Sometimes, I come across challenges and decide to join completely uninvited! I especially jumped into the Bucket List tag challenge, initiated by @nomadicsoul, because I find that I live a bucket list lifestyle.
Bucket List Lifestyle
By definition, a bucket list lifestyle is one in which each choice, opportunity, and planning session is reflected upon in relationship to the bucket list, and is evaluated as to whether or not the choice will lead to a life-fulfilling experience.
My bucket list is arguably a mile long, but happens to be sectioned into categories. I want to visit many places, experience a myriad of phenomena, meet exceptional people, eat mysterious foods, and study the world's offerings.
In this post, I'm focusing on my Learning Bucket List, including all of the subjects, cultures, and skills that pique my curiosity at the ripe age of 25!
Note: Header image from Unsplash
My Learning Bucket List
This list has evolved and grown over time, with a few new additions joining as I write this article. Without going into exhaustive detail, I'm noting what I am learning and have made progress on with an * and a short note!
Image from Unsplash
Handmade Wardrobe + Functional Goods
I developed an interest in functional fashion in my early twenties, hoping for a reprieve the wild and unappealing bits of fast-fashion trash available to me at the mall. Most ethically-produced and stunningly crafted garments are still outside my budget years later, but that's driven me to learn to make these items myself. Someday, I hope to have a wardrobe (and my family's wardrobe) comprised of handmade, quality pieces crafted from natural fibers and materials. Going beyond that hope, I would love to someday design garments and patterns for pieces anyone can make and enjoy.
A selection of skills I want to learn...
- Sewing
- Needlecraft: Knitting, Crochet, Embroidery * I learned to crochet a decade ago and have since begun knitting. I start my first sweater this week!
- Leatherworking
- Garment Design
- Pattern Design
- Weaving
See more of my inspiration in my Pinterest Board: the handmade wardrobe.
Image from Unsplash
Living with and of the Land
Though I adore cities and the buzz of people all around me, my heart longs for a patch of land upon which I live symbiotically with the Earth. I hope to someday grow, harvest, prepare, preserve, and share what I've grown in collaboration with the land. This also includes a small flock of sheep from which I will gently harvest fleece and snuggles.
A selection of skills I want to learn...
- Permaculture
- Fermentation *
- Gardening *
- Animal Husbandry
- Preservation *
- Cooking + Baking
- Self-Sustainability
- Off-Grid Systems * Converting the Slow Rolling Home has quickly acquainted me with off-grid living!
- Aquaponics
- Botany *
- Biodynamics
- Woodworking
See more of my inspiration in my Pinterest Board: diy | the homestead
Image from Unsplash
Self-Expression
One of the things I kick myself for not learning in my childhood is art. My mother is a talented artist whose sketches, watercolor paintings, and inkworks are beyond compare. I wish I would've spent more time learning from her while we still lived under the same roof!
What I did study extensively is performance art. Singing, music, theatre, and overall live performance will always be a part of my identity.
A few of my major Bucket List items include artistic self-expression, including: publishing an EP, winning an Oscar, publishing a self-illustrated children's book, and hosting an art show [which I have accomplished!]. As I get older, I'd like to study more forms of artistic expression to experiment with the boundaries of my imagination.
A selection of skills I want to learn...
- Music + Instruments * My ukulele smiles at me from its stand each day and I hope once the Slow Rolling Home has reached homeostasis, I'll start practicing again!
- Illustration
- Watercolor
- Poetry *
- Publishing * Publishing a magazine two years ago was an amazing crash-course in curation and publication!
- Photographic Journalism *
- Handlettering and Letter Writing
- Digital Design *
See more of my inspiration in my Pinterest Board: artistic inclination.
Image from Unsplash
Heirloom + Modern Health and Wellness
An early disruption in my relationship with food has led me on a long, winding health journey through distant lands and interesting ideologies. While I am a firm critic of diet culture and the modern glamorization of health, I can appreciate how the mainstream media has brought alternative options to the masses. I endeavor to learn beyond what is served to me on Instagram and the news, digging into Eastern medicine, plant-based medicine, and mindbody healing.
A selection of subjects in which I am to be versed...
- Herbalism * Last year, I won an Instagram contest for an Herbal Academy Intro to Herbalism class and I am still working on the class, but I LOVE it!
- Ayurveda
- (8 Limbs of) Yoga * In 2014, I completed my RYT 200hr Yoga Teacher Training with a focus in Ashtanga and my life is forever changed.
- Tai Chi / Qi Gong
- Meditation *
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Nutrition *
- Tea Blending *
- Chakra Balancing *
- Body Dynamics
- Floral Essence
- Holistic Medicine
See more of my inspiration in my Pinterest Board: herbalism.
Image from Unsplash
World Religions + Cultural Studies
Through my exploration of alternative healing practices, I found the abundance in foreign cultures. Growing up Catholic exposed me to ritualistic religion, where individuals routinely perform activities, say phrases, sing songs, gather, and celebrate according to tradition. Going beyond my upbringing afforded me the opportunity to let other cultures educate me on the breadth of humanity.
A selection of inspiring cultures I hope to study...
- Buddhism *
- Hinduism *
- Christianity *
- Islam
- Zoroastrianism
- Taoism
- Paganism + Wicca *
- (Global) Humanities *
- Metaphysical Studies *
- Shamanism
- Astrology *
- Mystical Sciences * I include the tarot, rune reading, palmistry, and other intuitive activities under this umbrella and while some may not deem them to be 'sciences,' the more I study, the more I question how exclusive "science" truly is.
Image from Unsplash
Intruiging Subject-Matter
This list is ever-evolving, ever-growing, and always inspiring. Whenever I come across an idea, quote, bit of media, or perspective that sparks my interest, I am driven to dive deeper. Each of these has caught my attention and drawn me into its depths, urging me to ask myself, "How might this help me to help others? How might this help me grow?"
- Human Evolution + History * I'm in the midst of the book Sapiens on which I'll publish a review upon completion. The book is opening my mind to the vastness of human history.
- Entrepreneurship * Studing Entrepreneurship at University was the launching point for the rest of my life!
- the Barter and Sharing Economies *
- Lucid Dreaming *
- Interior Design *
- Architecture *
- Coding
- Creative Problem Solving *
- Design Thinking *
- Urban Community Development
- Color Theory
- Cafe Management
- Philosophy *
- Holistic Pet Care *
I keep a great deal of my inspiration on Pinterest, so if you're a regular user, come join me.
Check out the original post by @nomadicsoul and consider sharing YOUR bucket list!
I'm tagging this post "bucketlist" and you should too. I nominate to join me:
Do we have anything in common on our lists? Let me know in the comments!
Hi, I'm Amelia! It's nice to meet you.
I'm a writer, minimalist, tiny home dweller, and maker living in East Tennessee, USA. You might have found me through the Ladies of Steemit curation initiative, showcasing the female voices on the Steemit platform. Let's hang out on the blockchain and see where it takes us.
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Hey @ameliabartlet, I am a curator of the Whaleshares Curation Team. I have selected your post to be presented in a live curation discussion on Monday 16th April at 6 PM EST. Your post will be awarded a 100 Whaleshares vote on the night. I do hope you can come along and spectate. The event will be held in The Curation Lounge on the Whaleshares server.
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Thank you, @kotturinn! I will do my best to sign on and get involved, as I adore the Whaleshares community. 💓
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You're a better woman than I am, Amelia, and only half my age! An Herbalist award? I'm lucky if a lavender plant survives the winter. I've yet to make tea out of my echinacea. Tried it with my bergamot (ugh!), only to find out this is NOT the plant Earl Gray tea comes from. I've crushed my mint for mint juleps, but what a lot of work it was, and though I love to entertain (colorful flowers frozen in ice cubes; nasturtium blossoms adorning a salad bowl), it's always hard to motivate people to come to my door, even with the bribe of beer and free food. Live music (chataqua, anyone?), book talk ("Sapiens" sounds great!), Scrabble or Settlers of Catan, movie night, I just gave up. My own sisters won't hang out with me. We have seven acres and a house that is not minimalist. (Too many square feet.) My husband built a cabin in the timber behind our house, 10 by 12 feet, with electricity (but not indoor plumbing nor even an outhouse), and still, people are "too busy" or too indisposed. Mostly everyone just lives "too far away" to get to us. :(
I love your minimalist and organic, natural lifestyle, Amelia!
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Are you kidding! I would totally come hang out. When our slow rolling home is on its voyage, I would love to drop by for Scrabble and live music, and all those acres. And flowers frozen into ice cubes? Sounds like perfection. I may just do that at home.
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You would be most welcome here. I used to cook for construction workers. My door is still open, but our driveway is so long, and so far from the heart of town, even my native prairie flowers (the length of a football field!) do not attract visitors.
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You have a wonderful list. I was happy to see biodynamics on there! It is one of my biggest passions along with several other of the skills you are wanting to learn. I will be at Jeff Poppins, The Barefoot Farmer, this summer. He usually host Sandor Katz for a fermentation weekend in the Fall. That would be a great way to learn 2 things at once.
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I LOVE your approach of sectioning off your bucket list - that makes the whole thing seem more manageable to me. I also have an interest in clothes making and am looking forward to doing some classes in the relatively near future :).
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I saw your post featured on the Whaleshares Curation Show. Congratulations on the feature!
You are a CREATOR!!! I am inspired. We have plenty in common in regards to our lists. Don't kick yourself because you didn't learn art in your "childhood". Seems like you are ready NOW so go for it! I also wholeheartedly encourage you to explore the holistic approach to medicine / living. I have been quite a journey in that department and it has been fascinating and actually very empowering. I wish you the best on winning an Oscar. Perhaps you and my son will be in a critically acclaimed film together one day. :D
Thank you for sharing this post...it encourages me to keep at it!
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Congratulations @ameliabartlett! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
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To support your work, I also upvoted your post!
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That is quite the list you have there,, definitely something to work towards, you have included things that I wish to learn too. Great post @ameliabartlett very inspiring.
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What a great bucket list! Upvoted :)
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You asked if I saw any similar skills/common interests from your list towards me... so many were spot on with how I am living life, wanting to learn soon and wanting to have in my life. Almost as if you were reading my mind 95% of the time.
GREAT bucket list!
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I'm glad to hear that we have some similarities! If you do one of these challenges, share it with me so I can see.
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That's quite some list you have. I love it! It shows what a wonderful person you are and how you are constantly seeking to grow. I have told you before that you are an inspiration not only to me but others as well! Keep writing and amaze us all, Amelia!
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You have an ambitious list - but you are high energy and can do it!! Our lists are very similar - I do know some on your list and have already forgotten others :)
i.e. I used to sew all my, my kids and my husbands clothing - now, I haven't sewn in many years...
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Ive tried many times to start a bucket list but always fell off but now reading your blog you have inspired me to start it and stay with it.. i love sewing and doodle ... hmm anyways now at the ripe age of 48 Im going to see what I can accomplish and do things I truly enjoy.
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