AND WHAT IF THAT BUCKET LIST IS ALL WRONG?

83076900 © creativecommonsstockphotos | Dreamstime.com

Those who know me know I often speak about having a dream, or “bucket” list items, to live fully and with intention. A hot air balloon ride, a swim with the dolphins, traveling to see tulips bloom in Holland in the spring, seeing the pyramids in Egypt, seeing the Aurora Borealis….the list is so long for many of us. But what if thinking of our “bucket list” isn’t quite the way to do it? What if there is another way to enjoy those breathtaking and precious moments our lives?

I am reading a book right now called “Driving Miss Norma” by Ramie Liddle and Tim Bauerschmidt. This book is about a 90 something year old woman finding out she has cancer after having just lost her husband. Instead of going through palliative treatments designed to extend her life just a little bit, she and her family decided to take an RV trip throughout the United States and to “live” while she was dying, creating memories of new experiences and moments of joy. I thought the book would be about fulfilling those life-long dreams, or “bucket list” items before “Miss Norma” passes away, but I was wrong. Totally and completely wrong.

The book passages say, “Norma could not find the words to create a bucket list, although at first that is what we were hoping for. If, for no other reason, it would have helped with planning. “Oh, I don’t know,” she would say over and over again, and it became clear very early in our preparations that we were not going to get a list out of her. Sometimes I felt frustrated that she would not participate much in the planning. Was it her age? I wondered. Was her brain unable to retrieve language easily? Was she simply not used to dreaming or being asked her opinion about things? But I soon grew to appreciate the opportunities her reticence to make a list gave us. With out one, we could really go with the flow. There was so much to see and do, and more than anything Norma just wanted to enjoy life. A bucket list would be much too limiting. This trip was not about checking off predetermined items. As we had quickly learned from those first delayed plans at the Mackinac Bridge and our experiences at roadside attractions, this trip was about living in the present moment, embracing whatever came our way. There would be no regrets and no need to race against time.”

Such beautiful words. Such wisdom. After contemplating two opposite approaches to living fully (the “bucket list” vs. “going with the flow”), I have decided that either approach works, depending on our own individual personalities. Neither is wrong. Neither is right. I guess it all comes down to HOW one can live one’s life fully and how one can embrace whatever comes our way. For some it comes down to the bucket list, and for others it is living in the present moment, wherever the wind blows us with spontaneity.

Life is good; find a way to embrace whatever comes your way any way you can. No regrets. Carpe diem, friends…

WHEN WILL CRUISING RESUME?

Wondering when cruising will resume? This re-posted article below outlines the latest restart dates/updates of several cruise lines as of May 18, 2021. Looking forward to the cruise industry starting up again. Best wishes for smooth sailing to all!

“Great people are not affected by each puff of wind that blows ill. Like great ships, they sail serenely on, in a calm sea or a great tempest.”
-George Washington

Hoping this last year will be only a “puff of wind that blows ill” for all in the travel industry.

https://www.travelpulse.com/gallery/cruise/the-latest-restart-dates-for-every-major-cruise-line.html?image=16

Life is good; carpe diem, friends….start making your plans for that bucket list travel now.

THE WONDERS OF WAITOMO CAVES: BUCKET LIST TRAVEL ITEM

Wanderlust during the pandemic? Are you compiling your travel bucket list during the travel restrictions? Starting January 26, 2021, all air passengers aged two and older must show proof of a negative Covid-19 test that’s no more than 72 hours old to enter the United States. Travel abroad is possible but needs forethought. I am looking forward to the day on the horizon when we are free to easily move about the world again soon. This makes international travel a little trickier, but we still can dream about where to go once things settle down a bit during the pandemic. But that means you have some time to consider some place magical, like the wonders of Waitomo in New Zealand.

Waitomo is a village in the north Island of New Zealand. It is here that a species of glowworms, Arachnocampa luminosa, lives within the complex cave system there. At Waitomo Glowworm Caves, you can walk through the caves to see the magical lights emitted by the glowworms, which appear almost as though they are from Neverland and are sprinkled with pixie dust everywhere. They also remind me of Christmas lights or constellations all about the cave. These caves are amazing and are breathtaking. Imagine walking through this place, or better yet, taking a boat ride through this enchanted cave. The boat tours here last about an hour, so remember to wear comfortable shoes and wear something warm, as the caves are about sixty degrees Fahrenheit year round. Prices for adults are about $40.00 USD for the weekend price, and about $18.00 USD for children. They also offer reduced weekday prices and family tickets, which are $74.00 USD for two adults and two children (ages 4-14). They charge about $11.00 for extra children, and children under 4 are free.

Taking a boat ride sounds great to me, but it is really the blackwater rafting that catches my eye. Blackwater rafting is like white water rafting but in the dark! Imagine floating around this cave on a tube with only the lights from the glowworms and your headlight leading your journey. Here you travel about 80 meters (262 feet) below ground, jump off a waterfall with a tube, and get started. Does this sound terrifying or exhilarating? Maybe both. Maybe that’s the point? What’s better than jumping off a waterfall and floating in the dark cave on a tube? A zip line, of course! One of these experiences also includes a zip line. The company offers several options for exploration, but the blackwater tours are either three hours or five hours long. What an incredible experience for a bucket list adventure. The website claims that both tours are appropriate for all levels of fitness; it seems that one only needs a certain lust for adventure.

The water temperature in the cave is around fifty degrees Fahrenheit, so the Waitomo Cave provides helmets with headlights, a thick wetsuit, and rubber boots with admission. The Black Labyrinth Tour adult prices are $109. USD and children’s (ages 12-15) prices are $93.00 USD. Week day admission prices are less. Showers are available after the trip, but bring your own shampoo, towel, and soap. Participants on this three hour tour must be at least 12 years old for this three hour tour.

The five hour Black Abyss Tour, which is more intense, requires participants to be at least 16 years old. This tour offers the zipline and costs $190 USD, although week day prices are also reduced.

Why not get out of your comfort zone to experience something really different soon? The website for the Waitomo is below for more information:

https://www.waitomo.com/glowworms-and-caves/waitomo-glowworm-caves

“Shine little glow worm, glimmer, glimmer
Shine little glow worm, glimmer, glimmer
Lead us lest too far we wander
Love’s sweet voice is calling yonder

Shine little glow worm, glimmer, glimmer
Hey, there don’t get dimmer, dimmer
Light the path below, above
And lead us on to love”

-from “The Glowworm” song by the Mills Brothers, 1953

Life is good; dream big. Take that trip in the near future. Go where you always have wanted to go SOON. Carpe diem, friends……….

*photos courtesy of the Waitomo Caves Facebook page

BUCKET LIST ITEM: LIVING IN A BUBBLE

Some travel experiences speak for themselves. Either they speak to you, or they don’t. One place that comes to mind is Base Camp in Teralingua, Texas, on the Mexican border, where you can sleep in a tipi, casita, retro camper, lotus tent, a campsite, or a BUBBLE. This place is about ten minutes to Big Bend National Park and about four and a half hours to El Paso Airport. A closer airport would be Midland/Odessa at about three and a half hours away.

Although the idea of staying in a tipi intrigues me, it is the thought of staying in a bubble that really excites me. Base Camp in Teralingua has several bubbles from which to choose. With both one and two room options, the vinyl bubbles have air conditioning and heat, WiFi, indoor shower and toilet, Keurig coffee makers, mini-fridge and an outdoor seating area with private fire pit. The ceiling of the bedrooms is clear, allowing visitors to gaze upon the dark Texas star-lit sky at night, and the living room has a clear front so that guests can look out into the vast land before them.

One thing to keep in mind is that the one bedroom bubbles have a clear FRONT as well, and guests will be visible from outside while they sleep, although there are concrete privacy walls between the bubbles providing privacy from neighbors. My preference would be a two room bubble, which has ONLY the clear ceiling in the bedroom but a clear front in the living room. I would feel far more secure knowing that no one, absolutely no one, could see me while I gaze at the stars from inside my bedroom.

two room bubble with private bedroom (only exposed ceiling) and clear front on living room

All bubbles have a complete well-appointed and stylish bathroom with a shower, but the deluxe bubble has an outdoor shower and hot tub as well. These bubbles are considered “luxury” accommodations and range in price from $249-$349 per night for the single bubble (which accommodates two guests in a queen sized bed) to $349-$449 per night (which accommodates four guests in a queen sized bed and a pull-out couch).

As I envision staying in one of these bubbles, I think of all the puns associated with staying here, as the experience will cost far more than “the bubble”, as it is a bit pricey but will ultimately be priceless. I have heard many times that some folks “live in a bubble” in jest due to their outlook and philosophy about life on occasion, so why not “live in a bubble” for real for one night. I also have heard it been said that these days one needs to “live in a bubble” to keep oneself safe during the pandemic, so why not stay here now.

Life is short; we have these five minutes on the Earth in which to make our mark or create a memory or two. Why not live life fully and with intention and stay in a bubble for a totally different experience soon. Just know that these bubbles fill up well in advance, so there likely will be no spontaneity here and will require advance booking usually months in advance. They are not especially easy to get to due to their remote location from any major town (San Antonio is about seven hours away), but the experience seems well worth the drive.

Life is good; carpe diem, friends…

photo credit: all photos courtesy of the Basecamp Teralingua website:

https://basecampterlingua.com/

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: