My Bucket List - Why every person should have one!

I am a dreaming doer

Last night I had friends over for supper, as the conversation went on we hit the subject of travel.  After a few sentences I realized that it was not top of their list of things to do in this lifetime.  “Mmmm… travel” he muttered “it’s nice, we’ll consider it”.  Nice can be used to describe a sub-standard meal when you are really trying to be polite, but to call travel nice is an insult to an experience that can stretch you, change the way you view yourself and the world.  This left me with 1 question.   Has this person been exposed to travel opportunities?   From his unenthusiastic answer I figured he had enjoyed very little travel growing up, given our South African history;   Group Areas Act and not being allowed to visit any area except the ones you were colour coded to, I could understand where he was coming from. 

How do we as South Africans of colour get into the habit of travelling when the most travel we are  accustomed to is going back home to KwaZulu Natal, Limpopo  or the Eastern Cape?

I started with a bucket list of places and experiences that I wanted to have in my life. I wanted to interact with more people, to understand their cultures and find out what makes them who they are.  To have real interactions that go beyond my assumption and to challenge the rational that has kept me from doing things.

 I started with the area I live in what had I not seen yet?  I wanted to LIVE and know my city, whether my friends wanted to come along for the ride or not I was ready.  I went about ticking them off and adding New things as well.

 I Don’t wear Labels I do Me and Travel.

Lets venture into this sea of uncertainty before we hit that bucket

J If there are must see places you have been to please share them with us in the Comments section. 

Gauteng/Mpumalanga

1. Learn how to dive:  I live in Jo'burg learning how to dive seemed like a foreign conecpt where would I learn with no ocean?
 

Done! I qualified in February, chilling with my buddies and instructor.

2. Take Yoga to Soweto and Diepsloot: Ekasi Yoga - this was the toughest challenge for the year, I particularly love yoga because it’s my coping mechanism and I am proof of how well it works. 15 years on and I am still doing it every day so why not share this joy with everyone?    There were venue issues, rude boys and other small things but overall well worth it. The interesting this was it was this project that led to me seeing and meeting some high-profile people like Obama.  This is a ongoing project like our page and keep up with what is going on if you are interested. 

3. See More Places I have not seen yet:

In no particular order but these are just some of the places I have not seen in the Gauteng, Mpumalanga areas.

Magaliesberg- just 45 minutes away from Jo’burg, I’m yet to discover this place of beauty.  Done! read my post about it.

Bronkhorstspruit & Dullstroom – famous for its trout and the Buddhist temple, I need to make my pilgrimage to Dullstroom.  It’s less than 2 hours out of Jo’burg so why I have not been there leaves me dumb-founded as well.  

Bela Bela- Passed it on my way to Limpopo several times but I have never turned in.  I have no reason except that the name implies it could be beautiful.

4. Share a meal with someone New: Over the past year I have met over 30 new people I would not have met in my daily life.  2013 started on a rough note and with this I remembered the saying “if you feel like you are drowning, do something for someone else”   I then opened my couch to strangers for a day or two using the Couchsurfing Network. AMAZING people! Each one, I have learnt something from, some have been zainy, some have been salt of the earth but I have laughed with each one, shared a moment of confusion and been that somebody for another somebody. Ongoing 

At the towers, did the freefall in the tower... Intense

5. Do more “crazy” stunts: Hi My Name is Michelle, I’m an adrenalin junky. Self-confessed, I get pleasure from falling off of places. Moses Mhabhida Staduim, Soweto Towers both have been ticked off my list. Now I just have to do Bloukrans and Macau. Still gathering the courage

6. There are many places I still want to see in KwaZulu-Natal, I visit often but I stick to the side where I have family members now I need to fulfill some old promises that I made to people on the South side. 

South Coast: from Margate to Port Edward, I am yet to see the Wild Coast. 

Kosi Bay: I’ve never gone into Mozambique through that side.  I like seeing places from a different angle.

Aliwal Shoal: I want to dive with the sharks there.

6. Value, Cherish, Love & Let go: I have learnt the value of being thankful for the people who have shown you love, kindness and sincerity. It is important to let people know you care, sometimes they need to hear it.  This year I been saying a lot of goodbyes, to a lot of people I might not have necessarily wanted to say goodbye to but when it is time, it is time.  Towards the end of April 2013 I had to fly to Durban, the day before something felt heavily amiss I thought I was going to die, I thought something is so wrong but what is it? At 7am in the morning,  2 days after I was feeling like death was on its way, it arrived my yoga guru Ingrid had moved onto the next life.  Thank you, I love you and you have shown me Kindness, resilience and love.  These words take nothing away from you, say them more often. 

Eastern Cape - Coffee bay en route to hole in the wall

7. Eastern & Western Cape

Transkei: I want to go to Bulungu backpackers and stay there with the community and live the slow life. Take in the beauty of this rugged coast line.

Garden Route:  I want to see Knysna, Plettenberg , I have seen the pictures, heard people wax lyrical about these places.  I want to experience them for myself.   I also heard there are some amazing spots for Bungee jumping and you know how I feel about jumping.

Kenton-on sea

Kenton-on sea: Google it!

Grahamstown: Purely for the art festival.

Ceres: Morning live once did a broadcast from there and I was in love, reminds me of farm living and freshly baked pot bread.

Sedgefield: The slowest town in South Africa, I want to see how slow I can go.

Mosselbay: Sounds cool, so I must go.

7. Northern Cape:

I want to white water raft down the Orange River, see the flowers in bloom in Namaqua land.  Sit in the Karoo and just let time pass.

8. Have my own TV travel show: it has not arrived yet but I did act in Abangani as a nurse.

9. Travel SADC: I want to see the whole of Southern Africa; meet the people, dance, watch amazing sunrises, do yoga at Lake Malawi and be at peace. 

We dancing on Mandela Bridge at Midnight with Poch now see why I want to see him again.

10. Visit Poch In America: Possibly one of the coolest people I have ever met! This guy knows how to have a good time! His just that guy.

11. Go back to Asia: I am Asian, it might sound delusional but I am. Love the people, love the beauty it’s a must experience.

12. Visit Cuba with my pops: Now this would be super awesome they say at least once in your life you must travel with your parent.  My dad loves the road as much as I do, it would be really cool to go to Cuba with him.  

13. Visit Yemen:  You might be thinking "She dun’ lost her mind" but google Yemen and see how beautiful it is the architecture alone is amazing!

14. Visit Turkey: with my eldest sister Marion, because I know we would have fun and I would most probably give her grey hair with my zainy ways but overall we would have the time of our lives.

15. Get lost in Morocco: I just want to get lost there, it seems like an interesting place to be lost in and I don’t mind being lost.

16. Visit Lagos for Carnival: I received the coolest Nigerian Mix tape, which really inspired me to want to head for the Carnival in December.   2014, I’ll be shaking it on the streets of Niger.

17. Visit Tunisia: we have all seen them lose their minds at the soccer stadium but after Luna shared some pictures with me and her stories from there.  I was ready to pack my bags and go.

Keep on checking the list out as it grows every week...

What  do you have on your bucket list? I would love to know.

I would appreciate any feedback on places to see, eat at and just breathe in the beauty. Just leave a message in the comment box.  Thank you