Life Bucket List

Main Ideas

  • Find a country or state that I love with my whole heart and a place that has great ideals and community, and call it home.
  • Be a super free individual and live however I want and go wherever I want
  • Do crazy things
  • Be Humble
  • Travel the world

Places I want to live for some time

  • Live in Antarctica/get a job there.
  • Live in Ukraine
  • Live in New Zealand
  • Live in a South American country.
  • Be a Citizen of the world

Countries/ places to visit or revisit

  • Go to the Arctic
  • Go to the Antarctic – DONE
  • Go to Ukraine
  • Go to England
  • Go to Germany
  • Go to Haiti
  • Go to Egypt
  • Go to Italy
  • Go to Spain 
  • Go to Greece
  • Go to Austria
  • Go to Belgium
  • Go to Russia
  • Go to Argentina 
  • Go to Peru
  • Go to Costa Rica
  • Go to Norway
  • Go to Finland
  • Go to Denmark
  • Go to India
  • Go to Portugal
  • Go to Moldova
  • Go to Poland
  • Go to Greenland 
  • Go to Alaska again
  • Go to South Africa again
  • Go to the Antarctic for the 2nd time
  • Go to Japan again
  • Go to Sweden again
  • Go to Thailand again
  • Go to Chile again

Crazy outdoor / place achievements 

  • Summit Kilimanjaro
  • Summit two of the seven summits
  • Attempt Everest
  • Attempt Kilimanjaro – DONE
  • Attempt Vincent
  • Attempt Denali
  • Attempt Aconcagua
  • Attempt Kosciusko
  • Attempt Elbrus
  • Do the polar plunge in Antarctica
  • Do the polar plunge in the Arctic
  • Sea Kayak in Antarctica
  • Live in a remote wilderness place for 1-2 months
  • Get WFR Wilderness First Responder Certified
  • Get emergency medical training
  • Hug an Elephant
  • Get crazy good 1-1 combat skills
  • Save a whale life
  • Swim with a Dolphin
  • Sail ur own boat
  • Raft the Grand Canyon again
  • Go in the Masai Mara again
  • Care for a poisonous snake at some point
  • Be IN a cloud, not in an airplane in a cloud
  • Save somebody’s life.
  • Do a Back flip in the air
  • Be able to do a Cartweel and summersault
  • Go inside a windmill (if that is actually a thing)
  • Go to the top and inside of the cranes that are in the big shipping yards like the ones in Auckland

Resume Achievements

  • WRC certified
  • Minor or major in Psychology
  • Minor or Major in Divinity
  • Minor or major in Biology or marine biology

People to meet or stay in touch with

  • Meet Trygive again
  • Meet Vladimir (from Antarctica) again
  • Meet Ema Khun or Annie from Antarctica again
  • Meet Taras Topolya
  • Meet a president of the US 

Literary or musical or stuff like that accomplishments

  • Go to an Antytila concert
  • Go to a Taylor Swift concert 
  • Perform in front of 300+ people
  • Perform in front of 500+ people
  • Join an a capela group.
  • Start my own a capela group
  • Perform Schedryk with a full choir.
  • Publish my modern remake of the Trojan war
  • Publish a novel
  • Publish another children’s book
  • Be able to play classical gas all the way through

Wanted jobs

  • Work in the Arctic and or the Antarctic
  • Work for an Intelligence agency
  • Entrepreneur
  • Pop star – This one is just a fantasy, I don’t think I would really enjoy being a pop star but I LOVE singing
  • Explorer

Language goals

  • Fluency in Ukrainian – Already in progress
  • Proficient in Spanish
  • Proficient in French
  • Fluency in Latin – Already studying in School
  • Fluency in Russian
  • One Asian Language – Probably Chinese
  • On Scandinavian Language – Probably Swedish

Where Have I Been?

This is a complete list of countries I have been to, want to go to, and countries I am going to soon. The names highlighted in blue are links to blog posts that I have written. Many countries or places that do not have links were visited before my blog was created. I wish I could have blogged about them, but I was very little when I went to them. I have very fond memories of Hungary, Switzerland, France and Thailand. My Favorites are probably Switzerland, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand.

7 Continents 21 Countries

  • South Africa- Cape TownJohannesburgCradle of humankindThulani
  • KenyaMasai MaraNairobiAmboseli
  • TanzaniaKilimanjaroStone Town ZanzibarUpper Zanzibar
  • New ZealandAucklandWaiheke
  • AustraliaSydneyCairns
  • Japan – Tokyo – Kyoto –
  • TahitiBora Bora – Papeete
  • Thailand – Koh Samui
  • MexicoPuerto Vallarta
  • US – I live in the US so listing all the places I have been here is…….. Hard
  • Canada – Whistler – Mont Tremblant – Montreal
  • Sweden – Stockholm – And many other cities, but we went many many years ago –
  • Switzerland – Geneva – Zermatt – Lausanne – Zurich – Vengan
  • France – Paris – Nice – Marseille – Combloux- Chamonix –
  • British Virgin Islands – Virgin Gorda – Anegada – Marina Cay – Beef Island – Jost Van Dyke –
  • Hungary – Budapest –
  • Chile – Punta Arenas – Puerta Natales – Patagonia – Santiago
  • Antarctica – King George Island – Petermann Island – Deception Island – Antarctic Peninsula – Lemaire Channel (this last one is in a channel, so not land, but its a notable place)
  • Italy -Florence – Rome – Massa Lubrense
  • Vatican City (The world’s smallest country)
  • England – London

Antarctica, Vatican City, Tahiti, and British Virgin Islands are in more of a gray area when I say Countries. Antarctica I am counting when I say 20 countries because it’s really loosely defined as to what to count it as. Vatican City is a country but I don’t have a passport stamp from it because you don’t need normal passports to enter. Tahiti is considered a country but it is owned by france. The British Virgin Islands (BVI’s ) are an “overseas territory” or Britain. I have never been to britain in Europe and I don’t think I can say I have been to Britain by counting the BVI’s so I am going to list them as one of my countries that I have been to.

Countries I Most Want To Visit

  • Belgium
  • Soctland
  • Ireland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Germany
  • Latvia
  • Luxembourge
  • Ukraine
  • India
  • Egypt
  • Spain
  • Romania

Upcoming Countries in 2025!

  • Spain
  • Andorra

What the Pheasant Said

I interviewed a pheasant named Albert Meat. He and the most honorable profession of first-class pheasant flyer. Of course, being a bird he did not know that really he was, every day taken out to be turned into bacon-wrapped pheasant bites. He had an interesting view on pheasant hunting. His way of thinking of it is much more….. hopeful.

Me: “What does your job require you to do?”
Mr. Meat: “Well, each day I sit in a tower and people pick me up and toss me out into the wide world full of whizzing leaves. I fly through the air dodging the leaves and I fly to my roost where I have a feast and sleep till the next day. Although, every time, lots of my colleagues fall to the ground after being struck by the whizzing leaves, but every time, I make it back to the roost. “


Me: “So do you know why your colleagues fall to the ground when they, well when they are hit by, uh, whizzing leaves?”
Mr. Meat: “Yes, there are humans with the leaf shooters on the ground and they have dogs to find my fallen colleagues when they leave the flock. The dogs then transport them to the Lovely Land of Eternal Feasts.”


Me: “Ok, so, um, have you ever had friends fall to the dogs?”
Mr. Meat: “Yes, one day me and Phil were taken out together but he fell. He was so lucky. *nods head* The old, wise, Mr. Living who has survived years of flights, said that the humans are taking us to the tower to be turned into easy game for hunters, but clearly he is crazy. The Humans here are just too nice to kill us like that. They let us have fun flying and randomly select us to go to the Lovely Land of Eternal Feasts and I can hardly wait until I am selected.”

Me: “Well, there are easier ways to go to the, um, Lovely Land of Eternal Feasts.” Mr. Meat: “You must tell me, I have waited too long for my eternal feast!”

Me: “Tomorrow, fly towards the leaf shooters.”

How Brother Fox Caught Brother Rabbit

In this post I will tell a story that I read for my school subject, Writing and Rhetoric. At the end I wrote an adventure that Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit go on with another friend. Please keep in mind while reading that animals don’t talk but it is a fable and animals don’t go fishing. It is a fable and you must go along with it.

How Brer Fox Caught Brer Rabbit

Note: Brer is a contraction of the word brother. Also I am citing the next 12 paragraphs from chapter 7 of Writing and Rhetoric book 5.

One hot summer day in the South, Brer Fox actualy did catch Brer Rabbit. He got some tar and mixed it with some turpentine and shaped it into a figure about the site of a fat baby. Brer Fox took this Tar Baby and set him in the middle of the big road. Then he hid in the bushes to see what would happen.

Well, he didn’t have to wait long. Down the road came Brer Rabbit lippity-dipity, dippity lippity – just as sasy as a jaybird. Brer Fox lay low and Brer Rabbit came prancing along until he spied the Tar Baby, just sitting there.

“Good morning!” said Brer Rabbit. “Nice weather this morning.” The Tar Baby didn’t say anything, and Brer Fox lay low.

“How are you doing today?” asked Brer Rabbit. Brer Fox, he winked his eye slow, and lay low, and the Tar Baby didn’t say a word.

“How you come on, then? Are you deaf?” demanded Brer Rabbit. “Cause if you’re deaf l can always holler louder. HOWDY, I SAY! The Tar Baby stayed still, and Brer Fox, he lay low.

“You’re stuck up, that’s what you are!” cried Brer Rabbit. “And I’m going to cure you, that’s what I’m going to do!”

Brer Fox, he sort of chuckled in his stomach, but the Tar Baby didn’t say anything. “I’m going to teach you how to talk to respectable folks if it’s my last act!” Shouted Brer Rabbit. “If you don’t take off that hat and tell me howdy, I’m gonna bust you wide open!” Well, that Tar Baby stayed perfectly still, and Brer Fox lay low.

Brer Rabbit kept asking questions and the Tar Baby kept on saying nothing. Presently, Brer Rabbit drew back his fist and hit the Tar Baby up the side of its head. Right there is where he got into trouble. His fist got stuck and he couldn’t pull it loose.

The tar held him fast. But the Tar Baby sat still and Brer Fox lay low. “If you don’t lemme loose, I’ll knock you again!” cried Brer Rabbit. With that, he fetched the Baby another swipe with the other fist and that stuck too. The Tar Baby didn’t say a word and Brer Fox lay low.

“Turn me loose! Turn me loose before I knock the stuffing out of you!” shouted Brer Rabbit, but the Tar Baby didn’t say anything. It just held on while Brer Rabbit kicked. He lost the use of his feet this way. Brer Fox just lay low, chuckling to himself.

Then Brer Rabbit started squalling and saying, “If you don’t turn me loose I’ll butt you with my head! So he butted, and his head and that got stuck too. Then Fox sauntered forth looking as innocent as one of your mother’s mockingbirds.

“Howdy, Brer Rabbit,” Brer Fox said. “You look sort of stuck up this morning.” And then he rolled on the ground and laughed til he couldn’t laugh anymore. “I expect you’ll take dinner with me this time, Brer Rabbit. I’ve laid in some calamus root, and I’m not gonna take any excuse this time.”

Completely my opinion

As you can see the caricatures in this story are not exactly virtuous. Fox is clearly trying to catch Rabbit to eat him. Rabbit is portrayed as a gentlemen at first but he quickly loses his temper. This story was written by Enid Blyton. The version I used was an adaptation by Joel Chandler Harris. Note: This paragraph and beyond are my own work.

Refutation

This Refutation is about the story How Brother Fox Caught Bro Rabbit Adapted by Joel Chandler Harris. The parts of the story that are improbable and improper are when Rabbit thinks the tar baby is real and alive. An Unclear part is how Fox was able to make and shape the Tar Baby without getting himself stuck. The Improper part is Rabbit Punching, Kicking, and head butting the Tar baby.

At the start of the story Fox is crafting a tar baby that he puts in the road. Rabbit comes along and greets the baby. Being made of tar the baby did not respond. Rabbit quickly got very flustered at this and became angry enough to punch the baby. He got stuck (duh) and was even angrier. He punched and kicked the baby until he was fully stuck then finished it off with a grand finale of Head Butting the baby and getting completely stuck. Fox came out and shrewdly asked Rabbit if he would join him for dinner.

It is completly unbelivable that Rabbit would be stupid enaugh to think that the Baby was alive. It is also Improper that Fox was trying to catch and eat Rabbit. Even though fox’s intentions were not pointed out it is clear what he is trying to do. Since the animals behave like humans lets think about this story as if the charactures are human. Fox would be cannibalist and Rabbit would be put in jail for beating up another.

The author intended to write a childrens story but it (in my opinion) it turned out to be a improper fable. However if you are looking at the fable from a non critical mind you would see it as a funny life lesson. I only had to think about how to criticize it for my school assignment which I am more than happy to do.

Bro Fox, Bro Rabbit and Bro Bear go fishing

Situation: Brer Fox, Brer Rabbit and Brer bear decide to go fishing together. They walk to a nearby lake. They all want to catch the biggest and most fish.

Brer Bear: “Good morning Fox, Rabbit. How are you this fine morning? For your information I am quite well for I plan to catch the biggest fish today.”

Brer Rabbit: “The biggest fish!? How could a silly fool like you catch the biggest fish amongst us? Thats a ridiculous notion! Im going to catch the biggest fish today!”

Brer Fox: “Ha! Neither of you could come near catching anything! Brer bear is too stupid and Brer Rabbit, your Far to small to even use an oar! Im going to catch the biggest fish today!”

Brer Rabbit: “Okay since i am the only one here with any brains, I propose we have a contest and whoever wins gets to eat the others!” Note: I am sticking with the theme of the previous story. 🙂

Brer Fox: “Thats fine with me, for I know both of you will be delicious and you are to stupid to win!”

(Brer Rabbit said to Brer Bear “ Do you think if he eats us then he will become fat and stupid?”)

Brer Bear: Thats all fine by me because both of you clearly don’t have any brawn, let alone enough to haul a big fish.”

All three said “Let the Contest Begin!”

Narrarator: Brer Fox, Brer Rabbit, and Bro Bear all went to different spots on the lake and began to fish. Little did they know that all of their boats were slowly drifting to the deepest part of the lake. Fox looked up from his fishing and shouted

“ Hey you! Don’t drift so near to me, you’ll catch onto my line!”

At this the other two looekd up and realized their positons. All three fishers paddled away from each other. Then out of the blue Brer Bear shouted,

“I’ve got one, I’ve got a big, huge one!”

Then Fox shouted,

“I have one too! A ginormous one!”

At this Rabbits blood turned to ice. Only for a moment though because he felt a sudden, hard tug on his line! He too then exclaimed with joy his find.

Brer Rabbit: “I’ve got one, a huge Colossal one!”

Then all three Cotten Headed ninny Muggins started reeling in their lines but as they were, somehow, without them noticing, all three boats were quickly “drifting” toward each other.

Within seconds the three boats crashed together and capsized. A few seconds later all three fishers came spluttering to the surface and in realizing their folly they all swam to the shore and walked home in shame.

Alternate ending: Within seconds the three boats crashed together and rapidly sank below the surface. Bear, Fox and Rabbit were never seen again and there was never any quarrels of disruptions in Animal Oppidum Loquentes.