Bucket List

A few days ago, I was out with Mandi, Ben, Meagen and Mel. We went to a movie at Gateway Mall .While we were waiting for the movie to start we were talking about our "bucket list" or things we want to do in life before we die... I always wanted to make such a list, but was afraid of getting  too carried away or to get frustrated if I never accomplish everything on it. Now I think its good to have realistic goals but also to have dreams, so I decided to give it some more thought. Obviously some of these are just dreams and if I never get a chance to fulfill them, it will be just fine too, but just maybe I will have the chance to turn them into reality someday! I'm determined to live by 'Come what may and love it' (Elder Wirthlin's Mom) and just to find 'Joy in the journey' (Pres. Monson). So I'll go step by step. I'm sure the list will change over the years and I probably will experience even better things that I couldn't have dreamed up! That makes me excited! "Men are that they might have joy! (2nd Nephi 2:25) so if the Scriptures say it, it must be true! Oh and one of my absolute favorite quotes to back it up is 'In all of living have much fun and laughter! Life is to be enjoyed not just endured!'  (Pres. Hinckley)

This is what Elder Holland said in is talk "The best is yet to be" (January 2010 Ensign p. 27)  
"Keep your eyes on your dreams, however distant and far away. Live to see the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, of trust and divine love that will transform your life today, tomorrow and forever. That is a new year's resolution I ask you to keep"
I learned so much from that talk and hopefully I can incorporate all of the things he taught. Anyway, here is the list! I decided to put it in 3 groups (Character Developement, Talents and Experience)



Experiences:

• Travel to 1.Hawaii 2.Prince Edward Island 3. New Zealand 4. England (outside of London, I've already seen that and it was great but I want to experience the Victorian parts more) 5. Greece (In that priority, but I LOVE to travel anywhere)
• Go to every temple in the United States ( I started small by trying to go to every temple in Utah)
• Do a humanitarian project in a 3rd world country (my favorite would be to work with OSSO in Ecuador, working in an orphanage for 3 months) 
• Sing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir 
• Be in a good choir that performs 'The Messiah' by Händel
• Go on a pioneer trek
• Go to a formal dance with someone I like a lot (no snickering at this one! We didn't have dances in Germany where it would be worth it to me to buy a fancy dress and here, well I don't want to go unless I can go with someone where I feel completely comfortable. I'm not sure how people dance here....)
• See Les Miserable and Phantom of the Opera performed live
• Rock Climbing (on a more advanced level than I already have)
• Go to a Jazz Game and a NBL Game

Talents/Education: 

• Learn Spanish fluently
• Run in a charity race (first I have to built up endurance and stamina which is super hard for me, maybe because I'm anemic, but I'm working on it)
• Read all of Shakespeare's works (I read Romeo and Juliet, Othello, The Tempest, Macbeth, Much ado about nothing, The Taming of the Shrew and am currently working on the Merchant of Venice and King Lear)
• Graduate from college in addition to my German Vocational Degree
• Take singing, piano, horse back riding, oil painting, flower arranging, violin, ballroom dancing lessons 
• Become an expert on ww2 history
• Learn how to survive with only natural resources, learn more homeopathic home remedies that work effectively and also learn how to fix things around the house, car, ....

Character Development: 

• Be one of those people that emanate the light of Christ and automatically make everyone around them feel loved (I only met a few that impersonate that ideal completely but I want to become like them!
• Get married in the temple and become the kind of person that I am looking for in a husband
• Obviously, to return to Heavenly Father with my family and become like Him
• Be scripture literate and know where to find references to teach better
• Be the kindest person possible, be more humble and less judgmental
• Be the best Mom and wife, once I am married and have kids (I want quite a few kids, this will be fun)
• Develop a good sense of humor and be able to be naturally funny

Alright. So here it is! It helps to formulate the goals and dreams. That way I can go back and evaluate life better and make plans on how to accomplish the realistic dreams. Isn't life amazing to offer so many opportunities? If I think on earlier times, people were a lot more limited. What a blessing! At the same time it is also harder for we have to be careful to focus on the important things. It's tricky not to get carried away and waste time and energy on things that aren't consequential. I'd love to do all of the good things in life, but at the same time I want to set priorities well. Well, ok. Enough for today!