Hi, I’m Ben and this is the online journal of my ‘bucket list’.

Why? I finished many years of study and thought “Hey, now I can do all those cool things that I was (usually) too busy studying to do!” So, I started writing a list. Based on good suggestions from close family, I decided to keep track using a blog.

Use the drop-down box on the right to see all posts for a particular list item. Or click on the links below to see the first posts for each item, listed in the order I started them:

  1. Create a short stopmotion film (DONE 28 December 2012).
  2. Skydive (DONE 26 August 2012).
  3. Own a grand piano (on hold).
  4. Reach 12 percent body fat and good muscle tone, i.e. have a ‘good’ body (on hold).
  5. Climb an overhang rockclimbing wall (DONE 30 October 2012).
  6. Climb a rope (DONE 15 December 2012).
  7. Watch the Top 50 Films (DONE 24 July 2013).
  8. Do handstand pushups (DONE 8 June 2013).
  9. Record a few pieces of music, where I play/sing all the parts (DONE 6 January 2013).
  10. Artificial intelligence (sub-list: 4 posts).
  11. Find something interesting in my family history (DONE 10 April 2013).
  12. Make and release a graphical computer game (DONE 30 September 2013).
  13. Have a 30-minute conversation in German with a native speaker (on hold).
  14. Edit Wikipedia (DONE 27 Feb 2018).
  15. Learn about Buddhism (DONE 21 Apr 2018).
  16. Publish a fiction story online.

Any items listed as a ‘sub-list’ refer to an index page, as these items may be open-ended or contain many, many sub-items.

Here are the items yet to do, in no particular order. This list will probably expand over time as I think of more items, and I may need to rephrase some before I start on them. Some list items I may not get to, whether due to prioritising other items or I simply change my mind.

  • Live overseas for at least three months.
  • Be conversationally fluent in Italian, French, Russian, a Scandinavian language, an Asian language.
  • Do cartwheels properly.
  • Conduct a music performance.
  • Setup and fund a self-sustaining music scholarship.
  • Read ‘The Classics’.
  • Learn more about history, art, philosophy.
  • Travel through western Europe, Scandinavia, Russia.
  • Visit the United Kingdom and Ireland, and pick up the accents.
  • Visit the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World.
  • Visit Aztec and Mayan sites, especially Machu Pichu.
  • Ski the Swiss Alps.
  • Go on an African safari.
  • Relax on a tropical island.
  • Create a physical arcade game.
  • Create a virtual reality game/simulation, complete with VR goggles.
  • Create a robot (or robots!) to wander around the house.
  • Write comedy, and travel articles.
  • Hangglide.
  • Go whitewater rafting.
  • Hit the bullseye at an archery range.
  • Ski a black diamond run without stopping or injury.
  • Fly a helicopter.
  • Cook a souffle, without it collapsing.

To be continued…