Bucket List--with Ellie

Hey all. Today I'm here with Ellie--an 11 year old super-awesome pink-wearing cookie-baking girl. The other day we got to talking about Bucket Lists, so I dug up my old bucket list--from the 8th grade. I was supposed to have to done by the time I left for college, and since I have less than a month to go....... Well, here goes!

To Do Before I Leave Sitka For Good (college etc.)

Kayak Indian River during spawning season. CHECK!
That was an amazing time, lemme tell ya. I was with a couple of very dear friends and my dad. Two to a kayak. We paddled up river as far as we could, lodged ourselves between a couple of rocks, ate some plums, then surfed down on the backs of salmon. That was the closest to surfing I've ever come. And even better? It was sunset. I love Alaska.

Swim at sandy beach while it's raining. CHECK!
While I don't have any one specific memory, I believe I'd been to Sandy in every kind of weather, barring thunder storms. Yeah, that means snow.

Climb a tree. CHECK!
This is a basic one, but very important. Trees that I've climbed: A HUGE spruce at girls camp....Sister Jones made Tessa (my partner in crime) and I get down, the pine-y thing at Centennial, another one. Oooh, story about the other one. I was with Leah, I think, and we saw a handsome man playing with his dog. We were probably, what? 14? 15? Whatever it was, we were too young to spy obviously, so we very obviously climbed the tree so we could watch him play fetch. I think we ended up having more fun climbing the tree than watching the guy.

Read in a tree CHECK!
I did this at my Grandma and Grandpa Wilcox's house in Utah. It's a beautiful walnut tree, and I read Beware, Princess Elizabeth.

Sing in a tree. not sure....
I sing everywhere, so I'd like to say I've sung in a tree, but I have no specific memories.

Kiss someone in a tree. Nope. (I was quite the romantic in 8th grade....Still am, I guess.)

Find designs in clouds. CHECK!
If you don't do this regularly, I'm sorry for you. I guess in Sitka it's hard at times because the clouds are all spread out like cake batter in a pan...but grey.

Wear a fancy a dress while ice skating. Never did get to that one, and now it's too late!

Plan a day to run away from home with parents permission CHECK!
Bolivia.

Walk the outer rim of Castle Hill. nope.
This is no longer one of my priorities.

Watch the sunset over the ocean with someone special. CHECK!
Oh good heavens, this should be a mandatory way of life! I've sunsetted with my dog, my family, and of course, my besties. We did this almost every night in Hawaii. We've also had two photo shoots at sunset at various beaches.

Get my Driver's permit and license. CHECK!......aaaagh.
Yeah, so I've had my permit...twice. I got it when I was 15, had it expire when I was in Bolivia, and renewed last February. And at last count I've failed the driving test twice. I'm thinking about giving up.

Go to prom or something as equally fabulous. CHECK!
I've been to two American proms and two Bolivian proms. My favorite was my Senior Prom. I went with my best friend Caitlin's younger brother, Sam, all because of a bargain made in the eighth grade. He didn't wear the pink tux in the end, but he was the best date to a dance I've ever had. To top it all off, let's add a tiara. :) I was prom queen.

Do yoga/tai chi on the beach. CHECK!
I did this as part of a dance class once with Melinda....at sunset.

Have a pamper-yourself spa day. CHECK!
This was most recently done with Ellie. She rubbed cooked brown sugar (aka caramel NOUGATS!) into my face, actually scratching me up. What I do for beauty....?

Read an entire chapter book in the bathtub. CHECK!
I've got to start writing harder bucket lists--I do this at least biannually!

Spit off the back of the ferry. CHECK!
...every time I ride the ferry.

Serenade my special someone or help my friends serenade theirs. CHECK!
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine....my Zachy B....ah, 6th grade.

Skip a rock 5 times. CHECK!
Here's another one from Girls Camp. And I skipped it 8 times.

Write a story. CHECK!
Quite a few, actually. But most were for class. Then there are the everyday occasions when....I live a story.

Introduce my body to a barnacle. CHECK!
AAGH! Blood! Scars! BARNACLES!

Chew gum in class. CHECK!
This would've been a big deal in Middle School where it wasn't allowed, but I fulfilled this one in frosh block.

Climb Mt. Edgecume again. CHECK!
Maybe only two times, but I love that mountain.

Bike from 1 end of the road to the other. oooh....
I still haven't done this yet. :( However, I bike 8 miles to work a couple of times a week.

Sit on the roof while the sun is rising or setting. nope.

Sing in front of an audience and have them like me. CHECK!
I sang a solo, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" in Bolivia, upon request.

Wear a skirt everyday for a week. CHECK!
Private school with uniform in Bolivia. Yep, good little Catholic school girl. :)

Make a wish at O'Connell Bridge. CHECK!
6th grade...pennies....

Back float on the beach. CHECK!
Alaska, Hawaii.

Ride two people on a bike. CHECK!
Kari and I one summer, with her cousin Nik running alongside.

Go snorkeling. CHECK!
The Hawaiian fish are pretty dang cool. The 3 legged turtle was also pretty amazing. It's so peaceful down there...

Cook a meal over a campfire. CHECK!
Hobo dinners....

Fill at least 3 more journals. CHECK!
More like 6? 7?


Anyway, that was my bucket list. I don't know what I'll put on my new one. But I'm at a proverbial crossroads, with only 3 1/2 more weeks in Sitka. Something's going to happen.

I leave you now with a challenge: Create your own bucket list! Even if you don't actively work on it, look back at it every now and then and see what has happened!

That's it. Typing by Ellie for Erika.