9... On bucket lists

For the last few weeks, as my departure crept closer, I tried to fill my time with as many of the fun and wonderful things I would miss doing as I could.  I also tried to fill my belly with all my favorite foods, but that is a story for another time.  I hung out with good friends, cuddled my puppies, tried to weed down my Netflix and Crunchyroll queues, and made time to just be with the man I love.  I also finally made the effort to do a few of the things that have been on my North and South Dakota bucket list.  When my parents visited, we took an evening cruise on the Lewis and Clark Riverboat (not a paddle boat, but still a lot of fun).  I stopped to take pictures of abandoned and dilapidated houses I have always meant to take pictures of.  I finally braved the sun and spent an afternoon at the lake with a great group of friends.  We played water volleyball and I took a ride on my best friend’s boat with her and her family while they gave us a narrated tour of where we were and whose lake house was whose.  We ended the night with a cookout at the beach with watermelon, brats, suddenly salad (never heard of it before, but it was delicious), and fresh strawberry shortcake. 

I had so much fun doing all of these things, but it also made me a little sad.  Why did I wait?  All of my recent adventures were things I could have done any time (relatively) in the four years we have lived here.  Why did I wait till now?  I don’t have an answer; I just didn’t.  Scrolling through my Facebook feed, there are tons of posts about living each day to the fullest and making sure to make each moment count.  It is a great goal, but very few of us actually achieve it.  Instead, we make bucket lists - I want to do this; someday I will do that.  Sadly, tomorrow comes, and the next day, and the next, and the list doesn’t get any shorter.  Until we come to a crossroad.

Japan is my crossroad.  When I step off that plane, I will have a choice.  Do I make excuses – I’m tired, I have too much to do, I don’t feel like it today, I’ll go next weekend – or do I make adventures a daily occurrence?  I am not saying every evening and weekend is going to be chock full of castles, museums, hikes, and festivals.  I would love to, but physically and monetarily that’s not possible.  But I can try something new every day.  Even breakfast can be an adventure.  Or a trip to the local convenient store if you take a different route.  It is all a matter of perception, really.  I have an opportunity to change the way I perceive life.  I can make bucket lists for someday, or I can just live today.

So I have a new bucket list.  It only has one item on it –

Have fun and enjoy today.

It might take me to Tokyo.  It might take me to a neighborhood festival.  It might just take me to the kitchen with a new recipe.  No matter where it takes me, if I can mark off this item every day, it will have been time well spent.

Just like this day.