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100 Things to Do Before You Die

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Julia Rosien | 08/27/2008 - 14:08 | 5 comments

Are you working on your bucket list?

Last week, Dave Freeman, 47-year-old author of the travel guide, "100 Things to Do before You Die," passed away at his home in Venice, California. Freeman, an advertising exec, co-wrote the book with his running partner at the time, Neil Teplica.

Bucket ListBucket List"This life is a short journey," the book says. "How can you make sure you fill it with the most fun and that you visit all the coolest places on earth before you pack those bags for the very last time?"

Sadly, Freeman didn't visit all of the places in the book - his father said he made it to roughly half.

Freeman and Teplica recommended everything from attending the Academy Awards in California to running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain to taking a voodoo pilgrimage in Haiti.

I've had a list like this since I was a teenager, but it's too easy to let time to slip by. I'll do it when I have more money or when the kids are grown or when...Is there ever a right time to travel, to experience something new, to step off the ledge and just live?

This year I passed a milestone birthday (nevermind!) and it startled me how many years are now in my rearview mirror. Have I done everything I set out to do by now? Seen everything I said I'd see?

Not a chance - I'm miles away from even denting my Bucket List.

But Freeman's life (not his death) is confirmation that every day is a journey. And if I'm committed to never saying "no" because of fear, then I'm living my list.

"He didn't have enough days, but he lived them like he should have," Teplica said in an interview.

I'd love to have enough days in my life to do everything - and see everything - but even more than that, I want someone to say something like this about me - even if I die at 100!

What's in your Bucket List? Have you started stroking things off? What's your favorite so far?

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Comments

I have only done 5 things on

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/17/2010 - 11:38.
I have only done 5 things on my list out of 100 and i am 18 so i guess its a semi good start so we just live like were dying.

I'm fourteen and have

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 16:01.
I'm fourteen and have already started my Bucket List. I have 240 things on it so far. It seems really silly seeing is how I can't do some of the stuff till I'm older, but I think it's a good idea to start now!! :3 Some of the things involve traveling hundreds of miles, and some I can do with my friends without going anywhere. A lot of them are suuuper-crazy ^.^ but I want to do more than half of them. In fact, number 163 says that, "complete at least half of this list". I don't want to forget about it, I want to put them into action!!! xD

in honor of him we should

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 21:57.
in honor of him we should all finish our lists

I'm actually only 13 but

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/11/2008 - 18:05.
I'm actually only 13 but I've started working on my bucket list already lol! I really like the idea of it because you can only imagine the feeling of completing your life acheivements. It's sad that guy didn't get to finish his. Well atleast he actually had some hope's and dreams and completed some of them :)

very inspiring guy - sorry

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 20:17.
very inspiring guy - sorry to hear about his death. i like the idea of a bucket list though and i've been working on my too. trouble is it keeps getting longer. better get going on all those things i want to do! thanks for the great article and the reminder.

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