
We all have a list of things we’d like to do within this lifetime…but do we ever stop to think about all the amazing things we’ve experienced so far? 25 years on planet earth may seem like a long time or a short time depending on who you ask. I do not think there is any dispute however, in saying that there is a lot of lessons to be learned and fun to be had in the first 25 years of a life! In today’s blog, to commemorate my 25th journey around the sun, I will be taking some time to reflect on my top 25 favorite and/or most memorable experiences in no particular order…AKA the Reverse Bucket List. I hope this inspires you to write down your own! (You’ve got a lot of writing to do if you’re over 50! Hehe.
1. Went skydiving with Bryan in Miami
2. Ran my first ever marathon in Minneapolis
3. Studied abroad in Madrid with Emma
4. Scored a game-winning OT goal against Bemidji
5. Learned how to waterski and barefoot from my dad





6. Bought a moped named Valentina and taught myself how to ride her
7. Got asked on a date by my Spanish tutor and immediately fell in love
8. Fostered a dog named Maggie and actually enjoyed the experience! (Apologies to Bo…my kitty back home)
9. Got a belly button piercing with my college teammates (it didn’t stay in very long)
10. Recreated the Tommy Bartlett waterski show with all my cousins at the cabin “Up North”





11. Competed in the world championship for jump-roping in Bloomer, WI (if you know, you know)
12.Was a contestant in the Ms. Reedsburg pageant and failed miserably
13. Learned how to brew my own kombucha
14. Went cliff jumping with Bryan at the Calas in Mallorca
15. Went to France with Demi and celebrated the French world cup victory with the locals





16. Went camping on Madeline Island with my high school besties and had our campsite ransacked by a bear
17. Became an aunt to baby Clyde!
18. Moved to a Caribbean island amidst a global pandemic
19. Visited the Today show in New York City (even got on camera!)
20. Walked around Paris in the rain and ate some macaroons





21. Got front row seats to a George Ezra concert at First Avenue in Minneapolis
22. Partied with my brother and friends in Madison, WI to celebrate my 21st birthday (Complete with the infamous Wando’s fish bowl, JJ riding a mechanical bull, and walking through ice and snow in heels)
23. Took a family trip out west and saw the Grand Canyon
24. Kissed a stingray in Grand Cayman
25. Made a wish and threw my penny into the Trevi fountain in Rome





That’s a wrap! While obviously this is not an exhaustive list, it definitely highlights some of the most memorable moments and events from over the past couple decades. Once I got rolling, so many memories came flooding back to me — so many so that I obviously couldn’t include them all in my reverse bucket list! I highly recommend this exercise to anyone, whether it be for a birthday or for the New Year (or any time of the year, really). It’s such a fun excuse to go back and look at old photos and reminisce on your journeys around the sun! Next year when I turn 26 I will have to do it again and see how much I can add 🙂 Happy birthday to me! Thanks for reading — Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!