13Mar 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
2011 & 2012 Roundup

2011 & 2012 Roundup

BUCKET LIST, GENERAL, LESSON
Over the past several weeks I have been posting the stories and lessons that I have learned from my bucket list adventures in 2011 & 2012. I managed to complete one item in 2011 and two items in 2012, which brought my total number of completed items up to nine. My bucket list progress from year-to-year can be tracked using the graph I have created. In case you have missed any of the stories or lessons from my bucket list adventures, here is a roundup. #95 Swim with Dolphins Completed on 22nd April 2011 in Varadero, Cuba. [#95 Lesson] Always Assess the Information Source   #38 Eat at a White Castle Restaurant Completed on 26th August in Green Brook Township, New Jersey, USA. [#38 Lesson] Cherish Adventures with Your Close…
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16Jan 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#26 Lesson] Gambling is Called Gambling for a Reason

[#26 Lesson] Gambling is Called Gambling for a Reason

BUCKET LIST, LESSON, TRAVEL
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #26 Gamble in Las Vegas. The word gambling is defined as the activity or practice of playing at a game of chance for money or other stakes. What is the most important word in this sentence? Chance. The word chance is defined as a possibility or probability of anything happening. Possibility cannot be quantified but probability can. The probability of an event happening in a casino (The House) is called the House Edge. In simple terms, the House Edge is the mathematical advantage that a game has over an individual, over a long term. The higher the House Edge, the higher the probability that the House will take your money over a long period of play. In short, gambling involves using your…
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12Dec 2018 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#26 Gamble in Las Vegas

#26 Gamble in Las Vegas

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 31st December 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. After I started working on my bucket list, my friend Kyle was inspired and began working on his own bucket list. I described the process that I followed, which was enough to get him started. He began his research and started adding items to his list. One of the items he had on his list was to compete in the World Series of Beer Pong (WSOBP), which is held in Las Vegas each year. The 2013 tournament was scheduled for three days beginning on 2nd January. One night in March of 2012, Kyle and I were having some drinks with our friends and began talking about the WSOBP. One thing led to another and we…
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21Nov 2018 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#38 Lesson] Cherish Adventures with Your Close Friends

[#38 Lesson] Cherish Adventures with Your Close Friends

BUCKET LIST, LESSON, TRAVEL
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #38 Eat at a White Castle Restaurant. During this adventure I flew to Florida with two of my closest friends, Dave and Branden. The purpose of the trip was to buy a BMW and drive it back to Canada. On paper, the task sounded easy but we had to overcome multiple challenges and worked together to make it happen. A combination of time pressure and a Category 3 hurricane made our trip even more exciting. I have known Dave and Branden since I was five years old and grew up on the same street as them. We have always been close friends but it seems like every time we go on an adventure, we become closer. This was not our first adventure…
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24Oct 2018 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#38 Eat at a White Castle Restaurant

#38 Eat at a White Castle Restaurant

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 26th August 2011 in Green Brook Township, New Jersey, USA. The idea for this bucket list item came directly from the 2004 movie, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. For those of you who are not familiar with this movie, I will elaborate. The movie follows the epic journey of two party animals who spend their night in search of their next fix, White Castle hamburgers. White Castle is known for being open late and their $1 sliders. The movie is filled with humour and life lessons and has become a bit of a cult classic for my generation. When I added this item to the list I thought it would be a funny achievement to eat at a White Castle restaurant…
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12Sep 2018 by Dave Macleod No Comments
2010 Roundup

2010 Roundup

BUCKET LIST, GENERAL, LESSON
Over the past several weeks I have been posting the stories and lessons that I have learned from my bucket list adventures in 2010. In the inaugural year, I managed to complete six items from my bucket list and each one taught me a valuable lesson. My bucket list progress from year-to-year can be tracked using the graph I have created. In case you have missed any of the stories or lessons from my bucket list adventures, here is a roundup. #86 Go for a Polar Bear Swim Completed on 1st January in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. [#86 Lesson] Just Start!   #9 Give Blood Completed on 28th January in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. [#9 Lesson] It Feels Good to Help Others   #97 Become Vegetarian for a Week Completed…
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29Aug 2018 by Dave Macleod No Comments
Shark Cage Diving Stewart Island, NZ

Shark Cage Diving Stewart Island, NZ

BUCKET LIST, INFORMATION, TRAVEL
This particular bucket list adventure was not from my list, it was actually from my girlfriend’s list. When Lexi told me she wanted to go shark cage diving, I made sure to invite myself along. This was not an adventure I was going to miss out on. It was getting late in the season when we decided to book it but we managed to get on the second last trip of the season, on 2nd June. We flew down to Invercargill the day before, where we had booked accommodation. It was a beautiful day across the whole country when we flew down to the tip of the South Island. As we were flying between Christchurch and Invercargill we were in awe of the incredible views of the Southern Alps and…
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18Jul 2018 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#95 Lesson] Always Assess the Information Source

[#95 Lesson] Always Assess the Information Source

BUCKET LIST, LESSON, TRAVEL
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #95 Swim with Dolphins. Before booking our trip to Cuba, my dad did his homework. There are thousands of resort destinations scattered throughout the Caribbean but the main countries most people consider are Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Jamaica. We had been to Mexico and Jamaica as a family before and my parents had also been to Dominican Republic. However, none of us had been to Cuba so it seemed like it would be an interesting adventure. Leading up to the trip I told many people about our plans because I was very excited to go to Cuba. However, the responses I received were very mixed. Some people mentioned that they had been to Cuba before and it was great but others…
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04Jul 2018 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#95 Swim with Dolphins

#95 Swim with Dolphins

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 22nd April 2011 in Varadero, Cuba. Going to the Caribbean in the spring of the year is a very popular thing for North Americans to do. The Caribbean is our little place of sunshine and warm water that we yearn for after enduring a cold, dark winter. In 2011 my parents decided that we should go to the Caribbean as a family because we had not had a family vacation since my brother and I started our university studies. My dad had done his research and determined that Varadero, Cuba looked like a great spot for us to explore. When going to the Caribbean, it is common to book a travel package and stay at an all-inclusive resort. We booked our package through…
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06Jun 2018 by Dave Macleod 1 Comment
Winter Bucket List 2018

Winter Bucket List 2018

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
In The Value of Seasonal Bucket Lists I shared my summer bucket list. I was successful at crossing off four out of the five items on my list. Riding the Bridge to Nowhere Mountain Bike Trail will have to wait until next summer. I also promised that I would make a winter bucket list when the temperatures began dropping in New Zealand. Well, it’s officially winter in New Zealand, so I figured it would be a good time to share my list. Check out the five items I have planned for this winter. Get back into skiing Get at least 6 days on my ski pass at Mt. Ruapehu Go shark cage diving ✔ Get back into skydiving Compete in the Peak 2 Powderkeg Race I first learned how to…
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