The original ‘bucket list’
- EmptyNesterVibes
- Jun 19
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 22
Get organized now to set yourself up for success later
Once the initial shock of our kids leaving the nest wore off, we started to embrace our new life. We started what we affectionately call our ‘bucket list.’ Truth be told, we are royalty when it comes to list-making, so this seemed to come easy to us. Honestly, we should have bought stock in 3M Post-It notes since many of our lists start on the sticky note squares.
At first our ‘bucket list’ was a short list of different places we wanted to visit and things we wanted to do, but it quickly expanded.
Our family has been using the Cozi app since 2012, so it was natural that we gravitated toward our family calendar app to keep our final list. The app’s Lists function was the perfect home for this new list. We added it to the To Do tab. We set it up the following way:
o Local
o Ohio
o Midwest
o USA
o International
Take a peek into our local list here:
We check items off this list, but still leave them on the list for a few reasons: it makes us feel a sense of accomplishment, we may want to return to a spot and we want to remember where we went.
Call-out: Organize your list in a way that suites your preferences, your style and your travel/to-do desires.
Our ‘bucket list’ then morphed into a series of different ones that we regularly add to and check off.
What to know more about Cozi? Click here.
One list was no longer enough to capture our blooming ideas
Once we saw how well the ‘bucket list’ was working for us, we created two more lists to help us. One list helped us identify new restaurants, breweries and bars we wanted to try. It takes the guesswork out of picking a new place to try.
The next one listed TV shows and movies that were recommended by friends or served up to us in our social media or in our streaming channels. It makes sitting down at night to watch TV a breeze as we go down our list to see what kind of show piques are curiosity on any a given night.
So, what should YOU put on your ‘bucket list’ ?
The beauty about an empty nester ‘bucket list’ is that it is YOUR list--not your neighbor’s, not your sister’s, not your friend’s. This is a custom list tailored to what you and your spouse like to do…together. We know, easier said than done, right? Especially since your lives revolved around your kids’ lives for the better part of 18 years.
Ask yourself the following questions to get an idea of the different items that could make up your very own ‘bucket list.’
For sports fans:
o How about visiting 10 baseball stadiums (either within a few hours’ drive or within the U.S.)
o Choose 3 NFL teams you’d like to see
o Snag tickets to an NBA game in a town close by, or one across the continent
o Catch a hockey game
o Go to the U.S. Figure Skating Championship
o Buy those tickets to The Masters
For Museum buffs:
o Create a list of art museums in your state you’d like to visit
o Check out upcoming special exhibits at your local art, natural history, history or special interest museums (Better yet, sign up to get their email notifications or follow their social media pages to get automatic notifications)
o Start a list of the museums that aren’t mainstream—here we come Lucky Cat Museum in downtown Cincinnati
Example: One recent surprise for us was a stop at Toledo’s Great Lakes Museum. We learned a lot about trading and passenger ships we would have otherwise never known.
For music and concert lovers:
o Go to ticketmaster.com and find all the concerts coming to your area within the next year. Put the date the tickets go on sale on your calendar and make the purchase so you don’t waffle.
o Check out the local band scene
Example: Thanks to a friend (you know who you are), we are on the Now That’s Cincinnati list and get served up a daily emails with all the bands playing around town. We refer to this often!
o Buy season tickets to the opera, pops or symphony, or start off by going to one show to see how you like it
o You know those pesky ads that pop-up on social media about concert movies? Don’t skip over them. Reserve those tickets. They are inexpensive and they are much better than sitting at home scrolling through Netflix until you fall asleep.
Example: A few we attended in theaters this last year: 40th anniversary of Purple Rain, the Led Zepplin documentary and Pink Floyd in Pompeii.
For foodies:
o Sign up for a cooking class
Example: We signed up for a Greek bites class at Out of Thyme in Cincinnati and not only did we learn some new recipes and prep techniques, we ate our creations and brought a meal home, too.
o Research the Top 3 restaurants in your area and scatter reservations throughout the year
Example: In Cincinnati you could list Carlo and Johnny’s, Sotto and 21C.
o Make a list of all the restaurants you have never tried and organize them by ethnicity (think Italian, Bar and Grills, Mexican, Pizza, Asian, Breweries, Breakfast, Brunch, to name a few)
o List your favorite foods and visit the restaurants that either created the food item or made it famous.
Example: Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY invented the buffalo wing; a Cincinnati chili tour; Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans invented bananas foster
o Research restaurants that celebrities helped make famous.
Example: Any time we are in a new city, we look to see if Guy Fieri has been to any restaurants and order what he reviewed. It keeps things fresh and interesting. Where would my life be today without Blue Ash Chili’s 3-way with fried jalapeno bottle caps?
For outdoorsy folks:
o Prioritize 10 national parks you’d like see in the next 5 years
o List 5 hiking trails you’d like to cross off this year—local or out of state
o Research local bike trails, rent bikes (or e-bikes) and make a picnic lunch or make a stop at a restaurant or brewey on the way
Example: In our backyard, you can bike the Loveland Bike Trail and stop for lunch or drinks in downtown Loveland, Miami Trailyard, Monkey Bar, Cartridge Brewery and more
o Look up beaches, lakes, rivers or natural springs you’d like to visit. Bonus points for renting kayaks, canoes, peddle boats, jet skis or boats.
For adventurers:
o Plan your first or tenth Whitewater rafting trip
o List 5 Amusement/Theme parks within a 5-hour drive
o Couch to 5k—Sign up for a marathon and put a training plan around it
o Find a Zipline park
o Research places that have rock wall classes and sign up
o Add a visit to an indoor skydiving place
Name of the game here is to challenge yourselves to get off the couch, put away the remote and get off social media—except to read our blog! Go create your own ‘bucket list’ or series of ‘bucket lists’ and HAVE FUN!
Beyond the ‘bucket list’
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