This is my Ultimate Bucket List

Most visitors to my blog know by now that I am in the midst of planning a trip to Central America. I'm getting there but there's just one more critical part of this trip that I just cannot decide on; whether or not to stay in Costa Rica for the entire two weeks (I'll have 5 days to just kick around San Jose and visit some active volcanoes after my stay in Montezuma) or venture off into Panama and visit Panama City and the Canal. So it comes down to this; visit one of the world's most famous man-made wonders that joins the world's two largest oceans or explore active volcanoes. Both are on my bucket list but with time and money restraints, I can only do one. My original plan was to do both but work obligations made me have to cut a few days off my trip in order to be back in my desk by April 18th. Technically speaking, I could do it but, taking into consideration travel times and flight delays, if I were to fly from San Jose to Panama City, I would end up with around 12 hours in which to explore the city and the canal. To me, it does not seem worth it to spend all that extra money for a mere 12 hours. Or is it? I've received many suggestions and most people seem to think that, unless I am an architect or have a specific interest in canals and marine navigation, I probably wouldn't get much out of a visit to the canal. I find that hard to believe.

When I dig a little deeper into my subconscious, it really does come down to wanting to get that extra stamp on my passport so I can say I was in Panama. The smarter side of my brain is telling me that it would be really stupid to spend all that extra money just so I can have another stamp on my passport. Having those bragging rights would be pretty cool but not if I didn't get anything out of it besides that. Now the juices are flowing! I think I made up my mind; stay in Costa Rica and explore the many wonders that country has to offer. Besides, I have my whole life in front of me and I don't plan on retiring my passport or backpack any time soon. I can see the canal another time. It's strange how all this trip planning has got me thinking about future trips. I should be focusing on this one but my mind is constantly wandering and thinking to next year's adventure and the many more after that. There are so many things I want to see! I have already seen so much in my lifetime of travels so far and I haven't even left The Americas yet. I still have Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania to explore and many bucket list items have yet to be crossed off my list. Some of the items on my list are places while others are experiences and each will be crossed off one by one. So here is my ultimate bucket list:

1) Junk Boat cruise in Halong Bay, Vietnam
2) African Safari in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
3) Aerial tour of Victoria Falls, Zambia
4) The Egyptian Pyramids
5) A fly-over of Mount Everest
6) Bungee jumping and skydiving in New Zealand (and just everything about New Zealand...it's my number one destination that I must see before I die even if I don't get to bungee jump but I would love to see the Waitomo Glowworm Caves!)
7) Scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef
8) Swimming with whale sharks off the Caribbean Coast of Mexico
9) A walkabout in the Australian Outback
10) Shark cage diving with Great Whites off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa
11) Tour of the Grand Canyon by mule
12) A Nile Cruise
13) A well-planned and well-thought-out extended expedition on the Amazon including the surrounding jungles and rainforests
14) Machu Picchu
15) The Great Wall of China
16) The Taj Mahal
17) Camping trip in Hawaii (not sure which islands yet, but island hopping would definitely be in order on a trip like this!)
18) A multi-country backpacking trip through Europe. Some notable must-sees on this trip include the Paris Catacombs, Ibiza, Venice, the ancient ruins in Greece, Rome and Vatican City, the Scottish Highlands and the Irish Countryside Even if it takes a few months or close to a year, I must set foot in every country on the continent(or almost every country)
19) Trekking in Tibet
20) Travel way up north for the sole purpose of three things: Dog sledding, sleeping in an Igloo and viewing the Northern Lights.
21) Hang Son Doong Cave in Vietnam
22) The Galapagos Islands
23) Riding the rails on the The Trans-Mongolian Railway
24) Easter Island
25) Hot air balloon excursion over Cappadocia, Turkey
26) Newfoundland. Yes I know I lived there for 12 years but the island is so big, I only got to see a small portion of it!
27) Antarctica. Yes I may be really dreaming on this one but its nice to dream!
28) And of course, I can't forget this most important item on my list and believe it or not, its a tour of my own country. After all, Canada is massive and each and every province is different in its own way and what better way to see it than with a cross-country train trip from coast to coast!

Maybe I'm just dreaming when it comes to many of these bucket list items but only through dreaming do dreams every come true! My list is fairly long and, while some of these items are cliche and on the well-beaten path when it comes to bucket list items, others are seemingly so far flung that maybe I will just have to work harder at knocking them off my list!

My Journey to Becoming a Reformed Overpacker

I know it’s a bit early for me to even start thinking about packing for a trip that is almost a month away but with work, freelance assignments, appointments and various other daily chores (besides the ones that seem to creep up unexpectedly and at the last minute), I thought it would be a good idea to get a head start on it so I am not stuck packing the night before I travel. I am also known to be a bit of an over-packer and this particular trip is going to require learning a new talent on my part; fitting everything I need for two weeks into one backpack.

And so my travel challenge begins. What to take and what to leave behind. I usually travel with a large suitcase and carry on so I’m used to being able to pack for every possible scenario that could come up while abroad. Half of my makeup collection and half my shoe collection is usually a part of my travel items along with any other little knick knacks that could be useful in emergencies that never come up. This time, I have one backpack. Yup, that’s it. So now I need to learn to be practical which means I have to choose which shoes and clothing are best suitable to the conditions I will be facing, the makeup stays behind (except the BB cream, mascara and lip gloss!), any jewelry stays behind and only the things I will absolutely need come with me. I’m learning. It’s a process but I have it narrowed down to the necessities I hope will sustain me over the course of two weeks or longer if anything goes wrong. This is Central America we are talking about, after all, and anyone who has traveled in the area knows that schedules are rarely followed and buses and other modes of transport arrive whenever they arrive. Many of you may have heard of Cuba Time; I’ll be dealing with Tica Time during my upcoming travels which I hear is similar to Cuba time but not quite as laid back. Don’t get me wrong, I love how time almost seems to stand still in Central America and I love how laid back the people are but this sometimes means long waits for buses or missing the bus altogether.

I am also trying to take only one carry one with me so I can avoid the baggage areas of the various airports I will have to navigate on my travels so that also means making sure I am not bringing anything through security that will be confiscated before I even enter my gate. Hopefully my various electronics and travel size toiletries placed in clear plastic baggies don’t trigger off any searches. So here is my narrowed-down list of travel essentials that I am hoping will all fit into my single backpack…
-Passport and other travel documents needed (insurance, important phone numbers, ongoing tickets, etc)
-1 pair of good walking shoes
-1 pair of sandals that are comfortable enough to wear to the beach but dressy enough to wear to dinner and various functions that may come up.
-A universal travel adapter
-A fully loaded Ipod to help me beat boredom when waiting for planes and buses
-Camera
-Alarm clock
-Cell phone
-Chargers for all electronics
-Bathing suit
-Sunglasses
-Sunscreen
-Travel blanket (which can be secured to the outside of my backpack)
-A book to read while relaxing at the beach or waiting in airports
-Only necessary toiletries and enough clothes to last a few days (I can wash clothing along the way and buy anything else I may need once I am there)
-Vitamins and probiotics to keep myself healthy on the road and fight off any illnesses that may be going around. I don’t want to have a repeat of Mexico! The last thing I want to do on this trip is spent a few days in bed with chills, in a near coma and unable to move.
-small bottle of bug spray
-some US currency, credit card and debit card

So that’s it. So far, this is all I am taking with me. I’m sure a few other little items will pop up before departure but it is a fairly large backpack so I should have some room to spare for a few more things I may need. So on with the rest of the travel planning and preparing…