Guaranteed

I heard this line in a song once:

 "I've come to know that memories were the best things you ever had."  Old Pine by Ben Howard.

Thanks for the intro to it TJ!!

It stuck hard with me and it's a statement I believe in.    The more memories in my life I can create, the more fulfilled my life will be.  No material possession can ever be as valuable to me as my memories. They are the best things I will ever have.

The people that touch my life are of very high value to me.   I try to create as many memories with them as possible.   No one lives forever.  Today is a gift.  Tomorrow is not a given.   I have been fortunate enough to not have any one suddenly taken from my life.   I am however, aware that those odds exist which is another reason creating memories with said people are so important. They might leave my life, but the memories of them will live on forever in my mind and heart.

I mentioned my 'bucket list' in my last blog.    I also mentioned I dislike calling it that.   I had a lot of time this past weekend to think of a better name while I was out riding my bike.  On Sunday I had arranged for a friend to take me on a road ride in an area I am somewhat familiar with, close to where I'm moving soon.    As we were riding down back roads that I have traveled before years ago (by car), I started to get my bearings and realize where we were at.   It took a while to recognize some places as so much has changed since I had been there last.  I had forgotten my way around.  As I came upon some places I remembered times that I had spent there.  We rode past the Vet office I first took my dog to, a park where I used to watch softball games on summer evenings, the first house my old best friend bought, my high school boyfriends house, my friends fathers dental office, a cold spring fed lake I once dipped my toes into with a friend, we also crossed part of the appalachian trail that I hiked on a back packing trip, along with so many other memorable places.  The ride conjured up so many memories that I had forgotten about as it's been years since I've been on these roads.

Life happens and memories are created.  Do I want my life to only contain simple memories as stated above?   I can resolutely answer that as NO.

Bucket lists create profound memories.   Vivid, fabulous, awesome, unforgettable,  memories that you make happen.  Here is my bucket list.  It's a full list of everything I could remember that I've ever wanted to do.  It will no doubt be added to.  I will no longer refer to AS a bucket list though.  My friend suggested a solid name, a Fucket List.  As in, "Fucket, I'm doing this!"  

SaSa's Fucket List:

*Own a gun and not be scared to shoot it

*Learn to drive a standard vehicle then drive a chic sports car

*Complete a Half Ironman

*Complete a Marathon

*Ride my bike across the United states.   Mountain bike from North to South.  Road bike from West to East Coast.

*Do a multi day bike tour in another country.  Road bike in France and Mountain bike in England or Ireland.  Locations subject to future change, but concept remains the same.

*Get my motorcycle license and greatly improve my dirt bike riding skills

*Climb a big mountain

*Learn to ski well enough to ski back country

*See the Northern Lights in Alaska

I know a lot of people that want to do certain things with their life.  Years go by and said certain things still remain undone.   I refuse to let that be me.    There are a lot of things in my life I have wanted to do and I did complete, a former  Fucket List.   It wasn't as formal as this hand written promise to myself, but it was a bucket list.  And I have crossed things off of it.    This list is a fresh start.   From today on I make a promise to myself to work on creating the memories on this list.

I'll be knocking off the 'climb a big mountain' with my Mt Rainier trip in June.  Hopefully I'll be able to complete some of the above before then.  But it certainly feels good to have a solid plan in place for at least one of them right now.

I've rewritten by hand the list above (as the original was chicken scratch) and it's now more legible.  I have framed it and it's hanging on the wall in front of my bike that I have set up on the trainer.  As I sit and churn the pedals for hours on end, this list will no doubt provide hours of dreaming and scheming.   #getitdone

"On bended knee is no way to be free

Lifting up an empty cup, I ask silently

That all my destinations will accept the one that's me

So I can breathe

Got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul

And so it goes

Wind in my hair I feel part of everywhere

Underneath my being is a road that disappeared

Leave it to me as I find a way to be

Consider me a satellite forever orbiting

I know all the rules but the rules did not know me

Guaranteed"

-Guaranteed by Eddie Vedder