things to do before you die

This sounds like a weird suggestion, doesn’t it? But to really add some fun to your Living to Do list, you need some modifiers! By modifiers, I mean specific adjectives or verbs that truly spice up your listed items—and only modifiers that you really want, of course.

You might have “Go snorkeling” on your list. But where do you want to snorkel? Who do you want to snorkel with? Is there a specific color of snorkeling gear you prefer? Get as specific and outrageous as you like. For example, on my Living to Do list, I don’t have down that I want to try wine in Europe; I have “Drink Champagne in Champagne,” as well as Bordeaux in Bordeaux, of course! I don’t have “Learn to make chalk,” but specifically, “Learn to make stick chalk with my sister.”

Just take a look at your list overall and think about these questions:

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I used to get so disgusted when I heard about people growing their nails out several feet (or longer) for fame or even simply for fun. How they heck do they eat, pick their noses, work? Just the look of those nails—often yellow, spiraling down like some kind of alien staircases out of a Wes Craven movie—were enough to send shivers down my spine. Ew…

But when you think about it, it is a personal choice. Some people are grossed out by tattoos or multiple piercings or biker chaps, right? None of those things really bother me, and if anyone said, “She/he is so gross for wearing that! How could she/he even go out in public?” about any of these people, I would probably feel offended on their behalves. To each their own, right?

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This article from Care2.com features some wonderful ideas about living in the dark. We humans are often so disassociated with the dark, viewing it as only a minor inconvenience; indeed, we have street lamps, electricity, and plenty of ways to avoid it. Many of us work at night, or even shop at night, during a time when most creatures are either asleep or hunting prey. Instead of further alienating ourselves from nature, why don’t we start celebrating the dark once in a while? Not only could we save energy, we could also help our children learn to love the dark and not fear it so much.

In addition to Care2’s wonderful list, here are more things to enjoy in the dark.

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First of all—what a fun book! This has to be the best Living To Do book (and I’ve bought or read quite a few) I’ve ever come across. Written by three sisters, You Can Do It! The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls is a jumbo book filled with things to do—the cover page declares, “Dare to Dream, Learn Something New, Do Something Just for You!” And it’s not like any other Bucket List book you’ve ever read.

For one thing, it’s written by a woman who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The book was Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas’ dream, a dream her sisters—Vaughn Catuzzi Lohec and Dara Catuzzi Near—shared and supported. With its heartfelt introduction and explanation about Lauren’s wish, the nonprofits that were set up in her honor, and simply getting the most out of life, it would be hard not to jump right into the book with both feet—talk about inspiring.

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Learning something new can—and should, I say!—be a high priority on many people’s Living To-Do Lists. But it has to be realistic. I was talking with a friend the other day about her list of 100 in 1,000, and she was lamenting about how she had a goal to do a daily practice—learn something new each day through a specific means—in mind that she had yet to start, and she was upset because the goal was to do it every single day.

Now, my friend is a resilient, smart girl who is involved in activism, school, a job and freelance writing. I know for a fact that she’s very busy, as well as ambitious; such a goal would not only be hard to accomplish but also dampen her spirits.

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Living “the life of luxury” isn’t just hard to do for most people these days—it’s also unsustainable. Personal jets, million-dollar mansions and Vegas vacations are all costly on both the pocketbook as well as the environment. Not living such a life, whether you can afford to or not, is probably one of the best things you can do to help the planet.

That said, if you want to live like a millionaire and have it listed in your Living To-Do, you can still live like the rich and famous without the huge expense and environmental footprint. Even if only for a day—or even a few hours!—you can live your own life of luxury. Try some of the following ideas.

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A lot of people have “Swimming with Dophins” on their Living To-Do Lists, and I don’t blame them; dolphins are gorgeous, intelligent creatures that seem to like to have fun on their own. (How many other animals are famous for using orgies to bond?)

Having visited Sea World, I had the chance to pet a dolphin, and I felt more pity than awe. There were just droves and droves of people surrounding this aquarium, which made the dolphins seem more like they were trapped in cages than anything else. And perhaps they were.

So that killed my dream of swimming with dolphins right there—but that doesn’t mean that it should necessarily kill anyone else’s. I’m sure there are plenty of establishments where dolphins are given more room to breathe—and to swim.

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