Couples Connection

By Chellee Unruh

As the world begins to recover from the coronavirus pandemic now is the best time for those hungry for adventure to create a bucket list. As travel begins to become a reality again, spend time together dreaming and planning all of the places you want to explore close to home or far away. We have just the list to get the wheels turning in your head and on your vehicle. Use this list as your inspiration for creating your bucket list or feel free to add any of the items below! We won’t tell that you got the idea from a magazine!

SKY DIVE – Unless you have actually done it, the experience is hard to explain. The only way to truly understand it is to face your fears and just do it. It will be an experience you will never forget and a story that you can pass on to future generations. LEARN HOW TO SURF – Make sure to add this the next time you visit the coast. It is a great workout and you experience the ocean in a whole new way! If a coastal trip is not an option, then try doing yoga on a paddle board. The health benefits and feeling on the board will be very similar to surfing.

VISIT EVERY NATIONAL PARK IN THE UNITED STATES – From the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with foam, America has so many beautiful landscapes for you to enjoy. Why not bask in her glory by visiting the nature that makes America the best place to call home? If you decide to add this to your list, make sure you get a national parks passport.

LEARN A SECOND OR THIRD LANGUAGE – You can never go wrong by expanding your horizons and opening yourself up to a new culture by

learning the language. Once you have the language down, visit the land of origin. It’s a whole new experience when you can understand and speak the language.

GO WHITE WATER RAFTING – This one needs little description. The name alone sparks that feeling when your stomach drops from going down a steep hill super fast! Who doesn’t love that feeling!

ROAD TRIP OF UNUSUAL ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS – There are a lot of really cool and unusual roadside attractions that you must see. You can start close to home by visiting the Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska. This homage to automobiles is a replica of Stonehenge. If you are willing to travel a little further, head to Dinosaur Kingdom II in Natural Bridge, Virginia. Here you will find a park that combines history with science fiction. This offbeat attraction features a cast of characters fighting the dinosaurs including Yankee soldiers, mad scientists, and even Abraham Lincoln.

PERFORM ON A PUBLIC STAGE – We are all passionate about something, so why not share that passion on a public stage by giving an inspirational speech? If you are not ready to write your own script, then read someone else’s script or try out to be in a play. For those that have done it, there is nothing quite like the thrill of being on stage with an applauding audience in front of you.

TAKE A TRAIN – This used to be the most common mode of travel before automobiles and planes. You can still travel to a lot of cool destinations by train both here in the states and abroad. So the next time you can, opt for a boxcar experience.

PET SIT – At first glance, this doesn’t seem very adventurous but did you know that you can pet sit locally and abroad? There is actually a website where you can sign up to be a pet sitter/house sitter. If you love furry four-legged friends, then this is absolutely something you should try!

ATTEND A SPIRITUAL RETREAT – Let’s be honest, the pandemic combined with an election year took its toll on our mental health. Whatever spirit or religion moves you, there is no better way to get back to a positive center than to go on a spiritual retreat.

Author Lori Gottlieb said it best in her book, Maybe You Should Talk To Somebody. “We think we make a bucket list to ward off regret, but really they help us ward off death. After all, the longer the bucket lists are, the more time we imagine we have left to accomplish everything on them.”

Hopefully, this list will inspire you to get out and explore— adventure awaits! n

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