Working On My ‘Bucket List’

Years ago I decided to make a ‘Bucket List’. One of my favourite items on this to-do-list was to try every form of transportation there is. From road travel to off-road travel, air travel, sea travel to animal travel. I wanted to try it all.

So far I have done great train rides and bus rides all over the world. I have also tried snowmobiles, snow shoes trips, cross-country skis trips, jet skis, cruise liners, canoes, prop planes, jet planes, helicopters, scuba diving, submarines and a host of other forms of transportation.

One of my favourite forms of travel to try has been my animal travel list. This list has included camels, ostriches, horses, oxen, dog sled teams and elephants. Here is a pic of the beginning of my camel ride on the beach in Mombasa, Kenya (with my young son, Josh, and Linda Criss).

On another trip, I got to ride an ostrich on a farm in South Africa. They are bizarre animals and you steer them by holding onto their necks and pointing their heads in the direction you want to go. The team that I was travelling with even got to do a mini race with them in the corral.

I love riding horses. One time, while touring with a band, I got to ride in South Africa at a Christian retreat centre called El Mirador. There were around a dozen of us who got to ride throughout the countryside and see African villages in the Drakensberg Mountains. It was a such a fun experience! My horse was the owner’s personal horse and he was quite fast. On the way back, the horses that my friend, Ross, and I were riding on, took off home. It was great. I love riding on a horse at full gallop.

That was until some Africans suddenly crossed the path in front of us and both of our horses suddenly swerved and through us off at a full gallop. Ouch! Fortunately, we only had a few scrapes and bruises from the incident. But I can still remember Ross hanging upside down from his horse until he finally let go. That was a little scary!

Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa.

Another time, my wife, Anna, and I went dog sledding for our wedding anniversary. We drove up to Canmore, Alberta, Canada and did a great winter ride around Sprey Lakes in -20 C weather. What a cool experience (literally)! I even got to hook up the team and drive it.

The dogs just love to run! If you are a dog owner, I know you can relate. Just think about what happens when you ask your dog if they want to go for a walk? Now, multiply that by 6 dogs! They almost ripped the sled out of my hands when they took off! What a great ride!

A few years ago, Anna and I to got to ride an elephant in Thailand. So cool! They are amazing animals. They are so powerful that you really don’t control them. You just ask them to cooperate! I was very proud of Anna, she is usually not up for that kind of adventure, but she did great!

Question: Do you have ‘Bucket List’? What things do you still want to do before you ‘kick the bucket’? Have you ever had a wild ride on an animal?

Comment from Facebook: Ian Niles ~ ‘Save the flying squirrel suits like in the alps, to the last.’

Check out my new book: “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’. It is now available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions.  This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.