50+ Lifestyles

My Bucket List

By Mary Schricker Gemberling

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count.
It’s the life in your years.” ………Abraham Lincoln

I am facing 2022 with more trepidation than in past years. I imagine it is because we yanked up our roots and have yet to plant new ones. But I think it may be more than that; I believe it has to do with my age. This is the year of a significant
birthday (Gary says if they end in 0 or 5 they are significant). With three quarters of a century almost behind me I cannot help but wonder if I will be one of the lucky ones and beat the odds of living to be a centenarian. Actually a recent survey I took said that If my health and habits remain static (barring any accidents) I could live to be 95. Gary is a bit older than me but, in that range where life expectancy actually increases; people 80 or older in the U.S. have a greater chance to live to 100 than those under the age of 80. Regardless of all these statistics and predictions, I know that the quality of life is just as important when knocking off those bucket life items. I have never been much of a gambler, so I think instead I will follow the words of Benjamin Franklin, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” And today (and most days) we both still feel like conquering the world!

So what is on my bucket list? Let’s begin with travel; there are a few international places I would yet like to see. Neither of us have been to Sicily, so I will put that on the top of the list. On our trip to classic Italy eight years ago we loved the food, the scenery and the people. The tour books say that Sicily is much the same and yet very different.

Second on the list would be Iceland; friends who travel often said it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. While I am close by, I would like to see Denmark, Sweden and Finland.

The third trip I have always wanted to take is a Mediterranean cruise around the Greek Isles. The tour book describes it as follows: “Greece is a magical, romantic destination where you can wander alongside stunning coastlines, explore the ruins of ancient cultures, and dine on fresh Mediterranean cuisine all in one vacation.” What’s not to like about that?

And the fourth place is Ireland. We went on a week-long trip there a few years ago with friends and saw quite a bit of the country, but I left feeling like I missed something. I would like to go back and satisfy that itch.

Moving now to my list of North America spots, number one is Alaska. It is the only state in our great United States that I have yet to step foot in. When I set eyes on the amazing beauty of the ‘Last Frontier,’ I will have been in all 50 states. Next I would like to travel by rail west to Saskatchewan, and Alberta to Victoria British Columbia; we traveled to Eastern Canada and visited Halifax, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and loved it. The remaining places are repeats …New Orleans, North and South Carolina, Vermont, Main, Boston, the Oregon coast, Lake Tahoe, Colorado to name a few.
In addition to travel there are other things I would like to make time for.

• I want to write a blended family cookbook with favorite recipes from all of our family members. It would include foods from our childhoods as well as dishes we love to make now.
• Along with Gary I want to take a course on religions. We have talked about how interesting this would be to compare them and learn how they have impacted civilization.
• I want to teach Lucy and Pearl to sew. As a young girl I made all my own clothes and would like to at least pass that skill on to them.
• I would like to spend time with a few old friends that I rarely see anymore.
  …………And the list goes on and on.

I really do appreciate and enjoy each day with which I have been blessed. It’s just that I am not finished seeing and doing and learning, and there is a sense of urgency that I did not feel even ten years ago. So perhaps I should stop writing about it and begin making plans. If you will excuse me, I have to go call my travel agent…

“Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.”……..Danny Kaye

Mary, a former educator and Seniors Real Estate Specialist, is the author of four books: The West End Kid, Labor of Love; My Personal Journey through the World of Caregiving, Hotel Blackhawk; a Century of Elegance, Ebenezer United Methodist Church; 150 years of Resiliency.