I was waiting in a TSA line as a thirteen-year-old boy when I asked my grandfather “Where is your favorite place on Earth that you have been?” He responded back saying “Without a doubt, New Zealand.” He told me a story of how he and my grandmother were driving along the northwest coast of New Zealand late at night looking for a place to spend a night.
It was the winter when they visited, so many hotels were shut down because there aren’t many tourists that time of year. They eventually pulled up to one even though it was closed. A woman came outside to greet them. Despite her hotel being closed, she opened it up for my grandparents and even made them a meal that they ate looking out at the ocean. Because it was the offseason, she wasn’t set up to take a credit card payment and told my grandparents to mail her a check once they got back to the US. My grandfather was blown away by the hospitality of this woman, on top of the beautiful scenery which New Zealand provides its visitors.
That story from my grandfather always stuck with me. I made a promise to myself that when he passes I would make a trip to New Zealand to pay homage to him. Well, I made my trip to New Zealand after graduating college in 2019. I was able to drive along that same road my grandparents did, but this time I made a planned reservation for a hostel unlike them.
It was also during their winter so I saw a lot of the same “No Vacancy” signs that they did driving along the coastal highway. I was completely by myself during my trip to New Zealand, but it was very special to me to drive down this same road that I knew my grandparents did. I did the same thing as my grandfather told me, I kept stopping to get out of the car to admire the view because the road runs right along the ocean.
“I realized I had a list of things I wanted to do when I was done doing what I thought I had to do.” Mike Posner said that during this great acoustic rendition of “I Took A Pill In Ibiza.” I hope you check out that video because there is so much truth when you hear him say it. That line really stuck with me. For him, one thing on that list is walking across the US. He was able to complete this goal in 2019, not too long after I got back from my trip.
I know I have that list and I’m sure you do too. I want to visit Anfield to watch a Liverpool match, see national parks, and finish the long-running book list that grows at a quicker rate than I can read. I’m sure you have a similar list of going places or doing things that are special to you. Everyone has this bucket list.
I assumed that I would be able to travel and do the things I actually wanted to do after I retired. It makes sense, right? Work for 40 years so I can enjoy my last 20 and do what I want. I’ll have more money and time after I retire and I’m sure everyone thinks that way. There is still truth to that, but that Mike Posner line really changed the way I thought. Traveling to New Zealand was something I was going to do when my grandfather passes, but how silly is that?
After hearing the Mike Posner line, I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be more special to be able to share my experiences with my grandfather from my New Zealand trip instead of waiting until he’s dead? Since I acted on this, I was able to have a great FaceTime call with him and was able to show him my pictures along the same road he traveled on years ago. I was able to tell him my New Zealand stories just like he did for me.
I ask that you revisit that list of things that you actually want to do in your life. You can’t cross them all off immediately, but we can make an effort to do some now until waiting later to hit some arbitrary age or net worth. I am so thankful that I heard that line early on in my life because I know it will have an impact on me for the rest of my life.
Peace and Love.