Rapids and Such

Stop dreaming about your bucket list and start living it.

Annette White

Upon returning from my solo road trip, I had to dig in and complete my most recent graduate program. It’s amazing how much easier it is to research, write, and submit assignments when WiFi is available. As much as I love learning, I plan to take a break from courses that require tuition and grades and continue to learn from my adventures.

Once my classes were finished, I was free to do a bit more traveling before I headed back to teaching this fall. With limited time, I reviewed my bucket list and selected items that could be accomplished close to home. I spent a very hot afternoon getting soaked repeatedly in a dunk tank at a local festival. My sister was the first in line, and I forgot why she was always considered the athlete of the family. Of course, she was the first to dunk me. I had a blast but ended up with bruises in places that defied all reason.

My brother and I spent three days in Salida, Colorado, where we went hiking and geocaching, rode a tandem bicycle along all the trails in and around the town, ate at fantastic restaurants, visited museums/historic sites, played cards, and went white water rafting along the Arkansas River through Browns Canyon. It was great having a traveling companion: He cooked breakfast each morning. I felt bad for him as he slept on the hard ground in a tent, while I had the luxury of my trailer. I also made the mistake of telling him several odd items on my bucket list, like having my photo taken with a snake around my neck. I am petrified of snakes, so this bucket list item was intended to accomplish something completely unrealistic for me. Sky diving seems easier, to be honest. Well, as we were walking around the farmer’s market in Salida, we came upon a snake charmer and my biologist brother asked to see the snake. He was petting the fine boa constrictor, and I was turning to run away when he asked if I could hold the snake around my neck. He looked at me and simply said, “Bucket list.” My mind knew that my big brother wouldn’t let anything happen to me because he assured me that it would be okay. I stood, shaking, as the snake charmer gently placed this very large snake around my neck. She told me to hold out my hand, and when the snake started to crawl down my arm, I jumped. The snake quickly curled around my waist and my neck and tucked its head under my hoodie. My brother took several photos before the snake was removed. I shook for a solid hour afterward. I still get sick to my stomach thinking about it, but I did it. I did not conquer my fear of snakes, by any means, but I marked that off of my bucket list.

This past weekend, I experienced a bit of nostalgia camping at John Martin Reservoir where I spent many weekends as a child/teenager. If I wasn’t camping with my parents, I was camping with my grandparents. As a teen, my friends and I often came to the lake to swim, cliff dive, and water ski. Not much has changed with the park, except the trees are bigger and the campground is beautifully shaded. It was 95 degrees both days, but I was comfortable. I rode my bike Sunday morning over the bridge – about six miles – in order to mark “riding my bike over a long bridge” off my bucket list.

I have several more bucket list items to accomplish within the coming weeks that involve balloons, grocery stores, and running with a number pinned to my chest (again) – just not all at once.