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…
Read More
20Jun 2018 by Dave Macleod 1 Comment
BucketLaunch is Growing!

BucketLaunch is Growing!

GENERAL, INFORMATION, TRAVEL
For the last eight months, I have been slaving away behind my computer to deliver my bucket list stories and life lessons to you. I have received some great feedback from my readers and this has helped me to refine some of the content that I will be posting. I have travelled many places and have a lot of experience to share with the world. However, I am only one man and my knowledge is finite. That is why BucketLaunch will be taking on a guest writer. Allow me to introduce Monika Giacca Millar! Monika comes to BucketLaunch with a unique perspective from inside the travel industry. Monika has been working in the travel industry for the last 10 years. Her career began with running student tours across Canada and…
Read More
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…
Read More
23May 2018 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#50 Lesson] Don’t Show All Your Cards When Bargaining

[#50 Lesson] Don’t Show All Your Cards When Bargaining

BUCKET LIST, LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog post #50 Take a Punch by a UFC Fighter. Looking back on how I accomplished this goal, it is clear that easing into it was the best way to approach it. I wanted TJ to do something out of the ordinary for me and sending an email from someone he had never met, requesting to be punched in the face would have most likely gone unanswered. The initial email was used to get my foot in the door and helped to arrange a time and date for the real conversation to take place. During the days leading up to 23rd July I found myself trying to figure out how to actually bring up the topic. Although I had the meeting arranged, I…
Read More
09May 2018 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#50 Take a Punch by a UFC Fighter

#50 Take a Punch by a UFC Fighter

BUCKET LIST
This bucket list item was complete on 23rd July 2010 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This may seem like a strange one to a lot of people but the inspiration (or what I thought was the inspiration) came from the movie The Hangover. In one of the scenes Mike Tyson, played by himself, punched out the character Alan, played by Zach Galifianakis. Following the release of the movie, rumours began to spread about the scene. The rumour was that instead of a classic movie punch where no contact is made, Zach Galifianakis requested Mike Tyson to actually make contact because it would be an honour to be punched by one of boxing’s greats. I had heard multiple people tell me this same story and it seemed plausible enough so I…
Read More
11Apr 2018 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#74 Lesson] Professionals Make It Look Easy, Be Prepared to be Humble

[#74 Lesson] Professionals Make It Look Easy, Be Prepared to be Humble

BUCKET LIST, LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog post #74 Fly in a Wind Tunnel. The title says it all and I’m sure this is a lesson everyone is aware of. It is one of those cliché saying that we have all heard since we were kids. It bears some similarities to my previous blog post [#97 Lesson] It is easy to Underestimate New Challenges. Keep both of these lessons in mind when starting any new endeavour. Whether it is a guitarist, a freestyle motocross rider, or an Olympic gymnast, when we watch these professionals perform their art, they make it look easy. A lot of times, witnessing a professional do an activity is what inspires us to try it for ourselves. Unfortunately, the realisation of how hard the activity…
Read More
28Mar 2018 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#74 Fly in a Wind Tunnel

#74 Fly in a Wind Tunnel

BUCKET LIST
This bucket list item was completed on 24th February 2010 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. One of my closest friends throughout high school was Michele. Michele is a year younger than me and we were introduced to each other through mutual friends. The more we socialised, the more we began to build a strong friendship. No one can escape the trials and tribulations of high school but luckily Michele and I had each other to talk to about things. We helped each other through the rough times and shared things that we didn’t share with anyone else. In 2008, I threw my mortarboard in the air and graduated high school. I moved on to university in autumn and while I was completing my first year, Michele was finishing her last year…
Read More
14Mar 2018 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#81 Lesson] Let Curiosity Get the Better of You

[#81 Lesson] Let Curiosity Get the Better of You

BUCKET LIST, LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog post #81 Eat a Raw Egg. “Some people say the only way to rid yourself of temptation is to yield to it” (After the Sunset). These were the words spoken by Pierce Brosnan’s character in After the Sunset. I have always enjoyed this quote because it is the way I like to live my life. In fact, I have repeated this quote to many people over the years when it is relevant to the situation and it is usually met with a pondering gaze. Whenever my mind grabs hold of an idea I begin to think it through. I think of the pros and con and start to visualise scenarios and how things may pan out. If the pros outweigh the cons…
Read More
27Feb 2018 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#81 Eat a Raw Egg

#81 Eat a Raw Egg

BUCKET LIST
This bucket list item was complete on 20th February 2010 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. For anyone who has watched the Rocky movies, you know exactly what this item is referring to. In Rocky, the first movie that launched the franchise, Sylvester Stallone wakes up at 4:00 am, cracks five eggs into a glass and proceeds to drink them before starting his morning workout. I watched these movies when I was a kid and as a kid there are many things you see that make you cringe; this was one of them. I remember thinking that it looked disgusting and it must have tasted even worse. When this scene appeared in the movie it create a cultural phenomenon, an action that so many people witnessed and wanted to mimic. I…
Read More
14Feb 2018 by Dave Macleod 2 Comments
The Value of Seasonal Bucket Lists

The Value of Seasonal Bucket Lists

BUCKET LIST, GENERAL, INFORMATION
A bucket list is collection of goals, which you aspire to complete before you kick the bucket. For that reason, these lists tend to have several items with varying degrees of difficulty. Some items may even take years to complete. A bucket list is designed to take a lifetime to complete, but does it have to take that long? I was recently discussing life goals with a friend and he mentioned that his mind changed often enough that he was reluctant to create a bucket list for the rest of his life. I thought about his comment for a moment and then recommended that he make a summer bucket list. I suggested that he make something short (5 items) that he will attempt to complete before the end of summer.…
Read More