What’s in my bucket?

We spent 5 happy years in the US, still when I think about it I have mixed feelings. By moving overseas I made friends for life, I turned my kids into bilingual, hopefully open-minded, little people.

I discovered new places, new food, new life-style, I had fun, and I sharpened my MTV-English skills. But if I really think about it, I’ve mostly (slaved) worked for the past 5 years. Which brings me loads or regrets. All the things I wanted to see and do in the US, some difficult to achieve on our budget and with our ridiculous time-off allowance, others that we should have done. Don’t exactly remember what my excuse could have been at the time, beside “cannot go, I have to write this paper”  (Yes, that exact same one that prevented me from doing something else 6 months ago) or “I can’t: have to split my cells this weekend”. Lame.

What we’ve done and I’m thankful for: meet extraordinary individuals, their families and friends.  Learned about monkey bread, jello shots, gravy, and how to mix a Martini; tasted deep-fried turkey and loved it. Stopped by 10 different states: Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, California, and Rhodes Island. But I still have to go to New Orleans, Florida, to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, then go south to the Caribbean’s, Mexico, and anywhere Central/South America. Been to the Big E, neither to 6 Flags nor Disney World, been to PBR (thanks, Kat!) but not to a NY Yankees game, to Jersey Shore but not to Miami, and I could go on and on like that for hours.

So, if I’ve learned anything in these American years, it is that time is flying and making plans is not good enough. Otherwise your girl weekends and your paddleboard gateway and the family trip or the cruise with friends, it all goes up in smoke… That being said, I’m in the new world here. I mean the New-New one, the newest than the US, where (every?)things should be possible (?). So here it is, my Australian bucket list, and I’ll try my best to cross as many lines as doable off this list. I’ll give you my top 10, in random order, excluding petting a koala bear and a kangaroo, which we’ve done already (SEE? Right on track!!).

you want to go too, right?!!

1. Go to the great barrier reef (and dive, and sail, and enjoy)
2. Go to New Zealand and meet my family
3. Visit Tasmania
4. Take a cruise to some of the 74 QLD islands
5. Camp in the bush and teach the kids silly campfire songs
6. Visit Angela in Melbourne, Catherine in Perth, and Pierre in NZ (to redeem myself for not visiting Julia in Boston, Carly, Drew and Meredith in Philadelphia)
7. Make friends and organize Halloween Party, BBQs and camping trips
8. Buy a house and have tropical furniture on the deck, a mango tree in the garden and a pool in the yard.
9. Go to Asia: Bali, Thailand, Japan, anywhere we can think of and all want to go
10. Tour the Kakadu National Park and go to Alice Springs

I also have plans for updating this blog and keep you posted as we cross things off the list. Please feel free to pick your favorite # and tag along :)