29Jun 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#70 See the Hollywood Stars on the Sidewalk

#70 See the Hollywood Stars on the Sidewalk

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 12th September 2019 in Los Angeles, California, USA. I actually managed to complete this one during a 10-hour layover that I had in LA, while I was flying to Las Vegas. The reason I was flying to Las Vegas, was to help my mum cross something off her bucket list: Whitewater Rafting the Grand Canyon. This story is worth a read, I suggest you check it out! I landed in LA around mid-day and wanted to make the most of it, so I sorted out my bags and grabbed an Uber to Hollywood Boulevard. This was not a quick process at all, the traffic in LA is crazy. It took us an hour to go 20 km. The number of stars on Hollywood…
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15Jun 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#32 Lesson] Language Barriers Make Travelling Interesting

[#32 Lesson] Language Barriers Make Travelling Interesting

BUCKET LIST, LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #32 Drink Sake in Japan. Our trip through Japan was one big culture shock. From the moment that I stepped off the plane, everything felt vastly different from any country that I had travelled to before. The food, the signs, the outfits, the lights; it all felt so strange. I am only fluent in English, but I know bits and pieces of a few other languages. This is usually enough for me to get by while travelling to new countries. During my 10-hour flight I made sure to practice a few key words and phrases to help me out. Speaking the language is not too bad if you are shown the phonetics of how to pronounce the words. The problem lies in…
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01Jun 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#32 Drink Sake in Japan

#32 Drink Sake in Japan

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 4th February 2019 in Tokyo Japan. This story picks up where my last blog #31 Eat Blowfish left off. On our way to the restaurant we found the popular alleyway with tiny bars, called Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho. We kept the location in mind for later. When we left the restaurant we had been on our feet for 12 hours, solid. Remembering the alleyway I suggested that we go check out one of the bars to relax and get some sake. Tiny bars with big taste The bars are very popular with tourist and locals and it’s hard to find one with open seats, especially when you have a group of four. We walked up and down the alley once before we found a…
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18May 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
2017 & 2018 Roundup

2017 & 2018 Roundup

GENERAL
I had a very interesting couple of years through 2017 and 2018. I completed a total of four items from my bucket list, with two of them being the most controversial yet. In case you have missed any of the stories or lessons from my bucket list adventures through 2017 and 2018, here is a roundup. #54 Run with the Bulls in Spain Completed on 8th July 2017 in Pamplona, Spain [#54 Lesson] Do Things for Your Own Reasons #27 Watch a Bullfight Completed on 8th July 2017 in Pamplona, Spain [#27 Lesson] You Don’t Know Until You Go #61 Watch the Tour de France Live Completed on 22nd July 2017 in Marseille, France [#61 Lesson] Marvel at Human Capabilities #72 Walk on a Glacier Completed on 2nd January 2018…
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04May 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#31 Lesson] Peer Pressure can be a Good Thing

[#31 Lesson] Peer Pressure can be a Good Thing

BUCKET LIST, LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #31 Eat Blowfish. When we first went into the restaurant, there was no way that Toby, Maria or Claire were going to try fugu. By the end of it, we had all tried it. We were cracking jokes, having fun and taking silly photos. All thanks to peer pressure. Peer pressure is commonly regarded as a bad thing, but it really depends on the outcome. Peer pressure towards a negative outcome, such as doing drugs, is a bad thing. However, peer pressure towards a positive outcome can be a good thing. Maria took a bit of convincing to eat the fugu but admitted that she was glad she tried it when she had the chance. This goes for all of us. We…
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20Apr 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#31 Eat Blowfish

#31 Eat Blowfish

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 4th February 2019 in Tokyo Japan. For the last two years my best mate, Jesse, has made a pilgrimage to Japan to go skiing for his birthday. He wanted me to come both times but unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it. Well, this time it was for his 30th birthday so he told me I was obligated to come. As soon as I booked my flights I knew that I would be able to cross a couple items off my list. Jesse, Emma, Toby and Maria had already flown to Japan a week before me so when I arrived we coordinated a meet up in Tokyo. I met Toby and Maria there, as well as Maria’s sister, Claire, who came over from…
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06Apr 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#72 Lesson] Try, Try and Try Again

[#72 Lesson] Try, Try and Try Again

BUCKET LIST, LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #72 Walk on a Glacier. I usually try to avoid diving too deep into the world of clichés, but this title was just too perfect. My first attempt was foiled by a lack of money. My second attempt was due to inclement weather. And even the third attempt was affected by the weather, but I managed to cross this one off the list. There are a few items on the list that I have had one crack at, and failed, but this is the only one that has taken me three attempts. It really is true what they say, the harder it is to achieve something, the more rewarding it becomes when you do achieve it. Perhaps I was just being stubborn…
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23Mar 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#72 Walk on a Glacier: Part 2

#72 Walk on a Glacier: Part 2

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 2nd January 2018 in Franz Josef, New Zealand. In my previous post, #72 Walk on a Glacier: Part 1, I told the stories of the two attempts that preceded my third, and final, attempt at walking on a glacier. This item took me nearly four and a half years to complete it but, on 2nd January 2018, I was successful. Attempt #3 In December 2017, my mum came to visit me in New Zealand and I wanted to take her to the West Coast. She and my dad had travelled the South Island in 2015 but skipped the West Coast due to bad weather. I thought this was a good chance to get her to the West Coast and, with any luck, perhaps…
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09Mar 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#72 Walk on a Glacier: Part 1

#72 Walk on a Glacier: Part 1

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This particular item seemed to be quite elusive to me and took me three attempts, which spanned nearly four and a half years. Some bucket list items are easy to achieve. It is just a matter of planning to go do it and then following through. However, walking on a glacier proved to be much different. I will recap the first two attempts in this post and then the story of how it was finally completed will be told in my next post. Attempt #1 While travelling through New Zealand in 2013, my friend Kyle and I found ourselves in Queenstown, then Wanaka and then heading up the West Coast. The West Coast of New Zealand is a rugged place as it cops the brunt of the weather systems that…
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23Feb 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
Why I Changed #33 Slap a Bull

Why I Changed #33 Slap a Bull

GENERAL
My previous blog, Why I Didn’t Change #27 Watch a Bullfight, described the judgement that was placed on me for wanting to run with the bulls and attend a bullfight. Somehow this third bull-related bucket list item flew under the radar. My guess is that not many people know what this means or know the reference. This bucket list item is in reference to the Hollywood movie Wild Hogs, staring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy. These four regular middle-aged men form their own wannabe biker gang and head off on an adventure to bring meaning back into their lives. In one of the scenes, Tim Allen’s character must sneak up behind a bull and slap it on the ass. Then he was supposed to get…
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