The other night I got wasted drunk with a few close friends and had a great time. Even better was waking up in the morning, and realizing that I had received a drunken present of — a book of Lists.

Have I mentioned that I enjoy making lists? And particularly crossing things off lists?

Thank you Dylan.

Best. Gift. Ever.

It reminded me that about 3 years ago when I was living in Japan I made a List of Things I Want to Do Before I Die (I later changed the list to Before I’m 35 because it seemed to be a better time line).

Below is a copy of what was in the word file.

I actually got to cross off a few, which is fun.

100 Things I Will Do Before I turn 35

Experiences/Adventure

• Bungee Jumping
• Sky Diving
• Scuba Diving
• Motorcycle Canada to South America
• Motorcycle India
• Hitchhike/Boat-hop around the world
• Race in the Iditarod (Alaskan Dogsled race – 1150mile)
• Spend a Week at Burning Man Festival (Black Rock City, Nevada, August – Labor Day Weekend)
• Join a band and tour on a hit single in a foreign country
• Get a traditional tattoo in Central Borneo and Central Africa
• Hitchhike to the North American Hitchhikers gathering
• Magic Mushrooms (someone recommended that I include paints and crafts, or outside)
• Opium tea (I actually didn’t think this one would happen; and no, never again)
• Join the Mile High Club
• Walk across Nova Scotia, both coasts
• Get invited to one of Hugh Hefner’s Famous Parties

Things To Learn

• Japanese
• Spanish
• French
• Indonesian
• Basic Vietnamese (it’s arguable whether this deserves to be crossed off, but fuck it — the language has like 30 effing tones… hello? not worth it.)
• Hand Drum
• Gymnopedie on Piano
• Perfect Pitch
• Be able to Juggle 5 balls
• Primitive Friction Fires (hand drill, bow-drill, fire plough)
• To dance swing and salsa (okay, so I tried these in Vietnam to no avail…. at least I met Kim there)
• Do a few magic tricks well
• How to sail
• Take improv comedy classes
• Join toastmasters and go regularly

Places To Go

• Stay in an Ice Hotel (Quebec or Sapporo).
• Mine gold or opals in the Australian outback
• Van Tour of Festivals in Europe
• St. Paddy’s Day in Dublin
• Spain’s Great Tomato Fight
• Stonehenge
• Octoberfest in Munich
• Attend the Mardi Gras in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
• Visit the Parthenon, Greece
• See the sculptures in Florence, Italy
• Photograph the Sphinx and the Pyramids, Egypt
• Swim in the Dead Sea, Israel/Jordan
• See the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, Paris
• Eat hash brownies in an Amsterdam bar
• Trek to Macchu Picchu in Peru
• Go scuba-diving in the Seychelles
• Go on a Safari in Africa
• Drive the breadth of the US.

Things that don’t really excite me too much but would be great story value… (admit it, you have ‘em too)

• Ping pong show in Thailand

To Pass Something On

• Go on a writer’s retreat and finish a Book
• Write a Children’s Book
• Co-author a book with Will Ferguson

Japan-Specific To Do

• Stay in a Love Hotel (done and over-done)
• Stay in a Capsule Hotel
• Stay in a Ryokan in an Onsen town
• Sapporo Snow Festival
• Pachinko Parlor
• Hitchhike the entire length of Japan (half doesn’t cut it)
• Make a Didge out of Bamboo

(Oh, and I edited out the list of places I wanted to have sex. I’ve gotta draw the line somewhere. I mean, what if my relatives looked me up on facebook?)

Foods

• Fugu (deadly blowfish)
• Basashi (horse sushi)
• Many different insects
• Kangaroo
• Porcupine
• Shark
• Moose
• Bear
• Caribou
• Snake
• Snake blood wine

People to meet

• Derren Brown
• Mystery & Style
• Will Ferguson (actually I met him, but it was too brief; pic below)

• Bill Bryson

To Do Just Before I Die

• Wrestle a bear (Oh, and word of warning — do not google “bear wrestling” unless you’re into big hairy men. Eww. Someone should have warned me.)