The Bucket List Project

  In 2015, I was able to visit many people's dream destination: Hawaii. After talking about it for years, some friends and I decided to make it happen.  We used a travel agent to book the trip (it saved us on airfare!). We sent her a list of activities we wanted to partake in and one was swimming with dolphins. Now, we probably could have swam with dolphins a little closer to home, but when in Hawaii... She booked our adventure at Sea Life Park on the island of Oahu. As part of our package, we got to enter the park before it opened and our park passes were included so, afterwards, we got to explore the rest of the park. Once we got suited up (and by that I mean put on  life jackets over our swimsuits), we got into a pool with a bunch of other people. First, we all lined up and the trainer led the dolphin by us so we could essentially pet it. All the while, she told us facts about dolphins and more about the park itself.  After the initial get-to-know-you, we took tu...

The first activity I wanted to talk about is one I am really proud of.  For much of my life, probably since I first watched the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers jump out of that plane back in 1995, I've wanted to go skydiving. Though most people around me said I was crazy, I was always talking the talk about how one day I would fly like a frickin eagle.  And finally, in 2018, the opportunity presented itself.   Nat, my brother's then-girlfriend (now wife), was talking about how much she wanted to go skydiving but couldn't find anyone to go with her. I said I would, though, honestly, I didn't think we would actually go. You know how sometimes you talk about doing things, but you never actually intend to do them? That was me and skydiving. I wanted to. I told everyone I was going to. But I also wasn't sure I ever actually would. Only, Nat was determined. Little did I know that once I agreed to go, I was locked in. It was Thanksgiving, as we sat at foldout tables in my gra...