{"id":442,"date":"2008-07-09T18:44:15","date_gmt":"2008-07-10T01:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bspcn.com\/?p=442"},"modified":"2008-07-09T18:44:15","modified_gmt":"2008-07-10T01:44:15","slug":"50-things-to-do-before-you-die","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress\/2008\/07\/09\/50-things-to-do-before-you-die\/","title":{"rendered":"50 Things to Do Before You Die"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Josh Lew<\/A>\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

Feature photo by acastellano<\/A> Photo above by Matador Community<\/A><\/p>\n

Whether single events or processes that take weeks, months, or years, these experiences remind us that the world remains a magical place.<\/p>\n

Help spread the word! <\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Introduction – <\/STRONG>David Miller<\/A>:<\/p>\n

This July 4th we stood on a dock at Green Lake waiting for the fireworks to begin strobing the dark sky above Seattle. Except for the occasional pop of a bottle rocket, it was peaceful there, quiet. Our 9-month old daughter slept in her car-seat. My parents stood nearby holding hands. The water lapped against the dock pilings and nobody said anything.<\/p>\n

As we kept looking skyward I had this strange thought that if everyone came out each night just to listen and watch the sky like this then the word would be different somehow. Better.<\/p>\n

And then the fireworks started, far away, the muffled booms arriving several seconds after the flaring colors. Layla sensed the excitement and woke up and we lifted her to watch the display, her first. She smiled and reached her hands out as if trying to grab what she saw.<\/p>\n

After it was over my mom said \u201cWell, if she\u2019s lucky she\u2019ll have another 100 years of fireworks.\u201d<\/p>\n

It got me thinking about just what she might see in her lifetime, and what I\u2019d still like to see in mine. There is so much out there, and on the other hand, so much less wilderness and wildlife. Sometimes it feels like we\u2019re racing against time to experience something or somewhere before whatever it is that makes it special has been exhausted, used up, crowded out.<\/p>\n

And yet the experiences we seek as \u201conce in a lifetime,\u201d the ones Josh Lew and other Matador community members have collected here, have a way of transcending time. Whether single events or processes that take weeks, months, or years, these experiences remind us that the world remains a magical place. <\/p>\n

50 Things to do Before you Die<\/H3><\/p>\n

1. Set foot on each of the seven continents. Antarctica<\/A> might be a tough one, but once you\u2019ve reached all seven you can truly call yourself a world traveler.<\/p>\n

2. Cross a country on a bicycle. A bicycle tour takes some planning<\/A>, but it beats being separated from a country though a passenger-side window. <\/p>\n

3. Ride something bigger than a horse. Trekking through the jungle on the back of a two story tall elephant<\/A> will surely be something you remember forever. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Photo by Ben Ditto<\/A><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

4. Live like a local for a month. The experience<\/A> 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.<\/p>\n

5. Visit a \u201creal\u201d blues bar in Chicago<\/A>. What better way to leave music\u2019s commercialism behind and find the soul of the blues?<\/p>\n

6. Learn another language. This is definitely a weighty and time-consuming proposition, but there are plenty of resources<\/A> out there to ease the process. <\/p>\n

7. Go heli-skiing<\/A>. The access to snow and terrain via heli is different (read: better) that anything else you\u2019ll ever experience.<\/p>\n

8. Travel India by train. With its extensive rail network, this mode of transport is the best way to see one of the world\u2019s most colorful and perse countries.<\/p>\n

9. Climb one of the world\u2019s Seven Summits. Climbing mountains<\/A> is not for the faint-hearted, but everyone has had a dream of standing atop one. <\/p>\n

10. pe with a whale shark. Swimming with these gentle giants<\/A> is among the most powerful wilderness experiences in the world.<\/p>\n

11. Participate in a Carnival parade in Brazil. You haven\u2019t had a good night out until you\u2019ve been to the biggest party in a nation of big parties<\/A>.<\/p>\n

12. Dance Tango<\/A> in Argentina.<\/p>\n

13. Surf<\/A>. It\u2019s not about being a ripper but just catching waves.<\/p>\n

14. SCUBA in the Great Barrier Reef. The largest coral reef in the world is a must for pe enthusiasts. It is the world\u2019s most unique aquatic environment<\/A>. <\/p>\n

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<\/A>. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Photo by Creative Corners<\/A><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

16. Volunteer abroad<\/A> for a month. <\/p>\n

17. Follow in the footsteps of your favorite travel book<\/A>. What better guide than a book that inspired you to travel in the first place?<\/p>\n

18. Take a bush plane ride into Africa\u2019s interior. These lightly visited regions<\/A> are filled with unique cultures and perse wildlife. <\/p>\n

19. Cross a glacier on foot. Traversing these fast-disappearing natural wonders is an adventure<\/A> that future generations might not be able to experience. <\/p>\n

20. Visit the source of one of the world\u2019s great rivers. Great rivers, like the Nile<\/A>, have humble beginnings.<\/p>\n

21. Climb an active volcano<\/A>. <\/p>\n

22. Buy a boat and learn to sail<\/A>. Before the Brothers Wright, everyone traveled by wind power. It\u2019s still the most sustainable way to travel there is. <\/p>\n

23. Follow your food from field to table. Most people in the world still eat what they have picked with their own hands. Why not get back to these basics<\/A>?<\/p>\n

24. Bathe in the Ganges<\/A>. What better way to experience the spiritual heart of India? <\/p>\n

25. Travel around the world. Sure, you could do this without ever setting foot outside of planes and airports, but few people ever truly traverse the entire globe. Round the world tickets<\/A> are great for budget-minded wanderers. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Photo by James Dorsey<\/A><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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<\/A>.<\/p>\n

27. Participate in Burning Man <\/A>. As they say: \u201cTrying to explain Burning Man to someone who has never been is like trying to explain color to a blind person.\u201d<\/p>\n

28. Spend 24 hours alone in the jungle<\/A>.<\/p>\n

29. Learn how to make a national dish. What is the one and only thing that everyone has in common? Eating<\/A>.<\/p>\n

30. Teach English in a foreign country. Sure, it\u2019s a way to fund your travels, but also the experience of a lifetime<\/A>.<\/p>\n

31. Attend a music festival<\/A> in another country. <\/p>\n

32. Cross a country using only public transportation<\/A>. See a country the way most of its people do: from the window of a bus, train, or ferry. <\/p>\n

33. Spend the night in a storied\/historic hotel. You might not even have to leave town<\/A> to experience a night of classic atmosphere. <\/p>\n

34. Attend the Olympics. Whatever you say about the commercialism of the Olympic Games<\/A>, they are one of the biggest events on the planet. <\/p>\n

35. Meet your favorite (living) travel writer. They\u2019ve inspired yo<\/A>u; now thank them for it. <\/p>\n

36. Travel to Germany to experience Love Parade. It\u2019s one of the biggest festivals<\/A>, attendance-wise, on the planet. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Photo by astropixie<\/A><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

37. Partake in a Japanese Tea Ceremony. This timeless tradition is at the heart of Japanese culture<\/A>. <\/p>\n

38. Join a caravan in the Sahara. See how people can thrive in one of the world\u2019s harshest environments<\/A>. <\/p>\n

39. Go to Oktoberfest. The meeting of over 6 million beer afficionados and drinking song singers is one of the biggest parties<\/A> in Europe. <\/p>\n

40. Stand at the North or South Pole<\/A>. <\/p>\n

41. Be in the stands when two rival South American club teams play each other in soccer. Soccer<\/A> (sorry, football) is a passion for most of the world\u2019s population. <\/p>\n

42. Visit the birthplace or gravesite of a cultural icon. Could be Che Guevara or Picasso<\/A> or Levi Strauss or the guy who invented widgets; anyone you think is important. <\/p>\n

43. Find your version of \u201cThe Beach.\u201d One of the best travel books ever<\/A> inspired a generation of backpackers. Why not find your own version of untouched paradise?<\/p>\n

44. Enjoy a freshly rolled cigar in Cuba. Taste a hand rolled specialty close to its source<\/A>. <\/p>\n

45. Visit every capital city in Europe. The crowded continent<\/A> is full of beautiful architecture and perse cultures.<\/p>\n

46. Watch an orchestral performance in Vienna<\/A>. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Photo by Nickmunstr<\/A><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

47. Skype. It is the ultimate thrill, unless you add a wingsuit, and actually fly<\/A>. <\/p>\n

48. Bike the Pacific Coast Highway<\/A>. <\/p>\n

49. Shake hands with someone who has truly changed a country<\/A>. <\/p>\n

50. Participate in the world\u2019s biggest water fight during Thailand\u2019s New Year\u2019s festivities<\/A> (Songkran).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Josh Lew Feature photo by acastellano Photo above by Matador Community Whether single events or processes that take weeks, months, or years, these experiences remind us that the world remains a magical place. Help spread the word! Editor\u2019s Introduction – David Miller: This July 4th we stood on a dock at Green Lake […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/442"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=442"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/442\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}