SeniorsSkiing.com Correspondent Harriet Wallis Has A New “Pail List”
Credit: Harriet Wallis
It’s summer and half my friends are traveling the planet. They’re checking off places on their bucket list. I get emails from exotic locations. They send photos of elephants and penguins, mountain peaks and crystal clear lakes.
So I ask: “What’s wrong with me? Why don’t I have a big bucket list? Is it okay to have a pail list instead?” Have those questions ever occurred to you?
I’m lucky. Throughout my life I’ve been able to see penguins, hike mountain peaks and paddle clear lakes. My bucket is pretty full. Now I’m working with a pail instead. Maybe a pail is right for you too.
For me, the things I want to accomplish — to fill my pail — are mostly close to home and are personal challenges. This summer, my pail list includes bicycling as many days as I skied during the winter (80 days), to swim three miles a week, and to tie a fly that’s so good the fish will fight over it. So far my pail is filling up. But I’m still struggling with the fish-thing.
Bucket lists are very trendy. But not everyone has the time, finances or inclination to travel to far away places. Consider a pail list instead. Consider setting challenges for yourself close to home. I’d love to hear what’s on your pail list and how you’re doing with filling it up.
Harriett: Read your contributions just now as I was searching for somewhere/somehow on the web to meet up with other women skier/outdoor enthusiasts. I live in the southeast and there are no women over retirement age who still ski. Naturally! There’s not much snow here. But still, I’d like to meet other like-minded women and I guess this seems to be the likely place. I’m heading out to Alta Lodge in mid-March for their women’s ski camp. It’s a very good program but it emphasizes lessons and there’s very little time for a relaxing free-ski. Do you know of any programs that focus on women only groups? It would be nice if this new website added “Women Who Ski” to their focus or category list. At any rate, thanks and keep on keeping on….
Hello Linda. Check out The Ski Diva a women’s only ski site and a great friend and colleague of SeniorsSkiing.com. http://www.theskidiva.com. The Ski Diva’s Forum is quite robust and if you start posting there, I’m sure you’ll get some response from the crew.