Places to visit before I die. Books to read. Things to do before I turn 30.
I'm a fan of lists. I probably make too many of them.
Lately, I've noticed I'm not the only one. There's the popular book "1,000 places to see before you die" http://www.amazon.com/000-Places-See-Before-You/dp/0761104844 and other books suggesting things to do before you turn 30 or 40 or whatever age milestone you're approaching.
A few weeks ago, I saw a similar list in a credit-card ad in a magazine. I grabbed a pen and started crossing out items I had no desire to do (attend a major sporting event, brew my own beer), checking off ones I had done (learn a foreign language and use it) and starring ones I'd like to add to my own list.
Then, I came to "Drink a margarita on Margarita Island." I wanted to kick myself.
I visited Margarita Island -- quick, where is it? what country does it belong to?* -- in 1998, but because I wasn't of legal drinking age in the U.S. and because I don't particularly like margaritas, I didn't drink one.
How could I not have realized at the time what a cool thing that would have been to do?
As I contemplated my failure as a traveler, I got to thinking about the subjectivity and value of such lists.
Maybe I didn't drink a margarita on Margarita Island, but I have done plenty of other cool things like standing on the equator, riding a donkey through the Andes mountains and swimming in a bay where the water lights up (it's a phenemenon called bioluminescence).
Maybe, I reminded myself, I don't even like margaritas.
So, as these lists continue to pop up everywhere, I'd say, read them. (http://www.listsofbests.com/list/12799 http://www.wanderlist.com/beforedeath http://travel.discovery.com/tv/1000-places/about.html) Use them as a source of inspiration and ideas. Then, make your own personal list to keep you aware of all the amazing places and experiences our world has to offer.
But remember, many of the best life experiences are ones you would never have thought to put on a list in the first place.
*Margarita Island (Isla Margarita on most maps) is located in the Caribbean, just off the coast of Venezuela, which it is part of.
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