Travel Corner: Dust Off That Bucket List!

by Lydia Agidius, Program Director

​The past several weeks, I’ve felt an undeniable pull to reconnect with a part of myself that I thought was lost in the swirl of family life and the ever-demanding rhythm of daily routines. It’s as if a part of me, the adventurous spirit I once knew so well, is calling me back from the quiet corners of my mind. I was once the free-spirited traveler, a woman who would throw a suitcase together at the drop of a hat and jet off to discover new corners of the world — savoring croissants at a café in Paris, wandering the lively streets of Dublin under the soft glow of streetlamps or chasing the golden hour across the rooftops of Rome

Then came the day I married and the day I became a mother, and suddenly my life took on a very different hue. The chaos of a young family, the joy of baking cookies on a lazy Sunday, the squeal of children’s laughter echoing through the hallways — it all became the fabric of my daily existence. I wake up each day to a predictable routine — early morning feedings, work, grocery lists, dinner plans — and though it is a very rich and beautiful life, it feels like I am inhabiting two versions of myself: one, the daring dreamer who once danced through airports with wanderlust in her eyes; and the other, the devoted worker, wife and mother who bakes cakes with a sprinkle of love and serves others with joyful heart.

I cannot help but wonder if I am not alone in this feeling. How many of us have felt the tug of different selves, stretching across the years? The person we were before responsibilities settled in, the person we are now, and the person we dream of becoming. These fragments of who we were, who we are, and who we hope to be often lie in separate corners of our minds —each fighting for space, for acknowledgment, for purpose.

Yet, what if I told you that all these versions of yourself — past, present, and future — could coexist, harmonize, and even amplify one another? What if we stopped compartmentalizing our lives and let the boldness of our younger selves seep into our current lives, while nurturing the wisdom we have gathered along the way? I dare say that living your adventurous life doesn’t have to be a fleeting chapter of your past.

There is room for the wild, the carefree, the dreamer, and the doer — all of them woven together into a single, vibrant tapestry. Imagine blending the raw curiosity of your youth with the grounded presence of your now-self, adding in a dash of the dreams you hold for tomorrow. Your life is not a single, defined story, but a collection of breathtaking moments. Why choose between them when you can live them all?

I am writing this to challenge you, to push you to embrace the full spectrum of who you are — every version of yourself. Take the risks. Dream bigger. Go after that wild bucket-list adventure. For me, that means riding a camel through the Sahara Desert, feeling the pulse of Morocco beneath my feet, embracing the colors, smells, and sounds of a world so different yet so full of possibility.

So, let’s do it together. Let’s dust off the dreams we tucked away and live boldly, fearlessly, and fully. Take the chances. Chase the sunsets. Walk those whitewashed streets of Santorini or let your feet touch the soft sands of the Sahara. Let’s weave the untamed spirit of adventure into the fabric of our lives and, in doing so, make our lives richer, fuller, and more beautiful than we ever imagined.
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The world is waiting for us, and the person you were, the person you are, and the person you dream to become are all part of the magnificent journey. Don’t wait for the “right” moment. Let all the versions of you dance together in the most beautiful harmony. Your life is an adventure, a magnificent tapestry of past, present, and future — and it’s time to live it.

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