Bucket list

I am a list maker. Obviously, it would make sense that I would make a list of things that I want to do in my lifetime. And so, I present my bucket list.

The following are all quotes that validate my belief in bucket lists. If you don't subscribe to the term 'bucket list', figure out a different one for what ever you call your list of things you want to do.

"I don't dream at night, I dream all day; I dream for a living." -Steven Spielberg

"Goals that are not written down are just wishes." -unknown

"The future you see is the future you get." -Robert Allen

“Every man dies, not every man really lives.” -William Wallace

"If you don't have a bucket list, you're doing it wrong!" -Jasmine

"JAS YOU KEEP GOING YOU LEARN MORE IN LIFE." -GRANDPA DALE 

 I couldn't resist. source: imgur.com

This song embodies the soundtrack to a bucket list, so play (you'll have to click to open it via YouTube) and continue scrolling. You know you've always wondered what your life would be like with a soundtrack. Wait, that's just me? Well anyway, this also doubles as my shameless attempt to introduce you to Eric Hutchinson. =]

A few of these I have completed, but will make note of it later, as it was during travel. The ones that I have done and are not associated with travel will be noted below.

-----------[Just Because]-------------

• Be able to say “Quick, follow that car!”
• Work as a Disney Princess.. obviously I've got a head start.
• Get a henna tattoo
• Get a pebble to skip at least 4 times
• Be in a food fight
• Build a tree house
• Get a turkey in bowling
• Go to a midnight showing
• Grow a bonsai tree
• Stand under falling confetti
• Talk to someone who thinks they’ve been abducted by aliens
• Throw a surprise party
• Own a hammock
• Own an animal that isn’t common
• Play in the mud and get covered
• Ride down a laundry chute
• Make and drink butterbeer (yes I'm also a Harry Potter nerd)
• Put together a time capsule
• Solve a crime
• Get defined abs and guns
• Get rid of everything I don’t use
• Have a foreign pen pal
• Have a revelatory dream
• Learn martial arts
• Learn sign language
• Learn to drive in Lincoln- done!
• Learn to play the guitar- in progress
• Learn to speak French- in progress
• 
  source: statigr.am
• Live to be 100- in progress: 26/100!
• Speak fluent Spanish- in progress
• Touch a squirrel- in progress
• Build an awesome fort with pillows and blankets
• Fast for at least 24 hours
• Be a vegetarian for 1 week
• Run a half-marathon- Fremont, NE // March 2012 and December 2012
• Complete a triathlon- Ogallala, NE // July 23, 2011

• 

  Jess and I after a 500 meter swim, 16 mile bike ride, and a 5k run.

• Go to a Husker game

---------[On a More Serious Note]--------

¤         Change someone’s life

¤         Conquer a fear- in progress.. public speaking: getting better but still kind of freaks me out

¤         Donate an organ, while still alive- I've donated blood and platelets

¤         Graduate from college

¤         Participate in “Pay it Forward”

¤         Save someone’s life
¤ Become a Registered Nurse
¤ Start a non-profit
¤ Witness a miracle

--------------[Destinations]-----------

"GREAT JAS YOU KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK AND TRAVEL." -GRANDPA DALE 

¤         Go to Australia

¤         Go water zorbing
¤ Backpack across Europe

¤         Snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef

¤         See a platypus

¤         See the Sydney Opera House
¤ Go for a run in Central Park
¤ Throw a dart on a map and travel to wherever it lands

¤         Send a message in a bottle

¤         Watch a sunset at a beach

¤         Swim in the ocean

¤         Shower in a waterfall

¤         Go to Niagra Falls

¤         Go to Roswell, NM and search for UFOs

¤         Go see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade

¤         Go to the Olympics (preferably summer)

¤         Ice skate at the Rockefeller Center

¤         Drive down Route 66

¤         Experience zero gravity

¤         See a show on Broadway

¤         See Old Faithful

¤         See something that is “the world’s largest”

¤         Visit a movie/tv set

¤         Visit all 50 states, and get a picture with each sign

¤         Visit four corners

¤         Visit the Grand Canyon

¤         Visit the Smithsonian

¤         Visit the Statue of Liberty

¤         Go on a road trip

¤         Get backstage at a concert

¤         Meet someone famous

¤         Island hop in the Caribbean

¤         Go on a cruise

¤         Visit the Galapagos Islands

¤         Go hiking in a rainforest
¤ Go on a safari

¤         Go to Africa

¤         Visit Morocco

¤         Meet my family in Morocco

¤         See the Pyramids

¤         Ride a camel

¤         Learn to surf

¤         Search for Nessy!

¤         Meet an Eskimo and visit their igloo

¤         Ride an elephant

¤         Climb all 1,710 stairs up the Eiffel Tower (wasn't able to the first time, because my mom thought my 5 year old legs would get tired.. I have to avenge my honor and all that I stand for.)

¤         Eat Chinese food in China

¤         Walk/ run a mile of the Great Wall of China

¤         Eat Indian food in India

¤         See the Taj Mahal

¤         Eat Italian food in Italy

¤         Ride a gondola in Venice

¤         Eat Mexican food in Mexico

¤         See the Aurora Borealis

¤         Swim with dolphins

¤         Visit Auschwitz

¤         Visit every continent
¤ Visit over 75% of the world. This means I need to visit 147+/195 countries in the world.

Comment and share:

• what is on your bucket list?
• what items from my list are going/already on your list?

I got bit early

I got bit by the travel bug at an early age.

"Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience." -Francis Bacon

Five year old passport

Before I get ahead of myself, let me rewind for a second. 

I originate from this place. It is called Nebraska.

 This is baby Jasmine.

This is unknown age Jasmine.

All of these pictures were taken before I got infected by the travel bug. 

In May 1997, I traveled to the countries in blue. My grandma and aunt lived in Paris.

France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden

Due to the fact that I was five, I am relying on pictures and memories that aren't mine. Bear with me. 

According to my sources, we flew from OMA-MSP-AMS-CDG. For those of you who don't speak in airport code that means Omaha, Minneapolis, Amsterdam, Paris.

This is freakier than I had anticipated. Sorry. 

Counting down the days until the new millennium.

The circled district is where my Aunt Salwa (Sell-uh-wuh) lived.

 My cousin Heather and I at the Lourve. I'm really not sure why I was dancing.

I saw the Mona Lisa, but I don't remember it. All I remember is that I had to be quiet.

I also went to EuroDisney. My sole memory is going on a rollercoaster. I was the only one on the ride so the attendant let me hand signal how fast or slow I wanted to go. I told him to make it go slower. It scared me so much and I still haven't ridden a coaster since then. Fine by me.

My grandma Malika, me and my aunt Salwa. 

My family is from Morocco, so they speak French and Arabic. I don't. I remember very little from the first time I met them, but I do remember thinking it was strange not being able to talk to my grandma and aunt. 

The only two stamps in my passport. Unacceptable.

From Paris, we took the Eurorail to Copenhagen, Denmark to Stockholm, Sweden to Oslo, Norway.

 This one turned out better. 

 Bus stop in Copenhagen

 Little Mermaid Statue 

Hans Christian Anderson, the author of The Little Mermaid, lived in Copenhagen.

The best place ever in Copenhagen is Tivoli.

This is my dad and I on my favorite ride.

 Apparently, one of my catchphrases at this time in my life was "Nuh uh uh, I don't think so." 

This is how that looked in Stockholm.

Gamla Stan Island in Stockholm, Sweden.

From Oslo, we flew back to AMS-MSP-OMA. And this is what my world map looks like at age five.

My stats as of May 1997:

• 3% of the world visited 
• Estimated mileage: 11,490
• been to:
• 2 continents
• 6 countries
• 2 states  (lived in SD briefly)

"The world is a book, and those who don't travel read only a page." -Saint Augustine

Stay tuned. 

Beginnings and endings

For those of you who know me, you know at least two things:

1) I love to travel.

2) I hate writing.

And here I am, beginning a blog. I'm still wondering where this idea came from and how it's managed to continue being a serious thought. Bear with me as I learn the art of blogging.

I've decided that I really dislike Facebook and have wanted to delete my profile, but haven't done it. Mainly, this is because I love sharing my pictures and thoughts of where I've been, where I am and where I'm going.

As I follow the steps to committing to this blog, I'm excited about sharing my travels; the pictures, memories, lessons, and maybe even inspire travels of your own! On the other hand, I'm also terrified about taking on ANOTHER project! Case in point: I'm putting off writing a paper to write this post. But I'm justifying it because inspiration struck me and I needed to take advantage of it, right? ;)

I believe this quote illustrates my thoughts nicely right now.

 "Discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but seeing with new eyes." -Marcel Proust

The past few months have brought me unexpected changes and life-changing news, and I feel that I've learned more since August than I have the entire year. I am discovering many things and this blog will help me document everything.

One exciting thing that has happened was the opportunity to write a proposal for a grant that helps fund student travel. I wrote up this proposal on a Monday, only to turn it in 4 days later. I created an itinerary that would allow me to attend the Universities Fighting World Hunger Summit in Auburn, Alabama as well as study food insecurity issues in and around Casablanca, Morocco. A little background: I am half-Moroccan and half of my family lives in Morocco. I visited and met my family for the first time last December and have been itching to go back since the second I left.

A few weeks have passed since I turned the proposal in and guess what? The committee LOVED my proposal and I got fully funded (and then some).

I'M GOING BACK TO THE LAND OF MY PEOPLE!!!!

 Trekking in the Sahara Desert

 Atlantic Ocean Coast

My first family photo!

And so, in preparation and anticipation of my upcoming adventures, I'm going to take a stroll down memory lane.

"To travel is to live." -Hans Christian Anderson

Stay tuned.