19Oct 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
2019 Roundup

2019 Roundup

GENERAL
This was a crazy year that took me to Japan, USA and Canada. I had some wild culture shocks in Japan and managed to complete five items across these three countries. In case you have missed any of the stories or lessons from my bucket list adventures in 2019, here is a roundup. #31 Eat Blowfish Completed on 4th February in Tokyo, Japan [#31 Lesson] Peer Pressure can be a Good Thing #32 Drink Sake in Japan Completed on 4th February in Tokyo, Japan [#32 Lesson] Language Barriers Make Travelling Interesting #70 See the Hollywood Stars on the Sidewalk Completed on 12th September in Los Angeles, California, USA [#70 Lesson] Make the Most of Long Layovers #37 Go More Than 200 km/h on Land https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38_aRBZY4pY&t=26s Completed on 13th September in…
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27Jul 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#37 Go More Than 200 km/h on Land

#37 Go More Than 200 km/h on Land

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 13th September 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. This story follows on from my recent blog, #70 See the Hollywood Stars on the Sidewalk. I had a layover in LA but Las Vegas was my final destination, which is where I met up with my mum to whitewater raft the Grand Canyon. I arrived into Las Vegas late on Thursday and we didn’t have much planned for the next day. This was my mum’s first time in Las Vegas so after we had some breakfast, we set off on foot to explore the strip. Las Vegas is such a cool city because there are little pockets of other places around the world, such as New York and Paris. Brooklyn Bridge Statue of Liberty…
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29Jul 2020 by Dave Macleod No Comments
Harnessing the Power of Time Zones

Harnessing the Power of Time Zones

GENERAL
I have always found travel logistics very fun to figure out. Flights, hotels, tours and transfers are all just pieces of an intricate puzzle that must be constructed in a logical manner. And I love puzzles. I rarely use travel agents, because I enjoy constructing my own trips. Building my trips from the ground up is a way for me to use my creative side. The most creative travel idea that I have ever come up with, came to me just as I was falling asleep one night at the start of 2019. An idea so good, that I leapt out of bed, in a mad panic to locate my phone or a notepad, in the dark. I made the note and went back to bed, excited for morning, when…
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17Jul 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#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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22May 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#40 Jeep or Buggy Sand Dunes

#40 Jeep or Buggy Sand Dunes

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 5th January 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. In my previous post, #25 Go to the Grand Canyon, the story concluded with Kyle and me enjoying a meal at Hooters after our adventure to the Grand Canyon. Our schedule in Las Vegas was packed full of activities. For many people, Las Vegas can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We had no clue if, or when, we were going to make it back so we decided to make the most of it. The following day we had a tour scheduled with SunBuggy Fun Rentals. They were the original dune buggy operator in Las Vegas and offer the best gear and great experiences. They sounded like a good outfit so we figured we were in for…
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27Mar 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#25 Go to the Grand Canyon

#25 Go to the Grand Canyon

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 4th January 2013 in Arizona, USA. This blog post will pick up where #26 Gamble in Las Vegas left off. After a successful night of gambling we got some sleep for, our much anticipated, next day. When we realised that we would not be playing in the third day of the WSOBP, we went to the concierge at our hotel and booked a rental car. The concierges in Las Vegas are top notch. They are always happy to help out, no matter how crazy the request. A rental car booking was a walk in the park for them. After breakfast, we made our way to the rental car agency to pick up our navy blue, convertible Ford Mustang. It takes about 4.5 hours…
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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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