Life begins when...

Happy freaking Friday my loves!

So my Friday started off pretty early with a blast from the past. I just love these. You know, when you are on Facebook and an old friend from your graduating class randomly starts up a chat with you. Seriously, best way to start the day! It was definitely a good chat and my old friend even spoke some words of wisdom...he said, "They say life begins when you step outside of your comfort zone."

BAM! I don't know who "they" are but "they" definitely got my attention.  My friend is a freaking genius I thought. Couldn't have said it better myself. Anyway, that got me thinking of ways to step outside of my comfort zone. Last year I started to make a bucket list which has millions of ways for me to step outside of my comfort zone.

So, I thought I would share my "bucket list" with you. This is what I have so far...

1. Become the editor of a food magazine.

2.    Attend Austin City Limits Music Festival and crowd surf at a concert.

3.    Go skydiving.

4.    Try out for American Idol…baha!

5.    Go snorkeling in the Bahamas.

6.    Go swimming with dolphins.

7.    Go to Disneyland.

8.    Go sailing in San Francisco Bay.

9.    Visit Paula Deen’s Lady and Sons restaurant in Savannah, Ga and gorge myself on the all you can eat fried chicken buffet!

10.  Travel throughout Italy and learn about my ancestors and heritage.

11. Learn Italian.

12. Visit a vineyard(s) in Italy, and stomp grapes.

13. Visit Santorini, Greece and its historic churches.

14. Go skinny dipping.

15. Take a photography class.

16. Take a pottery class.

16. Perform at an open mic night.

17. Learn to play the piano.

18. Learn to play the guitar.

19. Visit Israel.

20.  I will attend a World Cup championship with little seester in another country.

21. Travel to London.

22. Visit Buckingham Palace and take a picture next to a guard.

23. Visit Venice and take a gondola ride.

24. Visit Paris and take a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower.

25. Attend a fashion show in Milan.

26. Attend New York fashion week.

27. Live abroad (in Italy) hand-wash my clothes, and hang them to dry on a clothes line.

28. Go on a cooking school vacation in Italy.

29. Go on a cooking school vacation in France.

30. Go on a cooking school vacation in Greece.

31. Visit as many outdoor markets as possible abroad.

32. Buy a homemade French baguette, brie cheese, fresh grapes, fruit, and wine and have a picnic in front on the Eiffel Tower.

33. Visit the leaning tower of Pisa.

34. Visit and work on an organic farm in Italy.

35. Visit Sonoma, California.

36.  Do a keg stand...

37. Cultivate my own garden.

8. Buy land in the Texas Hill Country and design/build a huge 4 quarter living space for my entire family.

39. Visit the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes in Lourdes, France.

40. Sing karaoke in front of 10+ of my closest friends.

41. Visit Chelsea Piers in New York, home of the Food Network.

42. Try out for the Next Food Network Star.

43. Try out for Top Chef.

44. I will run a half marathon, preferably in another state.

45. I will do a triathlon.

46. I will adopt at least one child during my lifetime, regardless of the number of children I have.

47. I will own my own bakery/café/catering company in a small city (maybe Saulsalito, Ca).

48. I will try some sort of ethnic cuisine involving insects or animals. (then I will puke).

49. I will dance on stage at a concert.

50. I will  play on the Cash Cab t.v. show.

51. I will backpack through Europe.

52. I will ride on a train.

53. I will ride on a bullet train.

54. I will have a destination wedding.

55. I will become a famous chef.

56. I will donate thousands of dollars to my favorite charity, St. Jude's.

57. I will host 365 dinner parties with my close friends and family.

58. I will learn to surfboard (Ca/Hi).

59. I will attend the Summer Olympic games.

60. I will visit the Vatican and see/meet the pope.

61. I will spend New Year’s in Times Square NYC to watch the ball drop.

62. I will live and work abroad for three years.

63. I will write a cookbook.

64. I will be a high-paid food writer/critic for a world-renowned newspaper.

65. I will learn to belly dance.

66. I will attend a Crossroads Guitar Festival with my entire family and I will dance, sing, rock out, and meet Eric Clapton.

67. I will dance barefoot on the beach at my wedding.

68. I will be the best mother/wife in the entire world (or at least in my world).

69. I will go ziplining.

70. I will go on an island vacation with my family.

71. I will surprise my parents with a vacation getaway for two for their anniversary (not sure which anniversary yet…stay tuned).

72. I will be a grandmother and teach my grandkids to cook and bake.

73. I will take a cross country road trip with my future husband and hit all the awesome diner/barbecue joints/dives that are well-known.

74. I will have a 70^th wedding anniversary.

75. I will own a getaway beach house in Martha’s Vineyard.

76. I will ride on an elephant in India.

77. I will take an olive oil /wine tasting course.

78. I will give my children the best private education that I can afford.

79. I will tell my children “I love you” after every conversation, after tucking them into bed, etc.

80. I will read bedtime stories to my children when they are little (preferably Winnie the Poohs Book of Opposites).

81. I will throw a surprise birthday party.

82. I will drive from Texas to Colorado in an RV and go camping.

83. I will create my own non-profit organization.

84.  I will learn to ballroom dance.

85. I will learn to play bocce ball from some old men in Italy.

86. I will go cliff-diving.

87. I will learn to scuba dive.

88. I will ride in a hot air balloon.

89. I will go fire walking.

90. I will visit Auschwitz.

91. I will  enter and win a pie contest in a State Fair.

92. I will learn to fly a jet.

93. I will have a wrap around porch on my house.

94.                I will volunteer at a homeless shelter.

95.                I will swim with great white sharks.

For now, I will just stick to eating cake, cookies, and any other sweets that I can find to step outside of my comfort zone. I believe that there is a time and place for everything.

Looks like I have some work to do! Happy Friday!

What do you do to step outside of your comfort zone? What is on your bucket list?