500 Things Every Jedi Should Do…

… Before becoming one with the Force.

There’s a lot to be seen and done in this world. The question isn’t how or why one should do what strikes their fancy. No, the real question is when we will do all the things we dream about and talk about. What’s holding us back? A multitude of reasons. Fear, money, a grown-up job, family, time commitment…the list rambles on and on.

I’m not saying those are bad reasons. Not at all. You can’t just wake up and decide to climb Mount Everest on a whim. You need a plane ticket, a car to get to the base camps, and then funds to pay the Sherpas. Unless you’re Bill Gates or Ivanka Trump, I doubt you have those types of funds available immediately.

I made a resolution this New Year’s to travel and live more. I’ve booked a trip to Cape Cod this summer, and I am stoked. I’m actually fulfilling something I’ve talked and talked about, going to see a new place I’ve never been. Yes, I am stoked.

Recently, I stumbled across this card pack titled 500 Things You Must Do Once In A Lifetime. As I’m flipping through the deck, I’m repeatedly being smacked in the face with how much more life I have to live. Not just for myself, but for others, too.

For the next 50+ weeks or so, I’m going to do my best to detail this stack of 500 things. As Jedi, we need to understand the world we live in, and we gain this understanding by participating, researching, learning and overall being a part of many, many events. Would you expect a lawyer to argue a case he knows nothing about? Absolutely not! (At least, I’m hoping not.)

So, how about it? Take the journey with me. Make note of things you’ve already done and those still in your daydreams. Trust me, there’s lots out there and this is only going to broaden our horizons.

Ready? LET’S GO!

1.) Milk a cow.

I’ve milked so many cows in my lifetime, it’s not even funny. Growing up on a farm will give a girl that background. Ironically, I just read an article about PETA’s most recent campaign that states milk and other dairy products are the main reason children are being born with autism. I’ve never been more disappointed and outraged by a campaign in my life, by PETA or anyone. Reading further into their campaign, their basis for this conclusion is unfounded. Honestly, I could rant about this for a very, very long time (not only am I a Jedi, but I’m also a former Dairy Princess). Really, though, everyone should milk a cow hands-on and learn where their food really comes from. Hint: it’s not the cooler in the grocery store. Oh the stories I could tell…

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2.) Go up in a hot air balloon.

Terrified of heights. I can barely climb a ladder without a panic attack following right behind it. Add in highly combustible helium and other gases that could ultimately end my life in 2.5 seconds or leave me plummeting to my inevitable death? No thanks…but I hear it’s a total rush. Want to add to the rush factor? Try walking a slack line between two hot air balloons. Thought I was scared of heights before? See this a feature on 20/20 where daredevils do JUST that? Made me want to poop myself.

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3.) Smash plates in a Greek restaurant.

Just like in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding! Everyone mistakes me as Greek, so really, I could probably recreate this in my own kitchen after a few too many glasses of chardonnay while screaming “Opa!” BUT…any attempt I’d make in creating authentic Greek food would most likely be hopeless (I’m tipsy, remember.), so I best leave it to the Greek professionals and do it on their turf.

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4.) See the ruins at Chichen Itza, Mexico.

Googling images isn’t going to cut it. I remember my World History classes and reading about Aztec rituals. One of them involved sacrificing the tribe’s enemy on the ritual table while they were still alive, and then their blood was allowed to flow and drop down the steps of the temple. *Shudder* While I don’t want to see a live human being sacrificed to the gods, I’d love to stand on the very top, take in the horizon and imagine what it might have been like to be a spectator. Or the Aztec king.

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5.) Swim with dolphins.

Many moons ago, I traveled with a group to the great island continent of Australia. We jetted out to a resort on a smaller island off the eastern coast called Tangalooma (whose name I couldn’t recall until taking a gander through that travel journal from all those years ago. Came in handy after all!) where we stayed for about 3 nights. We were invited one night to come sit at a designated dock around dusk where wild dolphins often swam close to shore, looking for food most likely. The dolphins and resort residents had developed a bond; the resort owners didn’t touch them in order to keep them wild, but the dolphins knew not to bite when accepting food from their hands underwater. So, I fed a dolphin that was swimming around me in chest-high water…that’s like swimming with them, right?