I’ve been writing up bucket lists for a few years now, and while I rarely cross off everything on them, I do find that they’re a great way to remember what fun thing I wanted to do or try…especially when the humidity of summer and the humdrum of working has put me in a fugue state of just wanting to rot in bed on my days off.
While I do think taking some time to yourself to not be ‘productive’ is both healthy and occasionally even necessary…I also don’t want to get too stuck in the rut of mindless media consumption in the guise of ‘resting’ for days on days.
April just so happens to be the month where I get all aspirational about life again, so I thought, why not share some of my bucket list items with you? Maybe this will inspire you to join me in creating your own bucket list, or adding to yours if you already have one! Therefore, in no particular order, here’s a short list of things I would love to do in 2024.
1) Travel
Luckily, this is already in the works! I’m hoping to go to Tunisia and see the south, as well as the shooting locations of the Star Wars films, which I missed out on on my last trip. Interested about learning about this North African country nestled between Algeria and Libya? Check out Countries Around the World – Tunisia!
2) Go to a K-Pop concert
I’m a huge K-Pop fan; I got into it around 2008, though I shortly lost interest, and then 2020 happened. One day I was scrolling through TikTok, saw a clip of a kpop song, and immediately got hooked again. Two of my favourite bands are currently on a world tour and are hopefully stopping in North America for a few performances. Stray Kids is one of those bands and we have most of their discography available for streaming on hoopla. In related news, for National Youth Week in May, VPL is hosting a make your own K-Pop Merch program!
3) Sail on a boat
I’ve been on a ferry, a water taxi (both to see the Toronto Islands), a glass-bottomed boat while in the Bahamas, and an evening river cruise on the Bosphorus in Turkey, but I’d love to do more sailing! Essential Sailing Destinations has only whetted my appetite for it. I’d also really like to sail at night (even though the ocean scares me, the idea of being out of sight of land gives me heart palpitations, and I get motion sickness) because I would really like to…
4) Photograph the stars at night
I’m a freelance photographer, and I would really love to experience and capture the reflection of the stars and/or the Milky Way on the water. I’m reminded of this gorgeous scene from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. For more stunning nightscapes, check out National Geographic’s Night Vision!
5) Go water tubing
I’ve done this several times at Elora Gorge and it never gets old. There’s nothing like cruising down a river, hemmed in by forested cliffs, or swooping down the white water rapids that intersperse the otherwise relaxing float. If you’re able to make the trip, I highly recommend it! To save time and money, bring your own water tubes, life-jackets, and helmets! If you don’t have, they do offer rentals.
For more fun, local adventures, check out our Experience Vaughan passes and our Ontario Parks Passes!
6) Learn to use a sewing machine
Have you ever gone shopping, looked at a clothing item and thought, surely I could make that? Well, I have, though usually because I’m having a mini-meltdown over women’s non-standardized sizing and how difficult it makes shopping. I know several people who are able to simply whip up or modify an outfit to their preferences, which I think is just the coolest thing, and I would love to be able to do that…without breaking the bank. And guess what! VPL can help me (and you) to do so! Not only do we provide resources on learning to sew, but we also have a sewing machine you can borrow from our Lendery! How cool is that?
7) Get better at Korean
Not only do I like K-pop, I also really enjoy K-dramas. Many of them are single season shows, which is great because I hate when stories are dragged on to the point of absurdity, and the romantic dramas are quite often a slow-burn, which I love. And while I have no problem with ‘reading my shows’ via subtitles (I’m not a fan of dubbed TV), I often wish I could look away from my screen without missing anything crucial.
So a few years ago, I decided to learn Korean. I’m making…very slow progress. But VPL has a wonderful free language learning service called Transparent Language (which I am finally and belatedly going to make use of) as well as programs and resources in Korean! There’s a regular storytime for the little ones and families, an entire catalogue of Korean material, and a Chat and Learn Korean program. For more one-off or pop-up events we may be holding, keep an eye on our What’s On, especially since Asian Heritage Month is coming up.
And that wraps up my short but sweet bucket list. What would you like to do this year? Comment and let me know!