One 2017 bucket list item

Posted on Jan 2, 2017
In travel bucket list Adventure travel, United States
14 comments

In 2013, the travel blogging world lost Anita Mac, and many of us lost a friend. Anita inspired each of us in different ways with her huge, welcoming smile, eagerness to help, colorful fashion sense, as well as a shoulder to cry on and a willingness to comfort and listen. For many of us, Anita comes to mind almost daily, but most often during our travels, so each year since her death, our goal has been to honor her in some way. We want to pick up where she left off, as her blog focused on bucket list travel, so we are going to dedicate an item from our own bucket list to her during 2017.

You are still missed Anita

We hope this reminds our readership of the wonderful world we live in, how we can all experience it, and how fragile life can be. For Anita, we pledge this for 2017:

Traveling Ted – That is me

In less than two months I will be traveling to Anita’s hometown. This is the second time I have visited since she passed away. When I met her at TBEX in Toronto, and I told her I might be skiing the Gatineau Loppet, she invited me to stay with her. When I finally did make it to Gatineau, which is right across the river from Ottawa, Ontario, Anita had already passed. I sadly spent most of my time alone. This year I will be returning to the region to ski in the Canadian Ski Marathon.

One 2017 bucket list item – All smiles after finishing the Gatineau Loppet near Anita’s hometown, but I missed not meeting up with her

The fact that I am returning to Canada actually has nothing to do with my bucket list item for 2017. Returning to Anita’s homeland is a great way to start out 2017. However, this is not my 2017 bucket list item. The Canadian Ski Marathon is an endurance race where participants partake in two days of skiing totaling 100 miles. If the number one travel experience I was looking forward to in 2017 was to ski myself into complete exhaustion, then I would be insane. I just needed a hook to tie in travel and Anita. Now that you are honed in on my bucket list, and wondering what the hell it is, I am going to switch gears from cross-country skiing and Canada, but not too far away.

Can’t wait to see the Allagash in person – Photo public domain Wikimedia Commons

Enough of the intro, what is the bucket list item?

Since I am quite sane, my 2017 bucket list item is to visit Maine, and I am pretty sure it is going to happen. I have signed up to join Bullmoose Patrol on a wilderness canoe trip in October on the Allagash River. This will be my first trip to Maine, so I hope to see some moose, breathtaking fall colors, catch and eat some fresh fish, canoe a beautiful river, and drink some Allagash beer near its source. I am quite certain Anita would approve of all the above.

Adventure on!

One 2017 Bucket list item – Craig taking a cast in the Florida Keys

Stay adventurous

With a singular fly cast out into the flats of the upper Florida Keys backcountry, I smiled, not solely because I realized a dream, a bucket list item, but because I also completed my 2016 dedication to Anita. I really owe a lot to my friend Scott, who not only helped make it happen and also snapped the image I shared on Instagram (which has captured the most likes of the year for me). Next year he promised we will catch one.

One 2017 bucket list item from Craig at Stay Adventurous

So now as I look towards 2017, I am staring at the snow falling in Lake Wallenpaupack and I am debating a winter adventure. Yet my recent trip Belize reminds me how much of the Americas I have still yet to explore. So for 2017, I plan to visit a NEW destination and a NEW place somewhere on one of the American continents. Maybe I’ll return south of the border, find my way to a winter adventure, or both. Wherever it takes me, this year I plan to discover (more of) the Americas.

Follow Craig on his blog at Stay Adventurous

Lola DiMarco

This past year I didn’t have a bucket list item for Anita but I guess my own personal yearly bucket list wish is to always travel somewhere new. I can happily say that did happen in 2016. I traveled to the Dominican Republic and was able to donate some of my time helping those in need there. Otherwise, 2016 was a pretty quiet year for me travel-wise. I’m hoping 2017 will be a bit more active.

Lola and friends

I am starting off my year headed back to New Orleans and cannot wait. Other than that, I have no firm travel plans as of yet. I think I would like to prioritize traveling with some of my travel buddies somewhere – new or old! Some thoughts I have are Scotland and Vietnam but I’m open to anything so long as it is with people who are near and dear to me. Anita would love this. She loved us all being together as a group. Her last trip was, in fact, a group trip with several travel gals to Montreal. So, I hope you’ll consider planning an adventure together with me (you know who you are!).

Follow Lola on her blog at Lola’s Travels or Where in the World is Lola?

Erin from the World Wanderer

In 2016, my bucket list plan was to hike Patagonia. At the time, I had only made tentative plans with friends, and those plans eventually fell through. Since I lived most of the year off of my savings, it wasn’t an ideal time to make the trek to South America, so last year’s bucket list item didn’t happen, although I did made it to Colombia in December.

Erin Marie promises to hit the road for her 2017 bucket list item

This year, I am going to try to be a little more realistic with my goal, so my plan is to finish off my states in the United States. If I take two road trips or one major one, I will be able to check off 13 states in the contiguous United States. That will leave me with Alaska, which could be a more difficult one to finish up in 2017, but I am going to try. I think Anita would love this goal of seeing my home country, and she’d sure love the adventures to be had in Alaska. I think it’s the perfect way to honor her.

Follow Erin on her blog at the World Wanderer

Closure

We encourage you to join us in this quest and take on at least one Bucket List item in 2017, but more importantly, we also hope you take the opportunity to (re)connect with friends and loved ones during this holiday season and throughout the
year.

The purpose for writing this post is not only to inspire others to travel the world and explore, but as a way for us to remind all of you who are reading this post to look around you, see who you can reach out to and possibly help reach their goals and feel supported and loved. Our friend and fellow traveler, Anita took her life because she didn’t see any other options, we don’t want anyone else to feel that way. Please share the momentum.

14 Comments

Ray on January 3, 2017 at 4:54 am

My friend lost his battle with depression when we were in University. Since then I have been trying to live my life to the fullest knowing how limited our time is here on Earth. So this post holds great value to me as I feel for your loss with Anita.

While my big plans in 2017 have already been set in stone, my bucket list item for this year is to visit Ottawa during the Canada Day celebrations as it is our 150th Anniversary this year since Confederation. I will enjoy following your progress with your Bucket List item this year, Ted. Safe travels and keep living life to the fullest!
Ray recently posted..Soldier Field – A Stadium in a Park
Reply
- Traveling Ted on January 4, 2017 at 1:23 am
  
  Thanks Ray. Sorry to hear about your friend. I lost another good friend to suicide a couple of years ago and my brother almost 30 years ago, so I have grieved too many times from friends and families who fell victim to depression.
  
  I agree that when you lose someone close to suicide or due to any death where someone dies too young, it makes you realize the need to enjoy every day and make the most of the time we have here.
  
  Look forward to seeing your coverage from Ottawa. I have only been there in the winter, so I will be interested to see what it is like in the summer.
  Reply
Charles McCool on January 3, 2017 at 6:27 pm

Cool people. May all have a memorable, enjoyable, and successful 2017.
Charles McCool recently posted..8 Great Travel Experiences That Will Make You Happy
Reply
- Traveling Ted on January 4, 2017 at 1:24 am
  
  Thanks Charles,
  
  Happy New Year.
  Reply
Lola on January 3, 2017 at 8:25 pm

Love your bucket list item, Ted. That sounds really really fun and I know Anita would be honored. She loved kayaking adventures!!
Reply
- Traveling Ted on January 4, 2017 at 1:24 am
  
  Thanks Lola,
  
  Great working with you on this worthy endeavor of remembering our friend.
  Reply
Faith Coates on January 12, 2017 at 10:50 am

So sorry about your friend. I hope to be back in Canada for the 150th celebrations as well – I love the fact that they are offering free entry to all the National Parks this year as a gift to the world.
Reply
- Traveling Ted on February 2, 2017 at 3:20 pm
  
  Thanks Faith,
  
  That is a nice perk that Canada is offering to the world and their country.
  Reply
Eric || The Bucket List Project on February 1, 2017 at 8:53 pm

Love this Ted…you honor Anita with your constant pursuit of Bucket List travel. But don’t forget, chasing your bucket list isn’t always travel. We all have things we need to do before we kick the bucket, like visit old friends, read Classic literature, or find ways to give back to this world.
I hope you do that canoe trip in Maine, sounds great.
Eric || The Bucket List Project recently posted..Comment on A Bucket List Adventure Race – The Rickshaw Run by Aneilia aka Darcee’s Mom
Reply
- Traveling Ted on February 2, 2017 at 3:22 pm
  
  Thanks Eric,
  
  Good reminder that there is much to be done before we kick that bucket.
  Reply
Greg Kennon on February 13, 2017 at 3:40 pm

Scratching an item of your bucket list is an amazing feeling! Congrats! I have never been to Main, but going to all 50 states is a bucket list item of mine, so I will scratch it off eventually!
Greg Kennon recently posted..The Pros and Cons-Is Cruising for You?
Reply
- Traveling Ted on February 15, 2017 at 2:24 pm
  
  Hello Greg,
  
  Well then, it looks like Maine is on both of our radars. Good luck getting to all 50. I am probably about 20 short myself.
  Reply
villa kiralama hizmeti on March 22, 2017 at 5:45 pm

hey everybody, come to turkey for holiday, turkey is amazing country
Reply
fethiye etkinlik rehberi on March 22, 2017 at 5:46 pm

great post! thanks admin…
fethiye etkinlik rehberi recently posted..sosyal medya
Reply