Do you have a bucket list? When was the last time you checked something off of your list? How much of an impact does your bucket list have on you?
It wasn't until five years ago when I started an actual list. I remember one of the first items I had written down was "to compete in a kettlebell competition." At that time I had no knowledge of the kettlebell world and community. In 2015 I checked off an item for the first time on my bucket list when I flew to Tokyo for my first competition. Since then I've met a lot of cool people who also like to lift cannonballs with handles attached to them.
My list wasn't a very long list and it still isn't. Not saying I'm a very adventurous person now but back then I was definitely not one, and so my list didn't consist of any exotic travel destinations or crazy things to do. I didn't really have a strong desire to achieve anything that wasn't practical either so the list was pretty short. I mean, what's the point of an extravagant lifestyle when you can be content and grateful with what you possess?
Fast forward to the beginning of the year when I was carrying too many responsibilities, my working hours were long and monotonous, and I had no time for taking care of myself. I felt that I was lacking autonomy and "me time." When you're deprived of something, your desire for it becomes strong. And thanks to Instagram I kept drooling over photos of beautiful landscapes and campers and I was so envious of those who lived the nomadic lifestyle. Then I remembered that one of the items on my list was to do a road trip and live the "van life."
The images that I kept seeing on Instagram reminded me of the days when I worked at camp and my lifestyle revolved around nature. Every morning I would wake up to the sound of chirping birds and flowing water, step out of my tent to feel the morning dew between my toes, feel the rays of the morning sun on my skin and inhale air that tells you it's a fresh new day. When your senses are waken naturally you feel alive.
And I had forgotten what it felt like to be alive (corny, I know).
The "van life" dream has yet to be fulfilled and I know that is meant for another time. But I decided to move on and do something about that monotonous routine that numbed my mind and didn't help me grow as a person. The first step to autonomy was to give myself the autonomy. I quit my job.
So the travel bug got me. And the traveling is not this concept of escaping from reality. As cliche as it sounds, it's a process of soul searching, appreciating what you have, learning, exchanging, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, expanding your horizons, growing as a person.
The more I get to see the world, the more things I'm adding to my bucket list. Don't get me wrong, the traveling I'm doing is not for the sake of mindlessly checking off items on a list or growing the list so I can chase more items to check off of (#FOMO anyone?). Rather they are genuine experiences I want to partake in that I know will stimulate me intellectually, mentally, and spiritually.
Thanks to this bucket list I started five years ago, I am where I am at now, I am doing things I never thought I would ever do, and I am meeting the right people at the right time.
