The Bucket List

This actually started as a date idea back when Kayleigh and I were super poor college undergrads. (Now we’re super poor college graduates). Go to a coffee shop, and each take a pile of napkins. Each of you rights down five things you want to do in five years, five in 10 years and 5 in 15 years. Then you compare what you have and make one list for the two of you. Next, we took our best ideas and wrote them out on small cut out pieces of colored scrapbook paper and made a collage.

                A bucket list is made up of the things you want to do before you “kick the bucket.” Here’s (an abbreviated version of mine).

In 5 years;

1)      Marry Kayleigh- this one needs very little explanation, She’s amazing and perfect and wonderful and the love of my life.

2)      Get a Residency in Surgery- I’d like to be in a more urban area (maybe NYC?) but it depends on Kayleigh’s grad school plans. I’d love to work in a public hospital.

3)      Travel to Europe- I’ve never been, and the window in which I’ll be young enough to backpack is closing rapidly. My knees already hurt at the end of the day, I’m getting too old too quickly.

4)      Play Rugby for a Men’s Team- I won’t be able to play for a Men’s club while at SGU; my goal is to stay in good enough shape that when I return to the US, I can join a more casual division two or three team. We played a division three team at the end of my college season and while they were good, I think that I could easily play for their second or third XV.

5)      Have a family- I’d like to have a baby before 5 years (although it’s really not my decision). I’m not sure on the name, and I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl; as long as it has ten fingers and toes and is healthy.

In 10 years

1)      Buy a car- nothing too fancy, but I do have a flashy showoff side. Maybe a convertible?  I love the idea of having a practical car as well as one that no one in their right mind would actually need.

2)      Buy first house- I’ll be 32 in 10 years and will have been pulling down some serious doctor money. My dream house doesn’t need to be huge, but I’d like a large, gourmet kitchen, a hot tub, and (see #3).

3)      A pool, with a real palm tree- I was born in New Jersey, I spent my college years in New England, and while I’ll be enjoying paradise for the next two, I know I’ll be in the northeast for good. I want a heated pool (I hate freezing cold pools) with a real, live palm tree growing next to it. I’m not sure that palm trees can live in this climate, but if they can grow an ear on the back of a mouse, they can grow a palm tree in New England.

4)      Have a family- Ideally, I’d like an even number of kids. Obviously, so they have even teams when they play games. I was one of three. There were many conflicts that could have been resolved that way.

5)      Visit New Zealand- New Zealand is a land of unparalleled beauty, Rugby is the national sport, and puns reign supreme. (National Rugby Team is the “All Blacks.” The youth Rugby team, the “Small Blacks”, the national basketball team? The “Tall Blacks.”)

In 15 years

1)      Have an established Practice- I’d like to either start my own or be a partner at an existing private practice by this point in my career.

2)      Find a new activity- Realistically, Rugby probably won’t be the best thing for me at 37 years old. It’s Important to me to stay active, I’d like to be in good shape, eat healthy, and be a good role model for my future kids.

3)      Drive on a track- maybe it’s the Top Gear my younger brother Jake used to force me to watch (I liked it too to be clear), but I’d love to take a car out on a track and put it through its paces.

4)      Change someone’s life- One of the most important reasons I’m going to medical school is to make a difference in someone’s life. I’d like to be able to look back and say that I made even a small difference in the way a person lives their life.

5)      Love Kayleigh Forever- This one is going to be easy. I never want to stop loving her and never could, ‘cuz she’s perfect.

Things I’ve crossed off the Original Bucket List

                We’ve covered a pretty solid amount of things on our original list, as of summer 2013:

1)      Take a Vacation- We’ve actually been on three vacations, once to Maine last summer, on a cruise for spring break, and to Disney world after graduation

2)      Be Engaged- As of 2/16/13 J

3)      Go Parasailing- we went on our cruise in Nassau, Bahamas

4)      Men’s Basketball Game- We actually had season tickets this past year for UConn Men’s Basketball. Not only did we go to the games, Kayleigh even sung the National Anthem with her acapella group, The Chordials at the Georgetown game.

5)      Bachelor’s degrees- We both earned our bachelor’s from UConn this may!

6)      Cool Proposal- I got down on one knee! J Unfortunately, there was “Andre” after. She still said yes, but it was touch and go.

7)      Learn to cook- Together, Kayeigh and I are awesome at most things, but I wouldn’t say we were good cooks. I’d say we were amazing cooks. Example; for a date last month, we made Fillet Mignon in an Apothic Wine reduction sauce with Sautéed Asparagus and Zucchini. I would have paid thirty bucks for that meal. It was amazing.

8)      Disney World- we went together with her family after graduation. It was awesome. The best part by far was seeing how excited her 5 year old nephew got (it was still magical for him) and laughing at how jaded her 7 year old nephew was (he told us it was all fake).

9)      Make a Bucket List- Although this one didn’t make the final displayed list, I always include it in any Bucket list I make. It feels awesome to cross off a life goal immediately.