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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29Jun 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#70 See the Hollywood Stars on the Sidewalk

#70 See the Hollywood Stars on the Sidewalk

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 12th September 2019 in Los Angeles, California, USA. I actually managed to complete this one during a 10-hour layover that I had in LA, while I was flying to Las Vegas. The reason I was flying to Las Vegas, was to help my mum cross something off her bucket list: Whitewater Rafting the Grand Canyon. This story is worth a read, I suggest you check it out! I landed in LA around mid-day and wanted to make the most of it, so I sorted out my bags and grabbed an Uber to Hollywood Boulevard. This was not a quick process at all, the traffic in LA is crazy. It took us an hour to go 20 km. The number of stars on Hollywood…
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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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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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