I used to have a written “Bucket List” – a list of things I want to do before I die. It is probably still in a notebook or in a stack of papers, between an advertisement for cheap internet and a paid bill that needs to be filed somewhere. I do know some of the items off the top of my head: milk a cow, direct a music video, and fly in a helicopter. Thanks to the “Why Not?” attitude of my friend Anna, we got a free, five-minute ride in a helicopter yesterday. We had to be videoed saying how much we were enjoying the Holi festival we were at, and how much we liked the sponsor who was offering the free rides. I was ready to back out when I heard we had to do a video, but Anna said it wasn’t a big deal, so we did it. As a result, I checked another thing off my bucket list.

During the flight, I took a few photos and a short video, but then I purposely put the phone down. I wanted to be present and really live it, not just review it later through the camera lens. The sensation I was most aware of was a sort of looseness in my lower legs – like when you’re on a carnival ride and your feet are dangling down, even though my feet were planted on the floor of the helicopter. It was like I was aware of that space under us as we flew.

I’m proud of the fact that there aren’t many things on my bucket list. I guess for some people that would mean they are content already. For me it means I have pushed myself out of my comfort zone many times to see places or have experiences that I longed for.

One more item will be checked off this summer: “Publish a Novel.” I’m going to self-publish first on Amazon and then with other publishers. I will update you here as we get closer to the release date. Once that is done, I guess I’ll have to start looking for someone who owns a cow!