I’m a dreamer, with a rich imagination. Here are some of my desires.

As a child, my father would frequently remind me that my head was in the clouds.

He would catch me daydreaming, lost in my thoughts. There I would imagine things I wanted to do. Some of the silly or childish, some of them grand or inventive. Mostly, they were moments where I was the hero of my own story.

Thankfully, he taught me a strong work ethic and appealed to my rationale side. However, that behavior persisted. I was a daydreamer then and, proudly, still am today.

Dreams to Reality

As I grew older some of those ambitions changed as I became more pragmatic. But in the back of my mind I always had a running list of things I wanted to do, people I wanted to meet, or places I’d like to explore. 

I imagined myself playing for the Milwaukee Brewers copying Cecil Cooper’s batting stance. Leaning back, slightly crouched, a wiggle in my bat as I dreamed about playing at County Stadium or in the World Series. 

Introduced to aerospace and aviation I dreamed of blasting off on the Space Shuttle and exploring the outer reaches of the solar system. Sometimes I wished an alien would pick me up in the Millennium Falcon, just to breeze around the galaxy for awhile. 

This list represents my achievements and dreams. Many of them realistic, some of them a stretch, and a few of them that are out of this world. Then again, I’ve always wanted to reach for the stars.

P.S. Cheers to Evan for inspiring me to finally put my bucket list on paper.

The Rules

1. The list is a living document, at least until I kick the bucket. My list is a reflection of my life and priorities and as they change, so should the list.

2. The list can grow at any time. If I see or hear about an adventure that piques my interest I will add it immediately, zero hesitation.

3. The list doesn’t judge. If I have an amazing experience I can immediately add it and cross it off my list.

4. The list can shrink at any time. If I no longer value an item on the list I will immediately remove it.

5. The list doesn’t require organization. However, my brain likes patterns and I can group my items if I like.

6. The list is not the measure of my life. My list will act as a positive reminder of my adventures and goals and not as a list of failures or idleness.

Top of the List

  • Meet the Love of my Life
  • Become a Husband
  • Become a Father
  • Design and Build My Own Home

Adventure

Adventures and Experiences
  • Be an Extra in a Hollywood Movie (Mr. 3000, 2004)
  • Be in the Credits of a Hollywood Movie (Clerks II, 2006)
  • Dive the Great Barrier Reef
  • Drive Across the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Drive / Walk Down Lombard Street
  • Find a Four Leaf Clover
  • Fly in a Glider (7/19/2015)
  • Fly in a B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Fly in a F-14 Tomcat
  • Fly in a Hot Air Balloon (9/25/2017)
  • Fly in a P-51 Mustang
  • Go Skinny Dipping
  • Go Skydiving (9/30/2010)
  • Hike to the Bottom of the Grand Canyon
  • Hug a Giant Sequoia (10/14/2014)
  • Ride a Cable Car in San Francisco
  • See a Double Rainbow
  • See Halley’s Comet Again
  • See the Bill of Rights
  • See the Constitution of the United States
  • See the Declaration of Independence
  • See the Northern Lights (9/28/2019)
  • See the Tulips Bloom in Holland
  • Sign My Name at the Acee Deuce in Oshkosh (7/23/2015)
  • Stand in a Red Phone Booth
  • Swim in Each of the Great Lakes
  • Swim in Every Ocean
  • Tour Miller Park
  • Visit Alcatraz Island
  • Visit All of the National Parks
  • Visit Coit Tower
  • Visit Mars
  • Visit the 9/11 Memorial
  • Visit the Eiffel Tower
  • Visit the Moon
  • Visit the St. Louis Arch
  • Visit the Taj Mahal
  • Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge

Art & Performances

Art to See
  • See Mona Lisa by Da Vinci
  • See Creation by Michelangelo
  • See Birth of Venus by Botticelli
  • See Primavera by Botticelli
  • See Musical Angel by Fiorentino
  • See Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer
  • See Campbell’s Soup Cans by Warhol
  • See Starry Night by Van Gogh
  • See Medusa by Caravaggio
  • See American Gothic by Wood
  • See Nighthawks by Hopper
  • See The Scream by Munch
  • See The Kiss by Klimt
  • See The School of Athens by Raphael
  • See Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette by Renoir
  • See The Last Supper by Da Vinci
  • See The Persistence of Memory by Dalí
  • See David by Michelangelo
  • See The Thinker by Rodin
  • See Venus de Milo by Alexandros of Antioch
Performances to See
  • See a Blues Band at an Intimate Venue in Chicago
  • See a Jazz Band at an Intimate Venue in New Orleans
  • See Hamilton on Broadway
  • See the Cirque du Soleil Production of the Beatles LOVE
  • See the Cirque du Soleil Production of O
  • See Justin Timberlake in Concert
  • See Prince in Concert
  • See Michael Jackson in Concert 😢
  • See Tom Petty in Concert
  • See the Foo Fighters in Concert
  • See the Rolling Stones in Concert

Destinations

Visit the 50 States (28/50)
  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona (10/16/2000)
  • Arkansas (10/22/2000)
  • California (10/17/2000)
  • Colorado (10/14/2000)
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida (8/8/2014)
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii – Big Island (4/12/2013)
  • Hawaii – Kauai (4/6/2019)
  • Hawaii – Maui (3/7/2012)
  • Idaho (7/7/2010)
  • Illinois (1970s / 1980s)
  • Indiana (11/20/2013)
  • Iowa (10/14/2000)
  • Kansas (Briefly on 7/15/2000)
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine (10/20/2021)
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts (10/24/2021)
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota (7/3/2010)
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri (10/22/2000)
  • Montana (7/4/2010)
  • Nebraska (10/14/2000)
  • Nevada (10/16/2000)
  • New Hampshire (10/19/2021)
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico (10/19/2000)
  • New York (10/22/2013)
  • North Carolina (2/13/2017)
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma (7/13/2010)
  • Oregon (9/23/2017)
  • Pennsylvania (5/9/2017)
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota (7/3/2010)
  • Tennessee
  • Texas (10/20/2000)
  • Utah (10/16/2000)
  • Vermont (10/18/2021)
  • Virginia
  • Washington (10/5/2017)
  • Washington D.C. (4/1/2011)
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin (1/22/1976)
  • Wyoming (7/4/2010)
International Cities, Countries, and Various Destinations
  • Amalfi, Italy
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Antartica
  • Australia
  • Barcelona, Spain
  • Belgium
  • Cinque Terre, Italy (9/18/2018)
  • Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Croatia
  • Easter Island
  • Egypt
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • Florence, Italy (9/16/2018)
  • Galapagos Islands
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Havana, Cuba
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Kyoto, Japan
  • Lake Como, Italy (9/21/2018)
  • Leaning Tower of Pisa (9/18/2018)
  • London, England
  • Madagascar
  • Monte Carlo, Monaco
  • Moscow, Russia
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Osaka, Japan
  • Palermo, Italy
  • Paris, France
  • Patagonia, Chile
  • Poland
  • Pompeii, Italy
  • Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
  • Rome, Italy (9/13/2018)
  • Sweden
  • Taiwan
  • Toyko, Japan
  • Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Vatican City (9/15/2018)
  • Venice, Italy (9/24/2018)
  • Vienna, Austria

Events

Events to Experience
  • Experience the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
  • Experience Carnival in Brazil
  • Experience Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico
  • Experience La Tomatina in Spain
  • Experience a Lantern Festival in Japan
  • Experience a Launch at Cape Canaveral
  • Experience Mardi Gras in New Orleans
  • Experience the Running of the Bulls in Spain

Health & Body

Health Goals
  • Exercise Weekly
  • Live to 100 Years Old
  • Lose & Maintain Weight Loss
  • Lower my Cholesterol
  • Run a 5k
  • Run a 10k
  • Run a Half-Marathon

Personal

Personal and Professional Growth
  • Become a Big Brother / Big Sister
  • Become a Foster Parent
  • Become a Mentor
  • Create a Board Game
  • Have my Photography Published
  • Start My Own Business
  • Teach a Class
  • Write a Book
  • Write a Screenplay
Miscellaneous
  • Be Interviewed on the Radio
  • Be Interviewed on Television
  • Be on the Jumbotron at a Stadium
  • Bury a Time Capsule
  • Buy Dinner for My Group of Friends
  • Buy Coffee for the Person Behind Me
  • Create a Map of Places I’ve Been
  • Donate Blood
  • Drive a Zamboni
  • Get Custom License Plates (2018)
  • Have a Star Named After Me
  • Make a Hole in One
  • Meet an Astronaut
  • Meet Barack Obama
  • Meet Mike Trout
  • Shake Hands with the President
  • Sponsor a Child
Skills to Learn
  • Become a Pilot
  • Learn to Blow Glass
  • Learn to Play Chess (Well)
  • Learn to Play the Ukulele
  • Learn to Scuba Dive
  • Solve a Rubik’s Cube

Sports

Events and Activities
  • Attend a Game at Lambeau Field (1/12/2008)
  • Attend a Minor League Baseball Game
  • Attend the Summer Olympics
  • Attend the Winter Olympics
  • See the Badgers Play at the Rose Bowl or National Championship
  • See the Brewers Play in the World Series
  • See the Bucks Play in the NBA Finals
  • See Marquette Play in the Final Four
  • See the Packers Play in the Super Bowl
  • Take Batting Practice at Miller Park (9/23/2013)
Major League Baseball Ballparks
  • Fenway – Boston Red Sox (7/29/2022)
  • Wrigley Field – Chicago Cubs
  • Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Angel Stadium – Los Angeles Angels
  • Oakland Coliseum – Oakland Athletics
  • Kauffman Stadium – Kansas City Royals
  • Rogers Centre – Toronto Blue Jays
  • Guaranteed Rate Field – Chicago White Sox
  • Camden Yards – Baltimore Orioles
  • Progressive Field – Cleveland Guardians
  • Coors Field – Colorado Rockies
  • Tropicana Field – Tampa Bay Rays
  • Chase Field – Arizona Diamondbacks
  • T-Mobile Park – Seattle Mariners
  • Minute Maid Pard – Houston Astros
  • Comercia Park – Detroit Tigers
  • Oracle Park – San Francisco Giants
  • Miller Park – Milwaukee Brewers (4/6/2001)
  • PNC Park – Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Great American Ball Park – Cincinnati Reds
  • Petco Park – San Diego Padres
  • Citizens Bank Park – Philadelphia Phillies
  • Busch Stadium – St. Louis Cardinals
  • Nationals Park – Washington Nationals
  • Citi Field – New York Mets
  • Yankee Stadium – New York Yankees
  • Target Field – Minnesota Twins
  • loanDepot Park – Miami Marlins
  • Truist Park – Atlanta Braves
  • Globe Life Field – Texas Rangers