After completing #36 Run a Half Marathon, Jesse and I grabbed my truck and hit the road. We had already checked out of the hotel, so I just had to sit through the four-hour drive, coated in a thick layer of sweat.
At this time, BucketLaunch didn’t exist. Instead, I just uploaded a photo of each completed item to a Facebook album. As Jesse drove home, I uploaded the photo that Jesse had taken of me, hanging over the handrail and gasping for dear life.
It was definitely not my best photo, but it portrayed the physical exertion that I went through to complete this item. And that is why I love this photo.
Before reaching home, I received a message from a friend, Matt Woodman, via Facebook. Matt was a year behind me in High School, and after graduation, he became a news anchor. He had seen my latest post and thought that what I was doing was great. He asked whether I would be willing to do a news story about the bucket list.
I was flattered and immediately said yes! Being in different countries, it was obviously going to have to be via Skype. I also told Matt that I was about to leave on four-week trip to Italy for a skydiving holiday. I asked if it was okay just to do it while I was over there. He loved the idea and claimed that it would add to the story of my adventurous lifestyle.
A couple of weeks later, I found myself perched on the steps of the B&B that we were all staying at in Fano, Italy. This was the only spot in the house where you could get a decent wifi signal. Matt called me and the interview began. A few days later, Matt broadcast this piece on CTV News Atlantic. It gained traction, and the next day, it was played across the whole country.
I know that I am totally biased in this situation, but I think Matt did one hell of a job on this. Since I moved to New Zealand, I never had the chance to see Matt on TV, but I was thoroughly impressed with his broadcasting skills. He pieced the whole interview together in a logical way with a natural flow. I was so glad that he gave me this opportunity – Thanks Matt!!!
The feedback that I received on social media was amazing. So many people shared the story and posted great comments. I even had a few people add me on Facebook and we had discussions about their life goals. I felt honoured to be able to help strangers get on the right path to fulfil their dreams.
It was after this that I started to think that I was really on to something. Turns out that 19-year-old me was pretty wise to come up with this idea. About a year and a half later, I opened BucketLaunch to the world and began to spread across other social media platforms to help capture an audience. Today, I am able to share my stories and life lessons with so many more people.
Although my purpose is to complete my bucket list, I think I get more pleasure out of helping others set goals or create their own bucket list. My bucket list has given me so much and I want others to have that same life-changing experience.
If you think you’re ready for a bucket list, please reach out to me.
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Dave has been on a mission, since 2010, to cross off the 100 items on his bucket list. The stories of his adventures are complimented by life lessons learned along the way and his travel tips are unique to his experiences.
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