23Oct 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#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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11Sep 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#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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14Aug 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#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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19Jun 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#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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10Apr 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#25 Lesson] Witness Things with Your Own Eyes

[#25 Lesson] Witness Things with Your Own Eyes

BUCKET LIST, LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog post #25 Go to the Grand Canyon. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words. Well, then how many words is seeing something with you own eyes worth? Is it 10,000? Is it 1,000,000? There is no answer. There is no compromise. Nothing compares to seeing something firsthand. Don’t cheat yourself. I had seen hundreds of images of the Grand Canyon before visiting it that day, but when I stood at the edge, I was truly blown away. Photos make it look amazing but to stand there and stare out at the great expanse was something I will remember for the rest of my life. I had a similar experience when I visited the Coliseum in Rome. These are two of the…
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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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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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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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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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