Somebody recently pointed out
that I turn 30 next year, and subconsciously I started preparing myself for my
impending demise…
that I turn 30 next year, and subconsciously I started preparing myself for my
impending demise…
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| Come 30 I even thought my licking days would have to be over… |
And then, two Thursdays ago,
my phone rang – a family member had died. So I sucked in my fear of flying, hopped
on a plane, bought some shoes (so I could be a respectable pole bearer), and touched
down in Joburg.
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| My last living memory of Aunty Alta |
Aunty Alta was the tiniest
person I’ve ever know, but she had the biggest heart! And, while it was sad to
have lost a Grandma, her death led me to meet our newest family member and to
see family I had not seen in years, it led me to meet my tiny godkid, to see
friends, to three days of solid reunions, and tears, and hugs. Her life and death
reminded me what it really means to live.
person I’ve ever know, but she had the biggest heart! And, while it was sad to
have lost a Grandma, her death led me to meet our newest family member and to
see family I had not seen in years, it led me to meet my tiny godkid, to see
friends, to three days of solid reunions, and tears, and hugs. Her life and death
reminded me what it really means to live.
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| The cousin and his new family |
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| Meeting little Cuan, my tiny nephew |
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| My little godkid to be – Dandelion (aka Zoe; the one on the left) |
Back in Cape Town, after
sharing the oldest cab in Cape Town with a random stranger, I went for a run
and saw a man in his late 80s playing rugby with some 8 or 14 year old boys. I
stopped and stared. They all had the biggest smiles on their faces and it
suddenly hit home – it really doesn’t matter how old you are – life’s what you
make it. And for most of us, life’s only just beginning!
sharing the oldest cab in Cape Town with a random stranger, I went for a run
and saw a man in his late 80s playing rugby with some 8 or 14 year old boys. I
stopped and stared. They all had the biggest smiles on their faces and it
suddenly hit home – it really doesn’t matter how old you are – life’s what you
make it. And for most of us, life’s only just beginning!
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| My first ever shared cab… and the nicest driver too to mark the occasion |
After 7 days of solid
partying, good music, amazing food, weird coincidences, and something o’clock
in the morning bed times; I took a night off and dug out my old bucket list. I
sat down and actually thought about the things I’d love to accomplish in my
life. While the list is probably too long to accomplish in this life time [and
still needs to be worked on – I’m completely open to suggestions and accomplices]
– there’s only one way to find out.
partying, good music, amazing food, weird coincidences, and something o’clock
in the morning bed times; I took a night off and dug out my old bucket list. I
sat down and actually thought about the things I’d love to accomplish in my
life. While the list is probably too long to accomplish in this life time [and
still needs to be worked on – I’m completely open to suggestions and accomplices]
– there’s only one way to find out.
After taking out the things I’ve
already achieved, this is what remains [in no particular order]:
already achieved, this is what remains [in no particular order]:
- Drink
a beer in every country in the world - Start
an empire - Get
a criminal record for something epic (age 80+ – think streaking at a international
sports game type thing) - Accidently discover a cure for a major disease
- Taxidermise
a pet - Add
a word to the oxford dictionary - Survive
a plane crash - Swim
the English channel and//or northern sea - Write
and publish a book on why Speedos should never be worn - Write
and publish a travel novel - Win
a noble prize - Live
on a deserted island - Grow
a beard - Cook
and eat road kill - Bake
a cake taller than my shortest friend - Climb
Everest - Make
a feature film - Climb
Manchu Pichu - Find
‘the one’ - Elope/
get married - Have
kids - Legally
give one kid a truly ridiculous name - Survive
a month without a shower - Run
a marathon - Death
road in Bolivia - Reunite
Butt Mullet (world’s most underappreciated lyrically deviant band) for a
reunion gig - Travel
to a distant country just for dinner - Cycle
the Cape Epic - Buy
a camel // lama // goat - Complete
a week long [spiritual?] pilgrimage barefoot - Cycle
across a continent - Lick
the statue of liberty - Defy
gravity - Participate
in Carnival in Rio - Do
the splits - Join
a nudist colony for the day - Raft
through the grand canyon - October
Fest in Munich - Heliski
- Finish
2 pork knuckles (eisbeins) in one sitting - Be
a mermaid - Visit
the Aral sea - Leave
my ‘mark’ on at least 7 world wonders - Own
my own homey home - Travel
in a hot air balloon for an extended distance - Lasso
a cow - Climb
a pyramid - Organize
a rock band to crash a Justin Beiber/ Celine Dion concert - Get
a random tattoo chosen by a stranger - Lick
a porcupine - Patent
something [preferably something awesome] - Complete
a half iron man - Swim
the golden mile - Tame
a wild animal and make it my pet - TP
a national monument - Sheer
a sheep and turn it into dashboard fluff - Get
someone else to add this task to my list - Smash
a guitar rock star style - Pick
up at least 17 hitch hikers in an abnormally small car - Set
a Guinness world record - Fly
a helicopter - Travel
over land and sea (ie: flightless travel) from Australia to Spain - Walk
across a country - Never
be in debt - Transiberian
railway - Cross
the Bearing sea between Russia and Alaska - Marry
two people - Skinny
dip in every ocean - Learn
how to play guitar - Swim
in a pool of money - Throw
a handgranade - Finish
the Lord of the Rings trilogy - Write
a song and actually sing it to people - Learn
a third language - Learn
a fourth language - Get
my dive license - Bungee
jump - See
the northern lights - Motorbike
across south America - Kite
surf - Great
barrier reef - Pirate
swing from one boat to another to commandeer a cup of tea and some cake - Mug
a hobo - Orchestrate
a mass burning of evil pop music CDs - Running
of the bulls - Moon
a president - Submerge
in a submarine - Lick
a president/ royal - Tell
someone the entire story of my life sparing no details - Break
out of prison - Build
and live in an igloo for as long as weather permits - Live
to be 100 - Hike
the whole coast of RSA - Open
a backpackers hostel - Own
a bar - Drive
a monster truck over a car - Travel
on an iceberg - Never
have a 9-5 job - Win
a major competition - Own
my own boat - Find
and eat the world’s hottest chilli - Do
a Mexican wave in Mexico - Cycle
from Norway to Cape Town (or vv)
You only have one life… Make sure you love it!
