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[#89 Lesson] Seek Out Odd Adventures

[#89 Lesson] Seek Out Odd Adventures

INFORMATION, LESSON, TRAVEL
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #89 Go Zorbing. Not many people know about “zorbing” outside of New Zealand. Most people have the same response when they see that item on my list. “Zorbing? What’s zorbing?” I usually say “Have you ever seen videos of people jumping inside of a giant beach ball and rolling down a hill?” They always respond with “Ohhhhh yes of course, that looks so fun!” People don’t know the term, but they know the activity. Zorbing Ever since I was a kid I have always kept an eye out for odd and crazy adventures, and zorbing is a prime example of that. The classic bucket list adventures like walking on the Great Wall of China and seeing the Pyramids of Giza are great…
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#89 Go Zorbing

#89 Go Zorbing

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 17th June 2013 in Rotorua, New Zealand. If you have been following along with the timeline so far, I have just graduated university and transplanted myself into New Zealand on a one-way ticket. Kyle and I landed in Auckland during the first week of June and spent the first couple days getting bank accounts set up, adjusting to the time zone and searching for a used car. We killed time by checking out some museums and also getting over to Rangitoto Island for a bit of an adventure. Replica of a moa - A large flightless bird that used to roam NZ Giant waka (canoe) Kyle and his emperor penguin friend View of Rangitoto Island from Auckland The volcanic trails of Rangitoto Island…
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Moving to New Zealand

Moving to New Zealand

GENERAL, TRAVEL
My recent blog, #60 Eat Kangaroo Steak, was the last bucket list item that I completed while I was living in Canada. Later that year I moved to New Zealand to begin some new adventures. Here is how it all happened… In 2011, I was two years away from finishing my degree in mechanical engineering and it was time to start thinking about life after university. The option staring me straight in the face was to move to Western Canada and put my education to work in the oil & gas industry. Most engineers from the East Coast go down this path because of the promise of big money. I didn’t have any issues with the oil & gas industry and the thought of earning big money out of university…
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[#60 Lesson] You Never Know Where an Opportunity Will Present Itself

[#60 Lesson] You Never Know Where an Opportunity Will Present Itself

LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #60 Eat Kangaroo Steak. I never would have expected to find kangaroo meat in my local supermarket, half way across the world from Australia, but that is exactly what happened. When I put that item on the list, I was confident that I would do this on my first trip to Australia… which I had no clue when I would make it there. A couple years later I actually did travel to Australia and had a kangaroo burger. I think I prefer it better as just a steak. Opportunities sometimes pop up where we least expect them. As true as that statement is for this situation, it is true for life in general. Sometimes we go searching for things and have to…
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#60 Eat Kangaroo Steak

#60 Eat Kangaroo Steak

BUCKET LIST
This bucket list item was completed on 25th January 2013 in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada. I think it is safe to say that I thought this one was going to be completed in Australia.  However, Halifax could not have been further from Australia. I had been living at my flat on Queen Street for about two years when I crossed this item off my list. The flat was in a great location, only a couple blocks away from my university and right beside a Sobeys Supermarket. I had been shopping at this same supermarket the whole time that I had been living at the flat and never paid attention to what they had in their international food bins. One day I went down to the supermarket with a couple friends,…
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[#52 Lesson] Do Things That Make You Feel Alive

[#52 Lesson] Do Things That Make You Feel Alive

LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #52 Fire a Military Grade Rifle. The reason this one made it on my bucket list was because I grew up around guns and always thought it would be amazing to fire a serious military grade rifle. Even people who have never fired a gun before dream of the day they get to feel their power. Guns are exciting and most peoples’ faces light up when they get to shoot ones such as the M4 or M249 SAW. The lesson I learned was simple. Shooting those guns made me feel alive… and that felt awesome. Life is busy and stressful, and if you’re not careful, it all begins to build up. That’s why things like firing guns or other activities that make…
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Disney Tips and Secrets

Disney Tips and Secrets

INFORMATION, TRAVEL
Below is a list of tips, tricks and packing lists for Disney World, based on my own experiences and after scouring the top Disney planning resources online.  I’ve linked to them a few times below, so it’s worthwhile going through their planning tips as well for more information. Disney World is an amazing experience for young and old, but a little planning in advance can help you save a lot of time waiting in lines and money. Disney World might not be on your bucket list but I’m sure your kids will love you for taking them there. GENERAL DISNEY WORLD TIPS AND SECRETS Guests staying at Walt Disney World Resorts, Disney Swan and Dolphin, and the Disney Springs Resorts get access to the parks an hour early and two…
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#52 Fire a Military Grade Rifle

#52 Fire a Military Grade Rifle

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 5th January 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. This was the fourth and final bucket list item I completed during my trip to Las Vegas. In my previous post, #40 Jeep or Buggy Sand Dunes, the story concluded with Kyle and me heading back from ripping up the sand dune outside of Las Vegas. We were still riding the adrenaline high from the dune buggies and had booked in to do some shooting at The Gun Store on the Las Vegas strip. The guys from SunBuggy Fun Rentals were nice enough to drop us off at The Gun Store when they brought us back into town. This was our last day in Las Vegas so we wanted to pack in as much as…
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Why I Travel

Why I Travel

GENERAL, INFORMATION
The key to my happiness is doing things that I love and one thing I truly love is travelling. Travelling brings me so much joy, and every time I go travelling, I am reminded of why I love it so much. I have always had a running list in my head of the reasons why I travel but I never took the time to write it down. This sounds like some peoples’ approach to bucket lists. Realising this, I decided to take my own advice, so I wrote them down. Here is a list of all the reasons why I travel. I travel… Because it makes me happy To learn about myself To experience new things To attend events Because I like airplanes To collect miniature shampoo bottles To visit…
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[#40 Lesson] Take Time to Make Decisions

[#40 Lesson] Take Time to Make Decisions

BUCKET LIST, INFORMATION, LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #40 Jeep or Buggy Sand Dunes. When asked whether I wanted to do another 30-minute dune buggy experience for half the price, I said no. It was an amazing deal and an amazing opportunity but I was shattered and didn’t think I would be able to endure another 30 minutes. Turns out all I needed was a little break to recover. By the time I changed my mind, we were on our way back to the Las Vegas strip and I missed my chance. This taught me a valuable lesson about not making decisions in the heat of the moment and taking a break to think. I will be honest; this is one of my weaknesses. When someone asks me a question…
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