I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for bucket list inspiration. I love it when I’m scrolling through my social media feed and come across something that makes me stop and think, “Wow, that’s amazing, I really want to do that!’
I’ll probably stop for a few seconds, tell the person I’m with, and then forget about it completely and move on.
However, as I got closer to my big goal of 3-0, I started thinking more seriously about my bucket list. (Only travel bloggers can seriously think about their bucket list!)
I’m thinking seriously about the experiences I want to try, and I want to start making plans to actually make them happen, rather than just saying, “I’ll do it someday!
I don’t want to look back 50 years from now and think, “I wish I had done that when I was younger.’
I want to look back and think, “It was really amazing, I’m really glad!’
I love using Pinterest for travel ideas and inspiration. Yes, I was one of those kids who made collages from Smash Hits and Chatterbox magazines.
So when Hilton Hotels & Resorts asked me to create a Bucket List Pinterest board and participate in their Our Stage, Your Story campaign, I jumped at it!
Our Stage, Your Story aims to inspire people to think about their next big experience. Hilton believes that people want new experiences above all else, and I couldn’t agree more. As you all know by now, I’d rather book a big holiday than buy a new car or TV (sorry Sam, he’s been running his new TV campaign for about 5 years now) is!)
Our Stage, Your Story aims to encourage people to start planning their next big trip and gather ideas to inspire their journey. I was asked to create a Bucket List Pinterest board (link) to pin images to inspire my next adventure. Warning: This can get out of hand, and you already know you’ll want to do everything on the board.
A recent study by Hilton Hotels & Resorts asked Britons what was on their ‘bucket list’ and found that the top 10 experiences people wanted to try were:
- see the aurora borealis
- Stay on a tropical island
- Traveling on the Orient Express
- Try new local food and drinks
- go on safari
- ride first class
- Drive Route 66
8. Walk along the Great Wall of China
- Stay in a suite at a 5-star hotel
- swim with dolphins
Which of these would you like to try?
I have to admit that I would love to do everything except swim with dolphins. Some of them I’ve been lucky enough to try out already. But the problem with great experiences is that once you experience them, you want to do them again and again!
Here are some of the ones I’ve already checked off.
Stay on a tropical island
When I visited the Maldives last year, I stayed on a tropical island. I had such high expectations for the Maldives that I almost thought I would be disappointed. I had high hopes for this to be a “dream vacation destination” and to be honest, it did not disappoint. It was the most amazing beach vacation I’ve ever had. And the fact that I got engaged while I was there definitely helped!
Try new local food / drink
It’s a big part of traveling for me, so I try local food and drinks wherever I travel. I love visiting markets and trying all kinds of street food, even more so than visiting fancy restaurants. Thailand is my favorite place to enjoy local food and drinks. Nothing beats a spicy Thai red curry served with sticky rice and a cold bottle of chang.
Go on safari
I went on a safari in South Africa in 2013 and was lucky enough to spot the Big 5. I loved seeing wild animals, but that was actually my favorite safari experience. I loved the safari tent, eating dinner around the campfire, driving through game reserves, and soaking up the amazing scenery. Even if we didn’t find a single animal, we would still have had a great time!
Fly First Class
I felt like I killed two birds with one stone on my bucket list on this safari trip, as I flew Premium Class on Virgin Atlantic on my way to South Africa. Yes, it was incredible. And it ruined my flying experience forever because I hated turning right when I boarded a plane!
I’m going to be pinning a lot of my bucket list experiences to my Pinterest boards. Please go and see it. However, be prepared to have quite a bit of wanderlust. If you don’t have one yet, why not start finding inspiration for your next big adventure by creating your own Bucket List Pinterest board.