Almost everyone has their own “bucket list”…that compilation of amazing experiences, adventures, and goals they’d like to accomplish before they die. While my two biggest bucket list items are becoming a published author and fighting in the ring (I should change that to “winning in the ring”, because–let’s face it–only having one fight and losing would suck!), I have many others on my list. Most of them have to do with traveling. I haven’t seen nearly enough of the planet. So far, I’ve only been to Africa (Zambia and Zimbabwe), London, the Mayan Riviera, the Dominican Republic, and some parts of Canada and the United States. I started a travel fund last year, and I contribute a portion of every pay cheque, including my freelance income. I’m committed to going on a trip a year, even if it’s a small one. My trip this year was to Mexico, where I got to scratch “swimming with dolphins” off my bucket list.

Some of the items still on the list include: walking the Great Wall of China (yes, all of it, at least the parts that are still mostly intact), visiting the panda bear orphanage where they let you hold a baby panda, scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, white water rafting somewhere amazing, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Being a full-time novelist would make world travel a lot easier. No longer would I be confined to a desk in an office! Have laptop, will travel. What’s on your bucket list?

Great news on the writing front today! For the first time in YEARS, I hauled my sorry butt out of bed at 6 a.m. and worked on the novel-in-progress for an hour. It wasn’t the hell I thought it would be, either. I wrote 4.5 pages before it was time to stop. Not a bad beginning.

As for the kickboxing part of this equation, I plan to go for a run on the treadmill when I get home tonight. I’m also going to do some ab work. I can’t do push-ups yet, as my recently broken wrist is still healing. I’m a big fan of Jillian, one of the trainers on “The Biggest Loser”, and she says that people need to push past their comfort zone to get the best results. I normally only run at a pace I’m comfortable with, so tonight I’m going to take her advice. I’ll let you know how it went tomorrow. Thanks for keeping me honest!