Time to update the 60 Things to do achieved by Lilly
10 years ago, I read an article on Yahoo about "50 things to do", I modified the list and responded to those items, adding my own 10 goals.
Here are the list and the 40 things which I have achieved so far :-) Assuming I live forever, I can take it slow and enjoy every bit of the journey more! Keep going!
1. Set foot on each of the seven continents. Travel around the world. Antarctica might seem like a tough one, but here’s how. Once you’ve reached all seven you can truly call yourself a world traveler.
L: Africa and the Antarctica are the ones that remained for me to explore as a budget-minded wanderer)
2. Cross a country on a bicycle. A bicycle tour takes some planning, but it beats being separated from a country though a passenger-side window.
L: Not yet using a bicycle though but I have driven a car throughout the whole New Zealand (around the South and North islands)
3. Ride something bigger than a horse. Trekking through the jungle on the back of a two story tall elephant will surely be something you remember forever.
L: Riding a huge and speedy ostrich in Malaysia at age of 15. Would like to try riding elephant and camel soon. (在馬來西亞騎鴕鳥算不算？馬就當然有騎)
4. Live like a local for a month. The experience of visiting native peoples will give you way more insight into another way of life than two years hopping from one backpacker ghetto to the next.
L: I have lived like a local for at least 10 years in U.S.A, HK and Canton area; and a month in Australia and New Zealand
5. Visit a “real” blues bar in Chicago. What better way to leave music’s commercialism behind and find the soul of the blues?
L: Done in 2016 Chicago Trip.
6. Learn another language. This is definitely a weighty and time-consuming proposition, but there are plenty of resources out there to ease the process.
L: Myself is trilingual (Cantonese, English, Mandarin); had learnt Hakka, Korean and Japan; Would like to learn more exotic languages depending on where I travel and live.
7. Go heli-skiing. The access to snow and terrain via heli is different (read: better) that anything else you’ll ever experience.
L: Not yet tried. Only took the helicopters a few time as a passenger due to different occasions.
8. Travel India by train. With its extensive rail network, this mode of transport is the best way to see one of the world’s most colorful and diverse countries.
L: On my list ^^
9. Climb one of the world’s Seven Summits. Climbing mountains is not for the faint-hearted, but everyone has had a dream of standing atop one.
L: Went to Rocky Mountain in Alberta, Canada and saw the Crowfeet Glacier on top of the Rocky Mountain
11. Participate in a Carnival parade in Brazil. You haven’t had a good night out until you’ve been to the biggest party in a nation of big parties.
L: On my list ^^
13. Surf. It’s not about being a ripper but just catching waves.
L: On my list ^^
14. SCUBA in the Great Barrier Reef. The largest coral reef in the world is a must for dive enthusiasts. It is the world’s most unique aquatic environment.
L: I experienced Snokeling in the Great Barrier Reef coz I am not a good swimmer :D
15. Publish an article about your travels. Part of traveling is sharing your experiences with others. Plus, getting published might be easier than you think.
L: THIS BLOG COUNTS! And please check out my travel Youtube channel:
L: More than a month in the U.S.!
E.g. (1) Won a social enterprise showcase competition to help non profit -Student Voice Project to promote literacy
(2) "I'm going to College" volunteer at Rose bowl to encourage college education
(3) UCLA one bus one cause volunteer - care for cancer patients
(4) Task captain for assisting elementary education, read to school kids in Los Angeles Unified School District
17. Follow in the footsteps of your favorite travel book. What better guide than a book that inspired you to travel in the first place?
L: I don't really follow any travel guide book because I like first hand experience and share my own stories. By the way, travel books are not as trendy as videos and blogs.
18. Take a bush plane ride into Africa’s interior. These lightly visited regions are filled with unique cultures and diverse wildlife.
L: On my list ^^
19. Cross a glacier on foot. Traversing these fast-disappearing natural wonders is an adventure that future generations might not be able to experience.
L: Visited Glacier on the Rocky
20. Visit the source of one of the world’s great rivers. Great rivers, like the Nile, have humble beginnings.
L: On my list ^^
21. Climb an active volcano.
L: Yellowstone Volcano in WY, USA; and The volcano in New Zealand
22. Buy a boat and learn to sail. Before the Brothers Wright, everyone traveled by wind power. It’s still the most sustainable way to travel there is.
L: Sailed in Santa Barbara, Marina Del Ray, and Channel Islands (Santa Cluz). Didn't buy a sail boat though.
L: I did tried handpicking crops and cook in a village of Canton area. Saw chicken and pig got slaughtered to be food. One of my dreams is to have my own garden one day so that I can have organic food supply. I recently like watching youtube channels about Food from field to table.
24. Bathe in the Ganges. What better way to experience the spiritual heart of India?
L: On my list ^^
25. Hold Koala Bear and pad Kangaroo in Australia.
L: Done in 2017 Australia Trip
26. Photograph an endangered species. Aside from an image you can keep for a lifetime, it will remind you, and others, how fragile life can be.
L: Photographed Whale, Dolphin, Elephant, Seals
27. Participate in Burning Man . As they say: “Trying to explain Burning Man to someone who has never been is like trying to explain color to a blind person.”
L: On my list ^^
28. Spend 24 hours alone in the jungle.
L: On my list ^^
29. Learn how to make a national dish. What is the one and only thing that everyone has in common? Eating.
L: Learnt how to make dumplings (Chinese National Dish); Olivia (Persian National Dish); Bibimbob (Korean); Sushi (Japanese); Singaporean Fried Noodles; Steak (British), etc
L: Taught English at a high school in Mexico
L: Music Festivals in the U.S.(such as blue grass music on Santa Monica Beach 2012, orchestra concert in Hollywood Bowl 2014, and Tylor Swift Concert in Rosw Bowl 2018); San Sebastián Street Festival - Puerto Rico (2020)
32. Cross a country using only public transportation. See a country the way most of its people do: from the window of a bus, train, or ferry.
L: On my list ^^
34. Attend the Olympics. Whatever you say about the commercialism of the Olympic Games, they are one of the biggest events on the planet.
L: On my list ^^
35. Meet your favorite (living) travel writer. They’ve inspired you; now thank them for it.
L: On my list ^^
36.Travel to Germany to experience Love Parade or one of the world’s other big festivals.
L: Participated in Oktoberfest Beer Festival in Munich, Germany. The meeting of over 6 million beer aficionados and drinking song singers is one of the biggest parties in Europe.
37. Partake in a Japanese Tea Ceremony and wear Japanese traditional clothes "Kimono". This timeless tradition is at the heart of Japanese culture.
L: Done in 2017 Japan Kyoto Trip.
38. Join a caravan in the Sahara. See how people can thrive in one of the world’s harshest environments.
L: On my list ^^
39. Explore the landmarks of international cities!
L: Climb to the biggest Buddha in Hong Kong; Visited Berlin, Germany; St.Mark's Square, Venice, Italy; The Bean, Chicago, USA; Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, Japan; Tsutenkaku and food market in Osaka, Japan; Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia
L: On my list ^^
41. Be in the stands when two rival South American club teams play each other in soccer. Soccer (sorry, football) is a passion for most of the world’s population.
L: On my list ^^
42. Visit the birthplace or grave site of a cultural icon. Could be Che Guevara or Picasso or Levi Strauss or the guy who invented widgets; anyone you think is important.
L: Visited Bruce Lee's grave site in Seattle and visited Picasso's birthplace
43. Find your version of “The Beach.” One of the best travel books ever inspired a generation of backpackers. Why not find your own version of untouched paradise?
L: Pattaya Beach in Thailand 2003; Hot water Beach in North island of New Zealand 2017; Surfer's paradise in Gold Coast, Australia; Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia; Hot water Beach in NZ where natural Geothermal hotsprings are next to the beach for FREE
44. Enjoy a freshly rolled cigar in Cuba. Taste a hand rolled specialty close to its source.
L: Tasted a cigar but I am not a smoker (went to Puerto Rico next to Cuba and met a Cuban friend)
45. Visit every capital city in Europe. The crowded continent is full of beautiful architecture and diverse cultures.
L: Working on this goal, visited 15 cities for 10 European countries so far
46. Watch an orchestral performance in Vienna.
L: On my list ^^
47. Skydive. It is the ultimate thrill, unless you add a wingsuit, and actually fly.
Photo by L (San Diego, USA 2014)
L: Shaked hands twice with former U.S. president, Bill Clinton (2011)
L: Visited there at age of 12, personal favorite activities in Thailand - Parasailing, watching shows in Bangkok, swimming at beautiful Pattaya, and having Thai massage
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Lilly's Additional Things to Do in your lifetime:
51. Ate and touched scary animals
L: Ate fried Scorpion skewer in Beijing and Snake in China; Held a hairy spider in USA; ate crocodile meat in Cairns, Australia, and fried grasshopper in Thailand ( Disclaimer: I am Not advocating to eat wild animals because they might be danger to health, just sharing my personal experience)
52. Joined a cooking video contest and win a prize.
53. Performed on stage alone in front of more than 1,000 audience.
L: e.g. UCLA graduation ceremony performance; Hanbok fusion dress fashion show
54. Gained experience in a corporation with 10,000+ employees to promote energy efficiency (SoCalGas).
55. Graduated from a prestigious university.
56. Tried different seasonal sports/outdoor activities: snowboarding, skiing, ziplining, kayaking, golfing, enjoying outdoor hot springs, etc
e.g. Skiing at Mount Baldy, CA; Snowboarding at Steven Pass, Washington; Kayaking near Santa Barbara, CA; Enjoying natural hot springs near Mammoth
Ziplining at Catalina Island
57. Gun Shooting
58. Watched U.S.A sports games in live.
e.g. Watching UCLA football game (American Football); Watching NBA Basketball game; Watching Dodgers Baseball game - I enjoyed the dodgers hotdog :P
59. Experienced different landscapes and seasons.
e.g. Fall at Dead Valley Sand Dunes, CA; Summer in Palm Springs, CA; Making snowman in winter; Looking at beautiful falling leaves and changing colors in Yale University; Buried by beautiful daffodils and tulips in Skagit Valley, Washington (World's 2nd biggest tulip town besides Holland)
60. Visited the Great Wall in China.
