Why You Shouldn't Have A Bucket List • Ars Currendi

‘Another one off the bucket list‘, I hear a salty-haired Australian surfer sigh when I’m visiting a waterfall in Bali.

I turn around and I can see on his face that he’s only there to be able to tick off a destination from his ever-growing list of destinations he still wants to visit.

But that’s not what travel is about, is it?

And if it is to you, it’s time to change that.

Travelling should be about exploring far away cultures and experiencing things for the sake of making memories, and not just for bragging rights on Instagram.

This is why you shouldn’t have a bucket list.

The youngest person to see every country

Earlier this month, I heard about 21-year old Lexie Alford who claimed to be the youngest person to visit every country on earth.

Let that sink in.

This woman visited 196 countries in 21 years.

Now, if you’re thinking “How the hell did she pay for all that?”, keep in mind that:

Her parents owned a travel agency, so she had already visited 72 countries by the time she turned 18;
She has been working to travel since she was 12;
While she was on the road, she documented her adventures in photos and in a travel blog;
She has done a few brand deals and partnerships to fund her travels.

I’m not here to question the how of her adventure. I’m questioning the why.

And I’m not saying that what Alford did doesn’t have the power to inspire young people to see the world.

I’m just scared that they’ll head out and step on a plane for the wrong reason.

The problem with bucket lists

I have to admit that I’m guilty of making bucket lists. But it’s been a long time since I referred to them as bucket lists.

If you have a list of places you have to see before you die, that’s fine. That’s even where the expression came from. Things to do or see before you kick the bucket.

But soon, the list starts to transform. It goes from ‘I really want to see this place because it sounds amazing’ to ‘I saw a picture of this place on Instagram and now I want to get that same picture’.

If you only travel to tick places off your bucket list, you’re doing it wrong.

if you only travel for bragging rights on social media, you’re doing it wrong.

The world has so much beauty to offer us, and you shouldn’t go somewhere just to be able to say you went there.

I’m aware that everyone has a different style of travelling. Some people only want to see the highlights of a certain destination, while others want to have profound cultural experiences.

And there is nothing wrong with either of those travel styles.

Why you shouldn’t have a bucket list

Making a bucket list transforms magical destinations all around the world to binary yes-or-no questions.

When you’re planning your next trip, ‘Have I been there?’ shouldn’t be the only question you ask yourself.

Yes, it can be the first question. But please, for the love of God, don’t let it be the only one.

You should be asking whether or not the destination’s cuisine attracts you. Whether the culture is something you’re interested in. If the popular attractions are enough to satisfy your thirst for adventure.

Don’t use ‘I haven’t been there yet’ as a motive.

Don’t go somewhere because it’s the next destination on your bucket list.

And don’t aim to visit every country on earth just for the sake of it. Do it for the people, for the food, for the experiences and for the memories.

Rocky Mountains, a bucket list destination for many

A bucket list alternative

While I personally no longer feel comfortable supporting the concept of a bucket list, there are some alternatives I can stand behind.

The thing is, bucket lists usually take on the form of a list of countries or cities someone wants to visit.

And, although those lists are usually comprised of a very diverse set of countries with very different backgrounds, they’re still just countries.

Can you say you’ve experienced Germany if you’ve spent three days in Berlin? I personally don’t think so.

You haven’t seen the Black Forest, you haven’t seen Neuschwanstein Castle and you haven’t seen any concentration camps that hold the stories of so many oppressed people.

That’s why I’m proposing the following bucket list alternative.

The experience list.

You shouldn’t have a bucket list because it’s overly generalised.

So what if it’s not?

Make a list of experiences you’d like to have before dying.

Walking the Camino de Santiago, climbing Everest, camping in Banff National Park. I don’t care. I can’t choose for you.

Once you have your experience list, don’t look at it again until you come across an experience you absolutely MUST have before dying.

While you’re booking your next trip, don’t think about the list. Choose destinations based on other factors.

Once you’ve booked your flights and your accommodation, take a look at the list. If there’s anything on there near your destination, you can take some time out of your trip to pursue this experience.

This way, your travels are still meaningful and you get to do things you’ve always wanted to do.

Talk about a win-win situation.

Try it out. Let me know what you think about this idea. Even if you think it’s complete and utter crap. Tell me why you don’t believe in it.

After all, nothing ever changed without people challenging the status quo and doing something different for once.

Thanks for reading!

-S

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