What’s on Your Bucket List and What Happens When You’ve Done It All?

As I write this, I’m in the back seat of a Toyota Land Cruiser, bumping along a dusty road in Kenya on the way to our next lodge. In a few hours, we’ll be on a game drive, hoping to spot lions, rhinos and, if we’re really lucky, one of those elusive leopards.

An African safari has lived at the top of my bucket list for decades. And now, here I am – breathing in the wild air of the savanna, watching elephants move gracefully through the brush, collecting beautiful local art, and feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude that I finally achieve this life goal.

I was reminded of the power of seeing a place with your own eyes years ago, standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon. I had seen photos all my life, but nothing prepared me for the real thing. The scale. The silence. The sheer presence of it. That moment changed the way I saw travel – not as a luxury, but as something essential.

The Power of a Bucket List

A travel bucket list gives purpose to your passions, structure to your dreams, and momentum to your sense of adventure. It’s a reminder that life after 60 can be rich, bold, and expansive.

We all need goals to move forward. It might be the day’s goal of trying that new recipe. Or the weekend’s goal of reconnecting with your oldest friends. Or the year’s goal of finally losing that last 10 pounds.

Or it might be life goals. Those are the ones that stretch us. They ask us to board long flights, embrace different cultures, and open ourselves to the unknown. They wake up our senses and remind us that wonder is still out there, waiting for us.

What Happens When You’ve Checked Off the List?

This was my lifelong travel bucket list:

• Australia – check
• Galapagos – check
• Morocco – check
• Hawaii – check
• Alaska – check
• Norway – check
• Tuscany – check
• Japan – check     
• African safari – check     

That’s right. I’ve finished my bucket list. But I’m not finished traveling. Not by a long shot.

So it’s time to start a new list. China? India? Buy an RV and explore America?

Here are some ideas I’m pondering for my new travel bucket list:

• See the Northern Lights in Iceland or Finland
• Take a train across Canada on the Rocky Mountaineer
• Sail the Amazon River and explore the heart of the rainforest
• Visit Antarctica and step foot on the seventh continent
• Stay in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora or the Maldives
• Eat your way through Thailand on a street food tour
• Explore the ancient temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia
• Take a slow boat down the Mekong River
• Go gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda
• Sleep under the stars in the Wadi Rum desert of Jordan

If an African safari is on your bucket list, you can read about my trip here:

• Capture Kenya African Safari: A Magical African Safari Filled with Wildlife Wonder that Also Uplifts Women and Girls
•  The 5 ‘Fives’ of Africa – the Big, Ugly, Feathered, Special and Small Animals You’ll See in Kenya
• Safari Tips for First-Time Travelers to Africa
• Am I Too Old to Take an African Safari?

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What’s on your bucket list and why? What destinations have you gone to? Have you had to create a new bucket list? I’d love to hear the destinations that call to you – and maybe even add a few to my next round of adventures.