Thursday, January 17, 2013

YOUR DREAMS FOR A LIFETIME .....

Hi, all,

Well today is a special post. Something that we ALL think about, but never have the time to ACTUALLY write it down ... A BUCKET LIST.

For the few who don't know what this is, it's basically what you'd like to do in your lifetime if you had the means....

This BLOGFEST is the brainchild of Jamie Ayres whose new book, 18 Things, is scheduled to release on January 24th... So you still have a whole week to join in the fun and post your 18 things. Many fantastic prizes are featured so drop by Jamie's blog for all the details.

Isn't that a stunning cover?

Well, now for my Eighteen things. Let me tell you this wasn't the easiest thing to do. How can one narrow down a bucket list to just eighteen things?

Well, here goes...

1. One of the many things I REALLY wish to do is visit my Cyber sister Siv Marie in Norway. We met almost two years ago in the A-Z challenge and we connected immediately and we have been tight ever since.

2. Next, Off to London to visit two wonderful ladies who I am extremely fond of, Talli Roland, and Talei ... similar names, different people.

3. My next trip scheduled would be a road trip.... Heading south from Chicago, only a five or six hour drive, I MUST stop over and see Leigh Moore in Indianapolis, Indiana. From there,  head south to drop in on the MYSTERIOUS Alex J. Cavanaugh in North Carolina, I'd be the first blogger to catch a glimpse of our Ninja Captain ... that is if he reveals himself to me .... LOL. Next trail down to the Bayou and spend a few days with my wonderful friend, Roland Yeomans. Hopefully I will catch him between blood runs. Afterwards, swing down to Florida and spend some quality time with my sweetheart of a friend, P.K. Hrezo. We have met a few times in Orland and it has always been an awesome time. And I MUST visit Harry Potter at Universal.... How could I not?

4. After a long rest at home.. perhaps a week or two, jump back into the car and head west. I have GOT TO VISIT UTAH!!! There, I have several people I MUST meet. First and foremost. My newest and dearest friend Morgan Shamy.... need I say more. Of course she will host a party for the blogger  elite .... Michael Offutt, David Powers King, Ali Cross, Elana Johnson, Karen Gowen ... and any other bloggers I have forgotten who live in UT ... there are SO MANY.

5. Seeing a pattern here? LOL. Off to Northern California .... I must visit another dear friend Donna Hole and another wonderful friend, who lives close by to her Carol Riggs.

6. Next ... drive down to LA for the SBCWI conference and hook up with even more blogger buddies who just happen to be in town.

7. Relax at the Beverly Hills hotel for a week to rest up for my next big trip. Hop on a plane to Hawaii. I've GOT to drop in Crazy and Wonderful Mark Koopmans and spend a few weeks hopping around the islands...

8. Back on a plane, but this time to Brisbane, Queensland to visit another dear friend Denise Covey. Of course I will have to stay a least a month or two to travel the surrounding areas. Denise LOVES to travel and I am sure I can convince her to show me around the south pacific.... We might just have to head over to Paris for a week or three... LOL.

9. By 2015 I would LOVE to organize THE FIRST BLOGGER CONVENTION!!!! How AWESOME would that be? Pk had mentioned to me on several occasions and  I think that would be the ULTIMATE experience. Can you imagine? Thousands of us running around some fabulous hotel searching for our favorite blogger buddies.... AH.... what a dream!

10. 2020 Another convention... I think we will all need five years to recuperate.

11. Now, time to get a bit more serious. I would truly love to be able to keep my upbeat, positive, caring, and sweet demeanor, no matter HOW TOUGH life gets.

12. I  wish to be healthy, physically and mentally, to do whatever I want until the day I depart this earth.

13. I wish to always have my creativity and always appreciate the beauty around me.

14. I wish to always have the patience to help others in need. To be caring and compassionate and to NEVER LOSE that ability.

15. To be able to live my life comfortably... without sickness and stress.

16. I'd like to own two homes. One in the south by the sea, and one up north in the mountains. Nothing fancy, just to be surrounded by nature to be always inspired to create with words and paint.

17. To be on this earth to see a cure for cancer and other life threatening diseases.

18. And finally .... to see this world at peace.... That I wish most of all.

Well friends that is my bucket list. Funny how award winning author didn't make the cut. So many more important things in life to dream about and focus on. Friends, family, health, peace of mind, and peace in our world.

Have a wonderful day everyone. I hope you will sign up and let me read your BUCKET LIST. AND CONGRATS to Jamie on her new release!!!!




36 comments:

Denise Covey said...

Hi Michael. What a wonderful list and obviously everyone can see that bloggers mean a lot to you personally. I think that's so sweet. I must admit I quickly scrolled down to make sure Queensland was on your list--it takes a long time to see Oz, such a huge country--but we'd have to go to New Zealand, the Pacific Islands including Fiji to visit the lovely Nas...and YES! Paris would end your visit nicely!
Seriously, it was so lovely to share those dreams with us. You have so many blogger friends who care about you and wish all your bucket list comes true. I hope when you're a best-selling author you don't forget all of us on Struggle Street, lol!!

dolorah said...

But of course Carol and I would share you! We like to get together, and you would just make our blogging year to meet :) You might be disappointed in our little Burge of the world though.

Your list of blogger acquaintances is awesome, and I'd love to meet quite a lot of your bloggy friends with you. The blogger convention sounds wonderful; and I'll foot the bill once I win the Lotto :) What are friends for, eh? If you ever travel extreme west, and a tad north, I'll be there to greet you.

Someday; there will be world peace. Hopefully in our lifetime. The world is truly an interesting place; ya never know what will happen next week, lol.

......dhole

S.P. Bowers said...

I would come to a blogger convention. Great list.

Natalie Aguirre said...

That's an awesome bucket list. I loved reading where you'd want to go. I can so seeing you wanting to live in two places.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Your eighteen things sound awesome! You are a true people person. Be happy to join you on that trip to New Orleans and spend a few days with Roland. And a blogger convention would be amazing.

Matthew MacNish said...

A road trip to meet all our writer friends really would be awesome.

Elizabeth Seckman said...

I'm all for the cancer cure and the world peace! The road trip would be awesome too.

Tonja Drecker said...

That would be one wonderful, awesome trip (all of them together, of course.)

Unknown said...

Yesss! Number 9 is an awesome idea! Can you imagine the insanity?!?! And that is a beautiful book cover! I'll have to check that story out! :)

Roland D. Yeomans said...

To be with you, Alex, and my other blogging friends at a convention would be a dream come true. My 18 things would be comprised in two words: SLEEP IN! :-)

Yolanda Renée said...

Wonderful list.

Travel is a dream but to travel for the purpose of seeing friends, awesome!

I will begin work on my list,

I hope you achieve yours!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

You are going to be racking up some miles. You come through NC, there are many other bloggers in the VA-NC-SC-GA area you could meet with.

DEZMOND said...

oooh, I wanna go on this road trip too, I wanna go, I wanna go!

Morgan said...

Oh, this post gave me butterflies! So lovely, Michael! BLOGGER CONVENTION!!!! Hahaha... can you imagine??? Too funny. I know Madman Koop is planning a writer's "conference" in Hawaii... wouldn't that be SWEET?

Love all the goodness here. You've got such a great perspective, Michael. And yay for number 4! Utah is amazing... as are all the writer peeps here. You can entitle your trip "Around the blogosphere in 80 days."

This was so beautiful. I loved this!

Hart Johnson said...

My bucket list would totally be traveling cool places to meet some of my online friends in person, too.

Carrie-Anne said...

#16 is a great goal! I'd probably want additional homes in the forest and out in farm country as well.

mooderino said...

Great list. Maybe you can combine it with a world book tour.

mood

Unknown said...

Aw, what a fun list!! I'd love to meet fellow bloggers in real life, too. :)

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

I'm so on board with a blogger get together in a fabulous resort (please get one with spa amenities available). I love your bucket list. IMO the best time to visit Utah runs from June through September. If you come in June, you can see our Gay Pride weekend. It's not much, but at least it's something given that it takes place in the shadow of the Mormon Temple.

Anonymous said...

You have an amazing bucket list. You're going to do a lot of traveling!! And I thought Mr. Cavanaugh was in Australia, so I learned something new. I think we should all plan a simultaneous trip to NC and gather on his front lawn to say hi to the Ninja Captain. I, too, want to live my life comfortably and see the world at peace.

Anonymous said...

Wow. I don't even know if you could find a hotel that would let a whole bunch of writers and bloggers run around. But great list! I especially love number 12. There's a saying along the lines of "One man says he can, and another man says he can't. Both are right." I actually think it's hanging in one of my classrooms, and I might steal it before the end of the year. . . but don't tell anyone. :)

Golden Eagle said...

Great list. A blogger convention sounds like it would be really fun . . I can just picture all of us in a big conference room trying to figure out who's who!

Anonymous said...

I just signed up. Sounds like a real fun Blogfest!

mshatch said...

That is one awesome list and I think a blogger convention would be a blast.

Gina Gao said...

This is a great list. Blogfest sounds great.

www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

What a beautiful list! I wish I could think of things to do before I die, but sadly I have been just barely functioning and had so much going on. I have to get back to blogging soon. I MISS YOU!!! :)

Rebecca Green Gasper said...

Great list! Blogger convention- hmm...what fun! I wish you the best:)with your list. What wonderful heartfelt thoughts and wishes.

LTM said...

I'm jumping in the car with you for the drive south!! We'll catch that sneaky ninja and spend some time in my home state before hitting Florida. I love Ms. P.K., too! And I've never been to Universal!

woo hoo! ROAD TRIP!!! :D <3

P.S.
#11-18? Ditto~ <3

Laura said...

That is a fab list, and I certainly would love to come to one of your blogger conventions. And if you make it to the UK to visit Talli and Talei come visit me in the south west too - I'd love to introduce you to Dartmoor!
:)
Laura x

Anonymous said...

LOVE your 18 Things . . . and am jealous how you can keep everyone straight! My head is spinning just reading this, lol. Thank you for participating, and I'm all for a blogger convention! That would be, like, the MOST FUN EVER~hugs!

Krista McLaughlin said...

That is a great list! You'd be so luck to meet our Ninja Captain! :)

Yolanda Renée said...

The world at piece, what a wonderful thought! If only... I would give up all for that goal -- in fact I think each one of us would forgo our wishes for that one!

Lot's of travel -- seems to be a theme!

Shell Flower said...

I love your list. Sign me up for that blogger convention! Sounds like you are going to have fun. Great how you end your list with such generosity and goodness.

PK HREZO said...

YES!!! lol That sounds like the best bucket list ever!

We've got to get that convention organized. What a blast that'd be. And I know you'll always be upbeat and compassionate cuz that's just how you roll. ;)

Deniz Bevan said...

Love your number 14. I need to remember that.
And I'd love a house by the sea, too!

The best part is that blogger convention - every once in a while I dream of travelling and meeting fellow bloggers, and a convention would be the best way to do it. How much fun would that be!!

sjp said...

Great list, seems as though you will be visiting alot of places :)