Have you created a “Bucket List"--a list of the things you’d like to do or see before time is up to do them and you’re off the planet? Back in high school, I was inspired by John Goddard who presented assemblies on his travel adventures. I had no idea back then until reading the very first Chicken Soup for the Soul book in which he was featured, that as a teen he made a list of 100+ adventures and goals he wanted to achieve. What a wonderful way to create life filled with what you value and want to weave together as your destiny.
Since I also embrace creating life as you most want to live it, I made my own list. It’s an interesting exercise of what I value, of what feeds my soul. I joyfully cross things off when I do them, and also keep adding to it in anticipation when something else arises.
So, a few years ago, while scanning some travel books, a pastoral scene caught my attention–rows of lavender in France. Ahh! I’ve always been one who stops to smell the roses, and the thought of breathing in the fragrance of a field of lavender sent my stressed out spirit soaring. Well, the epicenter of lavender production is Provence, France and in doing research, scenes of sun-washed hilltop villages, Roman ruins, outdoor cafes, pastoral patchworks of vineyards, olive groves, stately cypress, amber wheat fields, and endless acres of sunflowers and lavender became an irresistible lure.
Last fall, plans were made with two friends, Sarah and Anne, also drawn to Provence’s beauty and charm, to book summer 2011 to stop and smell the lavender in full bloom.
Once there, it exceeded my expectations! Provence was indeed a symphony of sensory delights, as described in some promotional material. The lavender fields were humming from bees taking advantage of the sweet nectar . . . the fragrances from every corner, the color contrasts of purple lavender and yellow sunflowers, the feast of fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, and crusty bread purchased daily from outdoor markets, and then ending each day filled with all of its natural wonders, sitting outside underneath a mulberry tree overlooking a vineyard, sharing with friends for hours on end.
Bucket List 2011–pure heaven! “Lavender in full bloom in France” is now crossed off my bucket list, but all those sensory delights will continue to feed my soul. Just scanning that list in anticipation of future adventures is inspiring to keep envisioning what experiences I want to weave into my life’s tapestry. Dancing in fields of flowers just happened to be one that’s rather unexplainable, except I’ve long resonated to nature’s awesome wonders.
It’s an intriguing exercise to create a list of what you’d like to do and see, of what piques your interest, and then seeing that reality come to life with intentional planning. It’s then not just about wishing you could experience something, but creating it with gusto! I encourage you to share below what’s on your “bucket list” and why it might be calling you to take action.
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