Thirty Blog Challenge - Blog 5

Blog 5 - Something You Hope To Do In Your Life

Hmm, so many things. I could say get married. Or have a child. Or find that elusive "perfect job." All are things that I hope to do and all are things that would lead to another thing - find happiness.

For some reason, I don't want to go there. I'm starting to think that those things happen in their own time. Hoping to find that perfect person or that perfect moment isn't the result of effort or simple "hope." It either happens or it doesn't. I'd like to hope for something that I can control.

And, for that reason, I hope to see the world. The Eiffel Tower. The Brazilian rainforest. The Great Wall of China. Even Antarctica. I want to see the greatest things that man has done and the things that God made that man can't ever hope to top.

I've seen the U.S. If a city has (or had in the 90s) a baseball team, I've been to it. With very few exceptions, I've seen what this country has to offer. Amazing skyscrapers, fields of grain, sunsets that will leave you breathless, and all kinds of people. I've been to Central America, visiting the Dominican Republic and Honduras on high school mission trips. I've been to German any Austria, seeing the beauty of a European city and the horror of a concentration camp.

But there's so much left. I haven't even technically visited the entire country, missing both of the non-contiguous states. And as far as my own hemisphere goes, I'm still missing the entire southern part of this enormous landmass.

In the last couple years, I've traveled a lot more. Since my passport is still in need of renewal, it's all been domestic. San Diego, Los Angeles (three times), Phoenix, Denver, Colorado Springs, Washington D.C, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and Chicago. Not to mention a month in Delaware.

Starting in 2012, I will have an extra week of vacation at work. With that, I'll be required to take two consecutive weeks of vacation according to the SEC (not the conference, Ashley). And since I'll be at JPM for another year or two, that's a couple of two-week vacations that I'll need to take.

I'm getting that passport renewed. And I already have my list ready of places to go.

- The United Kingdom. I'd love to see London and the British countryside. I know it's foggy and gross and awful, but I still want to see it. I've always wanted to see Stonehenge. And, now that I've seen a couple "football" matches, I'd like to see an EPL game.

- Australia/New Zealand - I love the way Aussies talk, and I love the way New Zealand looks.

- Japan - I've always been fascinated with Asian culture. I don't know what it is about Japan, but I've always felt a connection to there. And before it sinks into the ocean, I'd like to see it.

And then there's the Pyramids and the Great Barrier Reef and the Holy Land. So many places to see and just a lifetime to see it all.

Most of us get too busy with other things to go out and see what the world has to offer. I hope that doesn't happen to me.