Bucket List | All Things Gwen

Posts Tagged ‘Bucket List’

Open Yourself Up to Adventure

March 15, 2010

I love living serendipitously — accepting invitations, taking chances, starting conversations and learning whatever I possibly can. With this outlook, the sun is always shining. The opportunities unfold. I laugh a little harder … and I’m less stressed because life’s an adventure.

I’m amazed at the people I’ve met. Published authors, athletes, crafters, designers, business owners … it’s pretty awesome. And, I’m happy with my adventures and the stories that go with them — mud runs, flea markets, photo shoots, traveling, trapeze classes, rock climbing, fundraisers … and more.

There is so much out there, and it’s a shame that sometimes we get so “stuck” in routine. Well, you know what? I encourage you to do something different and have an open mind about it. Try a new class. Have lunch with a co-worker. Cook a new recipe. Host a theme party. Volunteer. Set a new goal. Start a new hobby.

When you open yourself up to adventure, you never know what could come of it. Life is meant to be enjoyed. GO FOT IT!

Photo by happyshooter.

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Living the Life: Sarah Jane Martinez

February 2, 2010

From research scientist to full-time traveler, Sarah’s life is one of adventure, optimism, challenge and change. Read about my cousin …

ATG: Describe yourself – using five adjectives only.
Sarah: Petite, adventurous, minimal, healthy, inquisitive

ATG: How would others describe you?
Sarah: Tenacious, brave, open-minded, determined, persistent

ATG: What do you do “for a living?”
Sarah: I was a research scientist working in a neuroscience lab at McGill University in Montreal. We were researching protein-protein interactions in the hippocampus relating to memory and learning.

More recently, I’ve been a full time traveler for the last two years! I started off travelling alone for six months in South East Asia, then I met my partner/boyfriend Inigo Arza (he’s Spanish) in Vietnam and we have been together since. There are many soils that we have walked on: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Australia, China, Myanmar, Nepal and now back to India. Our goal is to travel west to Europe by land from India. Pakistan and Iran will be our next countries.

ATG: Describe your idea of a “perfect” day.
Sarah: A perfect day would be what we experienced in Dharamshala (home of the Dalai Lama). I woke up at 7 am and immediately did yoga asanas on the terrace. Then I made a trekker’s breakfast of oatmeal, honey, dates, bananas and flaxseeds. We started our climb at 9 am. It was a glorious sunny day, around 17 degrees Celsius under the sun. It took 2.5 hours to hike from 1750m to 2842m up a steep mountain. It was well worth the breathtaking view of the mountain range (4600m). We had a light snack of cashews, raisins and peanuts on our yak-wool blanket facing the white peaks. After lunch, we had a siesta! Then we hiked down using a different path. We were famished when we arrived to the town at 5 pm and we treated ourselves to a dinner at a local Tibetan restaurant. I had Masala tofu with spinach on rice. The night ended with a hot shower and I fell asleep reading Lord of the Rings. That was my “perfect” day.
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Make it a Daring Adventure

January 24, 2010

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. – Helen Keller

Photo by Phil Strahl.

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