Fill-The-Bucket List

Taking the time and look back at all the great experiences you already had! It is worth while to do this once and a while. This post from Maggie Banks inspired me and many others to do the same.

When first writing this article, I mainly thought in terms of travel. Gradually, I  came to the conclusion that there are many more sources of experiences that one can have. Below is an anthology of experiences

Ski

It is only at the age of 18 that I really started to travel a lot. The first big trip without my parents was a ski holiday with friends. I loved it. Many more followed. Ski is ever since part of the things in life I want to spent money on. Living in Belgium means we have either to go to France, Austria or Swiss for a good week of ski.

This year we went skiing for the first as a family.   The kids loved it.I look forward to our next ski trip

See a part of Europe while helping others

During my studies, I did not have the funds to go on big adventurous travels. Until I discovered volunteer work abroad. This allowed me to travel to the sun and still keep my budget under control. It was a great experience! You set off from Belgium with a group of people you have not met before. You get to meet more people there and contribute to a local good cause. I do hope I can motivate my kids to do the same.

Travel with friends

 

My first discovery of Asia was in Thailand. we went there over the Christmas holidays as we needed the sun. We were fed up with the cold Belgian winter. One of the most exciting things to do: get a massage from an elephant. I am open to discovering new things. I believe most things should be tried at least once

 

 

With friends, many more travels followed, mainly to Latin America. We went backpacking to Ecuador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. These were very fine trips that created a lot of top rated memories for us. We did a lot of nice things, like playing an international football game against an Ecuadorian tribe in the rainforest, learn salsa in a local bar, mountain bike great trails. The photo on the left is us hiking towards an active volcano: the cerro negro. The same volcano they use to break the world speed record down hill mountain bike.

Meditation

It is during one of these travels that I met a person that showed me the way to meditation. I was going through a rough personal period and needed some inner rest. I ended up participating to a 10 day meditation course. This was beyond a challenge for me, but I am still happy I did this. I am even proud of myself. During 10 days, we could not speak, only eat vegetarian and meditate about 12hours per day. It gave me the internal rest I needed.

Travel with my wife

Before we had kids, we did a fair share of Europe and the world: Mexico, Dubai, China and a honeymoon to the west coast of the USA.

During our travel, I try to photograph as much as possible. It is one of the things I like a lot.

 

 

 

Party Time

One of my weak points when younger: techno events. We went multiple times to the Love Parade in Berlin, did more than once a Belgian Parade and partied a few times on Ibiza.

 

Children

With our children, we have not travelled a lot yet. However, they create many more experiences that are priceless. They allow me to be a child again by following them in their playground adventures.

Now that our children have the age that they might actually remember the travel we do with them, I want to go full steam ahead again. Lets first start with Europe and in a few years lets go really international. I have the plan that each girl can pick the destination she wants when she gets 12. It is up to u to show thump front how nice the world is so that they pick a great destination.

 

It was great weekend going through all the pictures from past experiences and travels. It is by doing this that you feel you are alive. It is too easy to get caught up in the work-kids-household routine and become stuck in here forever. Time to start working on an empty bucket list for the family.