Well we have reached day four of our Top Ten journey.  Today’s topic is Ten things to do before I die, my bucket list of sorts.

1. Deep sea fishing – As a kid we would go fishing regularly on my grandparents farm.  They had two ponds stocked with catfish and bluegill.  We would catch them and then my grandma would fry them up.  Deep sea fishing wouldn’t be quite the same, but I think it would be fun.
2. Travel to all fifty states – I have made a pretty good dent in this one, but still have a few to go.  I have traveled to 32 of 50.
3. Go exploring in old castles – This has been a dream of mine since I was little.   I am not sure why, but I have always been fascinated by old castles.  Especially those castles in Germany
4. Visit historical Holocaust sites – Speaking of Germany…If you know me at all you will know that I have always enjoyed learning about the Holocaust.  I can’t really explain why, I just have been.  I have read books, watched movies and lived vicariously through Anne Frank and others.  To see the historical sites in person would really make an impact I think.
5. Travel the world – I love to travel, except for the whole driving or getting there part.  I love seeing new things and experiencing a new culture.  If only I could see every corner of the world, wouldn’t that be fantastic?
6. Live abroad (perhaps in Africa) – Ben and I are actually in the process of working towards moving to Africa in the next few years.  If you are more interested in this check out his post here, here and here.
7. Adopt a child – When Ben and I first started talking about kids, we made the decision to adopt.  To me this seems like a no brainer.  There is an estimate of 100 million orphans worldwide.  I just can’t imagine not adopting one of these children.  I have a passion for helping others and to me this is the greatest gift I can offer to a child.
8. Open a bakery or some sort of small shop where I can cook all day everyday – I love to cook, enough said.  Even when I am extremely tired from school or stressed out over something, I come home and cook.  For some reason cooking relaxes me.  For others it might be a nice pedicure or a nice soak in a bubble bath (although I do love a good bubble bath), but for me it is cooking (especially baking).  It would be a dream job to get to cook all day everyday.
9. Figure out a cure for autism – This one is a long shot considering no one really knows the cause of autism.  In case you didn’t know I just recently finished my second masters in Exceptional Education with an emphasis in autism.  I have also spent the summer working at the Kelly Autism Program (read this for more information about my experiences there).  Autism is another one of those things that fascinates me.  It also troubles me.  Often individuals with autism are extremely bright, but they struggle with communicating their thoughts and ideas.  If only there were a cure, then their brilliance could be shared with everyone.
10. Go scuba diving – Imagine seeing the beauty of God’s creation up close and personal…that would be awesome!  Plus, fish are cute!

Of course I wouldn’t want to do any of these alone.  I would want my wonderful husband alongside of me every step of the way and perhaps even the Little Misses.  Even if that means we have to wait fifty years to cross off some of these.  What would you add to your Bucket List?

Tags: Autism, Ben, KAP, Masters, Top Ten

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