will these wonders urge you to step out of your comfort zone but you will also be exploring the world!
9. Write a Book
Before you totally write this one off, hear me out! Your life is a story with a beginning, middle, and, eventually, an end. Before you reach the end of the story, take the time to write down the beginning and middle. We all go through different experiences and one day someone might read your story and learn from it.
You don’t need to “write a book” with the expectation of it being published or even seen for that matter, but imagine if your story were to change the world. You might not realize it, but you currently hold the key to the present which will eventually become the past. Think about it, if people 100 years ago didn’t “write books,” we would know nothing of those times. Aren’t you curious about your ancestor’s lives centuries ago? Wouldn’t you read something they wrote?
Anne Frank didn’t expect to have her diary published or even seen, but it’s now one of the biggest best sellers in the world. Let that sink in.
10. Learn a New Language
Everyone should at least attempt learning a different language. Not only does learning a new language open you up to new opportunities, but it also connects you with a different culture. Only 20% of the world’s population speaks English, about 6% speak Spanish and 14% speak Mandarin. Considering that these are the top 3 most spoken languages in the world, those numbers are pretty low. What about the rest of the world?
By learning a new language, you are making it possible to connect with other human beings, which is pretty amazing. Make learning a new language a priority on your bucket list! If we all committed to learning a new language, the world might be a better place… who knows?
11. Go Camping… Real Camping
Yeah, glamping is cool… but have you tried real camping? There’s something about being surrounded by the outdoors that is humbling, grounding, and calming. Sure, you don’t have a comfy bed or running water, but that is all the more reason why you should go camping!
In today’s world, we are ruled by technology and the constant hustle-and-bustle. When you go camping, you remove yourself from these stressors and can go back to your roots. Appreciate nature and the world for what it has always been and not what it has become.
Even if you just go for the night or even just the day, dedicate yourself to letting go of your crazy life for a couple hours. I mean, there’s a reason some people give up everything to live this lifestyle, aren’t you curious?
12. Discover Your Lineage
Discovering your lineage has become increasingly easier over the years with DNA testing which is awesome because everyone should know where the came from! Even if you have some sort of idea about where you came from, you will be surprised about your ancestry. For instance, I always thought I was mostly German but found that I’m actually more British and Irish than German!
Once you’ve discovered your lineage, make a plan to visit the areas your ancestry is rooted. Not only will you be tracking down your history, but you are also getting the opportunity to travel! Win-win!
13. Become Really Good At Something You Are Bad at Now
We all have something we tried once or twice and was really bad at. But there was a reason you tried that in the first place… it intrigued you! Take the time to become really good at something you originally weren’t that great at or even become good at something that seemed too intimidating to even try once!
Similarly to doing something that scares you, by doing something you think you’re bad at will challenge you and once you’ve become a pro, you will feel accomplished and like you crossed a bridge you once thought was broken. As an added bonus, you will then have a killer skill and talent you didn’t have before so you have nothing to lose!
14. Go On a Road Trip
Going on a road trip is a definite must-add for any bucket list! There is something about a road trip that is so much fun but you also get to see way more sights than you ever would from a plane. Yes, airplanes have their perks and you can travel long distances very quickly, but road trips allow you to see the country you live in.
Traveling by car is also a fantastic way to stop at places you may have never seen had you traveled another way. In fact, there are road maps that cover different sights, so if you want to see all the national parks in the US, it’s possible! The ultimate US road trip map, however, covers the Grand Canyon, Pikes Peak in Colorado, The Alamo, The Platt Historic District in Oklahoma, Graceland, and The White House just to name a few locations.
15. Read the Classics
Reading the classics is a must-add for everyone’s bucket list. Growing up, you may have been turned off onto reading the classics because it was something you had to do. However, there is a reason you had to read those books. The classics are classics for a reason and once you aren’t forced to read them, they can be very enjoyable.
There’s also something very satisfying about being able to say you read all the classics. Reading these books are also like mini-history lessons and can act as a glimpse into the past. Find out why the classics are so famous and realize these books hold up very well and some are even timeless.
Some of the classics include The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird, Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Scarlet Letter, and Lord of the Flies. You never know, one of them might change your life!
16. Visit All the National Parks
Visiting all the national parks is a tall task, but having the goal to visit them all will at least force you to visit a few. Many states in the US have national parks so this isn’t incredibly difficult for anyone in the US to do this! So even if you don’t live in a state with national parks, you most likely live near a state that does or will be visiting one of these states in the future.
National parks are a must because they are essential untouched and protected by the government. With so much of the land in the world being touched by humanity, visiting a national park allows you to get an idea of how the world was before it was touched. There is so much beauty in these parks and they are all a must-visit, all for different reasons!
17. Volunteer
Volunteering is something everyone should do at least once in their life. Yes, you can volunteer locally but a really great way to volunteer is to travel to less-fortunate areas of the world who are in desperate need of help. We oftentimes take our situations for granted. Yes, bad things happen to all of us and we all have bad days, but when you think about it, it could be worse. Volunteering is a great way to bring some perspective into your life while also helping others in need.
Organizations are always looking for volunteers so there’s no shortage of opportunities! Help build wells in Africa, help at a local animal shelter, volunteer as a tutor for families, or even adopt a family for the holidays! There are always opportunities to make the world a better place!
18. Get a License or Get Certified
Getting a license is a must for anyone’s bucket list. When we first hear “license,” we often think of a drivers license. While getting a drivers license is also essential for a bucket list, getting another type of license should be added as well!
You can get a license in just about anything and you don’t need to spend your whole life working to get one (although you can)! Become CPR certified, get a piloting license, be an ordained minister or a criminal investigator! Not only do these certifications look great on a resume, but they’re also a fun anecdote for you! You never know when you need to be an ordained minister!
19. Do Something Big for Someone Else
It’s easy to get on a track of doing things for ourselves and that by no means makes us selfish! It is important to do things for ourselves but it is just as important (if not more important) to do things for others. We become the people we are because of those we surround ourselves with. Therefore, it’s important to show love to the people who make you better.
At some point in your life, do something huge for the ones who changed you for the better. Whether that is your parents, grandparents, siblings, S/O… no matter who it is, do something significant. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, but you can! What really matters is you are showing them that you recognize them, they are important to you, and you want to repay their love and support!
20. Actually Do the Things On Your Bucket List
It’s one thing to say you’re going to do the things on your bucket list and another to actually do them. We all get busy and think “I’ll do this later” but the truth is, time goes by really fast and you don’t want to wake up one day regretting not doing X, Y, or Z. So when an opportunity comes around, think to yourself “will I regret not doing this when I’m 70?” In reality, you will end up regretting not doing something than actually doing something. And if something becomes regretful, at least you have a story.
Stop making the plans and start actually doing! Work on crossing off those bucket list activities so you can add more ideas!
