The list continues...

1. Drive Route 66...
   
2. Take the Empire Builder Train Across the US...
   
3. Take my Truck on the Power Tour...
   
   
4. See the Memphis Belle again: I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with the story of the Memphis Belle... Last time I saw the Belle she was on Mud Island in Memphis, TN.... It was on a Family Vacation... Now she is under restoration at the National Museum of the USAF at Wright Patt. AFB in Ohio. I've been meaning to go forever... The only catch with this one is that you can only see it on a Behind the Scenes tour... and those tours are only offered in May and you have to register for the tours and they fill up ridiculously fast...
   
   
5. Get a Tattoo: I know that to some people this is a stupid thing to do but it's something I've been fascinated with for a long time. I have toyed with the ideas of getting some sort of Purdue Logo but now that I'm graduated and working for Purdue I feel WAY less Love for my Alma Mater. I really would like a tattoo to pay homage the WWII era. I want to get a tattoo that looks like a patch from an Bomber Jacket... It would be my way of paying my respects to all those people who gave their lives to fight again the Axis Powers... Plus I'm a sucker for Nostalgia and Pin Up models...
   
   
6. Ride in a Helicopter: One of my life goals is to learn to fly one... I'm not sure I'll ever get to actually fly one so I'll settle for just getting to ride... Helicopters for some reason interest me more than Air Planes... There is just something to be said about an aircraft that flies by brute force... it beats the air into submission.
   
   
7. Make a Music Video: I have been blessed with a an overactive imagination. I'm always a fan of music videos that tell a story through the video... Every time I listen to my favorite songs I always visions of what I would want a music video for the song to be... The catch on this one is that I don't want it to look like a 5th grader made it... I would want it to be somewhat professional looking. With the advancement in HD cameras I think that I can make this happen...

TO BE CONTINUED...

The List Begins: Subject to Change for Now...

Note: Not all the things on the list have to monumental experiences...

1. Drive Route 66: Being the Classic Car guy and Car Motorabilia Nut I've always wanted to do this... For the longest time I've wanted to own a Custom Classic Car and just hit the road... however being the optimist I am I know that 40+ year old cars don't travel well... at least the ones I could afford now wouldn't... So renting a car or RV to make the trip sounds like a better idea... If I got an RV I wouldn't need to spend money on hotels... and I could cook my own meals and save money there too.
   
   
2. Riding the Empire Builder: The Empire Builder is an Amtrak Train that goes from Chicago to Seattle/Portland. It's a 46 hour Train ride Across the US. The train has specially designed sight see cars and its is timed so that it crosses the Rocky Mountains in Daylight... I saw a show about this on the History Channel or the Discovery Channel and knew right then that I wanted to ride this train. Ive never been on an honest to goodness real train... Just a Coke Truck Pretending to be one... ;-)
   
   
3. Take my Truck on the Hot Rod Power Tour: The HOT ROD Power Tour is considered one of the best automotive tours in the world. It's seven-day, seven-city tour it happens every summer. The vehicles that complete the all 7 days get a Long Hauler Award. This is something I've hear about for years and years while learning about classic cars and hot rods. I see cars at the car shows every year with the Power Tour badges and stickers. I think it's like a Badge of Honor for any Gear Head. Right now my truck runs and runs well but I think it would need a little work to pull off a 7 day drive across the US...
   

Preparing to Prepare...

I have to preface this blog by saying I'm not much of a writer. I do however want to have a way of keeping track of this endeavor so here goes nothing...

I was sitting at home watching TV with my dog and I realized that I'll be turning 26 in the next few months and I was thinking about what I have done with my life so far. When I sit and think about it I really have accomplished a lot. I've built and wrecked classic cars, graduated college, restored/rehabbed an entire house, made friends, lost friends... However, I still feel like there is so much that I've wanted to do but have never done. I know in my heart that if I don't do some of these things now while I'm young and fairly free to do whatever I want that I will never do them.

So the current plan is to formulate a list of 30 things that I've always wanted to do and try to do them all in the next 4 years before I turn 30. I'm in the process now of finding 30 things to do before I turn 30 that are actually attainable goals. I really do want to do things like Tour Europe or Sail to and through the Caribbean but those are things that aren't going to work in the 4 year time frame due to budget and time constraints... I believe this is enough for my first post. I'll be posting more of the plans and the research soon... Until then, Laterdays.