What do you want to do before you die? It’s a simple question, hard to answer for some, but it carries a deeper purpose than I once realized. As I watched the premiere of The Buried Life on MTV, which features four guys accomplishing items on their “bucket list,” or things to do before they “kick the bucket,” avoiding any legal and financial obligations whatsoever, I was honestly inspired.
Sure, I’m living life, but am I living it to the fullest? Its cliché, but I want to know I took advantage of the opportunities available to me, and pushed my own limits to make sure I lived well and helped others live well also. On my last day, I don’t want to think about what I could have, should have, or would have done.
This world has so much to behold and proposes wonderful life experiences that I don’t want to miss out on because I was too busy or too preoccupied with other things. I want to see other lands, taste their foods, and meet their people. I want to help others, change someone’s circumstances because I am so secure in my own life, and I want to live in the moment and dare to do things I wouldn’t normally do. In my opinion, you have to get busy living before you get busy dying.
So I began preparing my own bucket list full of 100 ideas I’ve always dreamed of doing. Whether liberating, meaningful, charitable, or slightly illegal, each item has a specific purpose and I know as I accomplish them throughout the years and scratch them off I’ll have a quiet satisfaction that my life is on some sort of path.
At the top of my list is seeing Audrey Hepburn’s star on Hollywood Blvd. Known for her grace, beauty, and historic movies, Hepburn is one of my favorite actresses and I would love to see the star that memorializes her talent.
Australia’s Great Coral Reef takes its spot at number nine. Swimming along one of the Seven Wonders of the World and beholding the natural beauty that exists in a world under our own feet would simply be amazing.
Following my scuba diving expedition is number 33: crowd surfing. The freedom and adrenaline that accompanies diving off a stage into open arms amidst screaming fans seems terrifying yet absolutely necessary to do.

I’ve always been inspired by (and envious of) random acts of kindness and aspire to carry out some of my own. The feeling you get when you help an unsuspecting other is one you can’t replace or mimic. Numbers 47, 52, and 64 accomplish just that, including: changing a friend’s tire, paying for someone’s groceries, and helping someone else conquer a fear.

Number three on my to-do list is to name a star. Ever since the heartwarming scene in Nicholas Sparks’ A Walk to Remember, in which Landon names a star for Jamie, I’ve hoped to commemorate a memory or family member by leaving their legacy in the sky as a constellation. Stars baffle me, they can be shining in a completely different time period, and I can’t miss out on the chance to leave a part of me behind, even if it is equivalent to a grain of salt.

The next few items on my list appeal to my sense of travel, which seems to increase every passing day. One day I hope to be able to say I set foot on all seven continents, and would absolutely love to travel throughout Europe for at least a month. More specifically, I would like to throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy, which according to legends ensures me another visit to Rome or a new romance.
Other miscellaneous ideas are to graffiti a wall with an inspiring message, be a secret admirer, play flag football in the rain, donate an anonymous sum to a charity, buy coffee for a stranger, visit an orphanage, walk across Abbey Road, take a road trip with friends, go white water rafting, run a marathon, and to get a meaningful tattoo.
Although I only mentioned a small portion of the items on my bucket list, number 100 is without a doubt the most important component. It’s my hope to love unconditionally and without fault, and to know that I was loved in return.