Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Life Is Too Short Not To Go On Your Bucket List Vacations

By Kelly Wood


Everyone needs a vacation now and then to recharge the batteries. However, before you book a stay in the same resort that you go to every year, maybe it's time to think about the places you would really like to see and the things you'd really like to do before you die. Life is short and it's never too early to start going on your bucket list vacations. They don't have to be epic journeys and some popular options are much easier to achieve than what you might think.

For some people, the item on their list is a particular destination more than it is a particular thing to do. This makes it easier to achieve the dream because they simply need to save up for the cost of the flight and accommodation. Once they've identified the city or country they'd like to visit, they can then start thinking about what they'd like to experience once they're there.

A common item on people's bucket lists is to go on a long trek. The Inca Trail in Peru combines this with a visit to Macchu Picchu, a marvel of construction. Others simply want to complete the entire Appalachian Trail. You don't have to do this in one go but can do it in smaller, more manageable sections instead. If you'd like to conquer a mountain, you may find that getting to the top of Kilimanjaro is more within reach than reaching the summit of Everest.

One type of journey that can really change your life and strengthen your faith is to go on a religious pilgrimage. For Muslims the ultimate destination is Mecca; for Sikhs, it's the Golden Temple of Amritsar; for Jews, the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The most famous pilgrimage for Christians is the Camino de Santiago, which can start from anywhere and ends at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

A different type of pilgrimage can be to visit the places where your ancestors came from. In a country like the United States, for instance, most people are descended from immigrants. Visiting the town or village where your great-great-great-grandfather grew up provides a link with your past and will help you to understand where you came from and why you are who you are.

It's a good idea to combine some of the things you dream of doing with a destination you dream of going to. For instance, if you've always wanted to bungee jump but are dreaming of an African safari too, you may want to visit Zambia or Zimbabwe. The Victoria Falls Bridge between these two countries is the site of spectacular bungee jumps with the world's largest waterfall thundering in the background.

Voluntourism is another great way to have the experience of a lifetime. There are many projects around the world that need the services of volunteers. By signing up, you get to experience for example the sight of newly hatched sea turtles making their way to the beach or the smile on an orphan's face when you give her a hug, all while visiting an exotic location.

It's not that difficult to go on bucket list vacations if you really want to. All you need is some planning and then the determination to see it through. Once you have an idea of what you'd like to do and where you'd like to go, you only need to break up that goal into smaller goals and start working on achieving them, one by one. Every great journey, after all, begins with the simple step of putting one foot in front of the other.




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