Evolving Bucket List

It’s easy to forget the memorable and magical moments that we experience in life. While traditional bucket list entries motivate us to strive for new experiences, a record of completed endeavours provides the history of our lifetime achievements.

An Evolving Bucket List combines both. It helps us to appreciate what we have already completed, and bestows upon us the inspiration to develop new goals and ideas for challenges not yet realized.

Below is Jack’s Evolving Bucket List of travel, adventure and living an exotic lifestyle of long term vacationing, thus far completed– in no particular order.

Becoming an author and having my first book Another Cocktail Please published

Island hopping and flying over Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands in a float plane, Fiji, South Pacific

Wintering for 5.5 months, Cap Estate, Saint Lucia, West Indies

Holidaying and exploring the Island of Antigua, Caribbean

Member at the Saint Lucia Golf and Country Club, Saint Lucia

Visiting the Taj Mahal, Akbar’s Tomb, Agra Fort, Agra, India

10 day vacation at El Dorado Casitas Royale, gourmet inclusive resort, Mayan Riviera

Diving the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea), visiting Timna National Park, Eilat, Israel

Riding the bullet trains throughout Japan

Boating the fjords and camping, Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland, Canada

Exploring the 2 volcanic spires, The Pitons, (UNESCO Heritage Site) St. Lucia, Caribbean

Visiting Ayers Rock (World Heritage Site) the Olgas and Alice Springs, Australia

Touring and snorkeling the islands of Tahiti and Moorea, French Polynesia, Pacific Ocean

Climbing the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

Visiting The Peace Memorial Park Hiroshima (site of the first atomic bomb blast), Japan

Attending Summer Fest Music Festival, Quebec City, Canada

Enjoying an acrobatic show, Guangqi Park, Longhua Pagota, Shanghai, China

Sightseeing on a private guided tour of the Mayan Ruins, Tulum, Mexico

Touring the Island of Denarau, Viti Levu, Fiji, South Pacific

Flying in a twin otter to Savusavu, Fiji, South Pacific

Boating seas of Java, Flores, Savu, Timor, Arafura, Coral, Torres Strait and Tasman Sea

Visiting The Rocks, Paddy’s Market, Darling Harbour and Opera House, Sydney, Australia 2014

Snorkeling and exploring Hamilton Island, Whitsunday Islands, Australia

Golfing Hilton Head Island and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA

Flying in a Lake aircraft from Muskoka to Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA

Spending a week traveling Burma (only 1 week Visas were available), Myanmar

22 days trekking the Himalayas, Namche Bazar, Lukla, Lobuche (Mt. Everest Trek), Nepal

Attending a Canada Cup Hockey Game. Canada against Finland, Toronto

Zip lining and exploring the Pacific Coast jungle, Costa Rica

Canal tour, red light district, Cafes of Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Holland

Spending a weekend skiing, Ellicottville, New York, USA

Visiting friends and touring Miami, South Beach, Florida Key’s, U.S.A.

Attending the Fort Lauderdale International boat show, Florida, U.S.A.

Traveling through and sightseeing the Alps, Austria

Swimming with white tip reef sharks off the island of Yanuca, Pacific Harbour, Fiji

Visiting Victoria, Tofino, and Nanaimo Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Touring Ingonish, Cheticamp and area, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

Diving the 12,000 drop off, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean

Drinking Kava Root extract in the mountains, Vita Levu, Fiji

Boating, fishing and water skiing, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Bungee jumping, jet boating, rafting Milford Sound, Queenstown, New Zealand

Touring Darwin, Kakadu National Park, Katherine Gorge, Aboriginal Paintings, NT, Australia

Climbing Mt. Kosciuszko (Australia’s highest mountain) and Treadbo, NSW, Australia

Attending the arrival of the Americas Cup Trophy, (Super Bowl of Sailing) Fremantle, Australia

Spectating an Ivan Lendl vs. John McEnroe tennis match, Canberra, Australia

Touring the island of Sri Lanka for 4 weeks, Sri Lanka

Skating the Rideau Canal Skateway at Winterlude, Ottawa, Canada

Flying in the Himalaya Mountains from Lukla to Katmandu in a twin Otter, Nepal

Spectating a live cricket match (India versus Pakistan), Madras, India

Riding an elephant and seeing Rhinos, Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Attending a Philadelphia Flyers-Atlanta Flames hockey game, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Flying over the Tofino area of Vancouver island in a Cessna, British Columbia, Canada

Visiting Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, Amber Fort, the Pink City of Jaipur, India

Boating to Peter Island Resort, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean

Visiting the Pagodas, Buddhist Stupas, and Temples, Ancient city of Pagan (Bagan), Burma

Touring Calcutta and visiting The Victoria Memorial, Calcutta, Bangladesh

After diving/snorkeling the seas, I finally photographed a Seahorse, Roatan, Honduras

Visiting Cairo, Luxor, Karnak Temple, The Pyramids and The Valley of the Kings, Egypt

Touring The Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, The Castle of Sant’Angelo, Pieta, Rome, Italy

Visiting Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the Varanasi Ghats on the Ganges River, Varanasi, India

Exploring the city of Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Spotting 3 Dragonface Pipefish, Adibeti Reef, Yasawa-i-Rara Island, Fiji, South Pacific

Snorkeling Green Island and strolling the Esplanade, Cairns, Australia 2014

Touring the Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Australia, Darwin, Australia 2014

Exploring the beach town of Senggigi and the island of Lombok, Indonesia

Sightseeing the areas of Ubud, Kuta, Sanur Beach and the Tanah Lot Temple, Bali

Touring Le Louvre, Chateau de Vincennes, Notre Dame de Paris, Paris, France

Visiting St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican, Vatican City (smallest country in the world)

Captaining/bare boating a 38 foot power cat for 22 days, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean

Drinking beer at the Guinness factory and pub hopping Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland

Visiting Sanssouci Palace, New Palace, the Marble Palace, Potsdam, Berlin, Germany

Driving in a BMW on the Autobahn at 260 km’s per hour, Germany

Visiting the Blue Grotto, Faraglioni and exploring the island of Capri, Italy

Exploring the city of Pokhara and viewing the Annapurna Mountain range, Nepal

Touring the Acropolis, Lyacbettus Hill, Natacail Museum, Plaka, Athens, Greece

10 days on the Veendam Cruise Ship, Millennium1999/2000, Caribbean

Visiting Chania, Herakloin Museum, other historical sites and beaches, Crete, Greece

Visiting Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Cathedral, and Parc Guell, Barcelona, Spain

Wintering for 5.5 months in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Traveling the Mediterranean Coast from Malaga to Barcelona, Spain

Visiting the Berlin Wall, the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany

Viewing the Hunt Museum, Limerick, Ireland

Living, working, playing on Lake Rosseau for the summers since 1999, Muskoka, Canada

Tumbling around in the waves, Bubbly Pool, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands

Travelling through the Nation of Andorra (Located between Spain & France), Andorra

Visiting St. Pierre Miquelon, France (located off the coast of Newfoundland)

Attending the Atlantic Folk Festival, Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada

Flying over the Sinai desert, Suez Canal, Cairo, Alexandria, the Pyramids in a Cessna 172, Egypt

Touring Charlottetown, Cavendish Beach, enjoying Lobster Festivals, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Pub hopping, Halifax and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

Visiting the Brindisi Cathedrals and Churches, Brindisi, Italy

Boating to and hiking trail at The Baths, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

Hiking trails and snorkeling in St. John National Park, USVI

Experiencing the highest tides in the world, Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada

Touring the sea cliffs of the Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec, Canada

Boating and deep sea fishing for Wahoo, Bermuda

Ringing in a new year at the historic, colonial Grand Pacific Hotel, Suva, Fiji

Driving solo through the vast prairies from Alberta to Ontario, Canada

Visiting the Royal Palace, cathedrals, temples and public squares, Naples, Italy

Drinking beer at the Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke Island, BVI’s, Caribbean

Skiing Whistler Blackcomb Resort, British Columbia, Canada

Visiting Banff, and skiing Lake Louise and Sunshine Village, Banff, Alberta, Canada

Bone fishing off the island of Eleuthera, Bahamas

Pub hopping with relatives, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Arnham and Nijmegem, Holland

Rabbit and pheasant hunting, Rheinburg, Germany

Best man at a river boat wedding, Jamaica, Caribbean

Spending 2 winters living on the island of Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras, Caribbean

Boating and diving the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California), Baja, Mexico

Sighting numerous whales from a go-fast Zodiac boat, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Visiting Bitter End Yacht Club and The Baths, Virgin Gorda, BVI’s, Caribbean

Skiing Stowe and Sugarbush Mountain Resorts, Vermont, USA

Skiing Mt. St. Anne, Quebec, Canada

Visiting Isla Espiritu Santo, (protected under UNESCO biosphere) Sea of Cortez, Mexico

Skiing Waterville Valley Resort, Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, USA

Golfing and taking lessons as seasonal members at The Black Pearl, Pete Dye course, Roatan, Honduras

Dining at the top of the CN Tower, Toronto, Canada

Golfing Puerto Los Cabos course Cabo, Mexico

Growing up cottaging, snowmobiling, ice fishing, Temagami, Ontario, Canada

Boating the North Channel, Key inlet, Bustard Islands, Little Current, Lake Huron, Canada

Driving the East Cape, Toto Santos, La Paz to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico

Visiting Hope Town, Marsh Harbour, Nippers and Grabbers beach bars, Abacos, Bahamas

Wintering in the Family Islands (2.5 months on Eleuthera, 2 in the Abacos), Bahamas

Spear fishing Lion Fish, (invasive species in the Caribbean) Bahamas

Visiting the Golden Gate Bridge, riding cable cars and sightseeing in San Francisco, California, USA

Pub hopping, visiting Cabot Tower & Cape Spear, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada

Touring New Providence Island, Nassau, Atlantis, The One & Only Ocean Club, Bahamas

Hiking and kayaking in Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland, Canada

Free diving for scallops, Beaver Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada

Snorkeling the reefs around the National Park of Komodo Island, Indonesia

Hiking the trails and viewing Komodo Dragons, Komodo Island, Indonesia

Snorkeling the reefs at Menjangan Island, Celukan Bawang, North Western Bali, Indonesia

Visiting the city of Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia

Visiting Governor’s Harbour, Rainbow Beach, Alice & Gregory Towns, Eleuthera, Bahamas

Boating the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada

Playing Frisbee golf, Penner Island, British Columbia, Canada

Scuba diving & snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Australia

Boating, beachcombing, snorkeling & visiting the cays of the Sea of Abaco, Abaco, Bahamas

Strolling along the Venice Beach Boardwalk, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Visiting Sforzesco Castle, Milan Cathedral, Piazza del Duomo, the Peace Arch, Milan, Italy

Touring the cities of Auckland & Wellington, North Island, New Zealand

Visiting the Gold Coast, Hayman Island, Ansett Resort, Great Keppel Island, & Cairns, Australia

Visiting Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Museum, outside Berlin, Germany

Touring Cradle Mt. Hobart, Port Royal and Launceston, Tasmania, Australia

Visiting the lobster fishing capital of Spanish Wells, where the locals speak Pirate dialect, Bahamas

Circumnavigating Manitoulin Island in a power boat, Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada

Spending 5.5 months on the island of Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, Caribbean

Snorkeling with the stingrays & swimming Seven Mile Beach, Cayman Islands, Caribbean

Enjoying a wine tour outside Adelaide, Australia

Kayaking, snorkeling, diving the Mesoamerican reef encircling the island of Roatan, Honduras

Exploring the beaches, snorkeling the reefs and visiting the city of Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela

Visiting the western cites of Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver & Victoria, Canada

Experiencing a tidal surge of a tsunami (tidal wave) Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Viewing the breathtaking Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Sightseeing the Sydney Opera House, The Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney, Australia

Attending a fundraiser at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo, Bermuda

Touring Sapporo & the Sapporo Beer factory/museum, island of Hokkaido, Japan

Viewing the Imperial Palace, Golden Pavilion, temples and gardens, Kyoto, Japan

Attending the Tsukiji fish market, Tokyo Tower, Asakura Temple, Tokyo, Japan

Walking the beaches of Tampa, Fort Myers, Naples & Daytona, Florida, USA

Visiting Cape Reinga, (Most northern point of the North Island), New Zealand

Attending Bruce Springsteen, Eagles, Rolling Stones, Super Tramp, Styx and Frank Zappa concerts, Toronto, Canada

Touring the Forbidden City, Beihai Park, Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China

Sightseeing the botanical gardens, Somerset Bridge and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, Bermuda

Holidaying in Montego Bay and watching the famous sunsets from Negril, Jamaica

Exploring and marveling at the Great Wall of China, China

Strolling along the Piha Beach, North Island, New Zealand

Attending the 1st Annual International Resort Wear Fashion Show, Denerau Island, Fiji

Visiting friends and touring the City of Hobart, Australia

Sightseeing The Grand Palace and many other Buddhist temples, Bangkok, Thailand

Visiting Cancun, Playa Del Carmen and the beaches of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Traveling through and exploring Malaysia, South East Asia

Visiting The Royal Palace, El Retiro Park and many other cathedrals, Madrid, Spain

Scuba diving and snorkeling the reefs of Saint Lucia, Caribbean

Touring and beer sampling at the Heineken Beer Factory, Amsterdam, Holland

Sailing, snorkeling and ATV’ing in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, Caribbean

Touring Singapore and The National Museum, Singapore, South East Asia

Deep sea fishing and catching Mahi Mahi (Dorado), Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Visiting Mandalay Palace, the Buddhist temples and pagodas of Mandalay, Burma

Soaking up the sun and body surfing the waves at the beaches of Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka

Spending 5 months living in San Jose Del Cabo, Baja Sur, Mexico

Racing/crewing on a 31 foot Trimaran sail boat, Darwin, Australia

Touring an island via helicopter, Saint Lucia, Caribbean

Attending the Day of The Dead celebrations, San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico

Visiting the Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Free diving for Abalone, Point Reyes, California, USA

Touring the Egyptian Museum and boating the Nile River, Cairo, Egypt

Experiencing a category 1 hurricane Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, Caribbean

Reef and wreck diving in the Red Sea, Hurghada, Egypt

Climbing to the top of Mount Bromo (active volcano), Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia

Sightseeing the Sam Po Kung Temple and Lawang Sewu, Semarang, Indonesia

Touring the 9th Century Borobudur (world’s largest Buddhist) Temple, Java, Indonesia

Touring through Jakarta, West Java Island, Indonesia

Visiting Dunmore Town and the Pink Sand Beaches, Harbour Island, Bahamas

Visiting The Western Wall, Dome of the Rock and The Old City, Jerusalem, Israel

Touring Gangaramaya and Murugan Temples and the National Museum, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Swimming/floating in the Dead Sea, (Earths lowest elevation on land), Israel

Marveling at the Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt

Visiting Christchurch and Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand

Viewing The National Gallery of Victoria and touring the city, Melbourne, Australia

Touring The Temple of the Six Banyan Trees and sightseeing Guangzhou (Canton), China

Visiting the Sri Dharbaranyeswara Swamy Temple, Pondicherry, India

Boating to Cayos Cochinos Islands and lunching at a Garifuna Village, Honduras, Caribbean

Hiking the South West National Park, Tasmania, Australia

Witnesseing the 1st female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup at Governors House Muesum Restaurant, Suva, Fiji

Kayaking and snorkeling in the mangroves of Roatan & Turks and Caicos, Caribbean

Experiencing a minor earth quake, Nagano, Japan

Drift scuba diving and snorkeling, Cozumel, Mexico

Touring Tel Aviv University and the museums, parks and beaches, Tel Aviv, Israel

Hiking in Fiordland National Park, South Island, New Zealand

Climbing Mount Fuji, Japans highest mountain/volcano, Japan

Spending a week in the British Territories of Hong Kong and Macau (now China)

Spear fishing with locals, Vita Levu, Fiji, Pacific Ocean

Touring the Shwedagon Temple in Botahtaung Pagota and Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar)

Exploring areas around Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Boom net riding off the coast of Great Keppal Island, Queenland, Austraila

Driving down Highway 101 from Seattle to Los Angeles, California, USA

Boating the North Channel of Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada

Scuba diving the Gulf of Aqaba, Elat, Israel

Visiting Pompeii and climbing Mt. Vesuvius, Italy

Exploring the sights and dining on top of Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore

Living in Savusavu for six weeks on the island of Vanua Levu, Fiji

Celebrating a friends 50th birthday, Maxwell Beach, Barbados

Attending a fundraiser for potcakes (stray dogs) Turks and Caicos, Caribbean

Visiting friends, Swan Brewery and the area around Perth, Australia

Sailing on an America’s Cup racing boat, Hauraki Gulf, Auckland, New Zealand

Enjoying the hot springs, thermal wonderland of Rotorua, New Zealand, twice in 30 years

Marveling at the 12 to 15 foot cathedral ant hills and viewing crocodiles, NT, Australia

Rocking out at a Golden Earring concert, Stokvishal, Arnhem, Holland

Touring the War Memorial, Canberra (Australia’s capitol city), Australia

Watching the Super Bowl at the beach, Gansevoort Resort, Turks and Caicos

Lunching at Ladera and Jade Mountain Resorts overlooking the Pitons, Saint Lucia

Snorkeling the reefs near Castaway Island and the Blue Lagoon, Mamanuca and Yasawas, Fiji

Circumnavigating St. Thomas and St. John Islands in a 34 ft. Pursuit, USVI, Caribbean

Wine tasting tour on Waiheke Island, off the Coast of Auckland, New Zealand

Touring Auckland Museum and dining at Orbit Sky Tower, Auckland, New Zealand

Visiting Cane Garden Bay, Foxy’s, snorkeling Great Dog Island and Marina Cay, BVI

Day tripping and lounging at Malamala Island Beach Club, Mamanuca Islands, Fiji

3 months living in Queenstown, exploring the South Island, New Zealand

Fly, tramp, cruise, fly – day trip to Milford Sound, New Zealand

Sightseeing Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, New Zealand

Boating and snorkeling the reefs of Rakiraki, North Coast Viti Levu, Fiji

Jack’s Evolving Bucket List by Jack Janssen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.