16 Bucket List Busters: Unforgettable Experiences for Your Retirement
Retirement is a time when fulfilling all those long-held dreams can become reality. No more nine-to-five grind, no more alarm clock wake-up calls, no more two-hour commutes or getting stuck in traffic. The world is your oyster.
After the pandemic, people started to look at life differently. We embraced remote work, resisted returning to the office full-time, and made room for those dreams we put on hold during isolation.
Trips abroad, road adventures to visit family, and big moves were all possible again, and we looked forward to new possibilities and making plans. Now, especially in retirement, those plans can unfold without interruption. Welcome to the best years of your life. For your consideration, we offer you some of our favorite bucket list must-do experiences.
1. Fine Wine
Wine tastings can be a fun way to visit towns in your state you might not have been to before. Map out all the wineries in your state or province and spend a week or more on a wine road trip to taste your state’s different wine offerings.
If wine isn’t your thing, you can do this with out-of-the-way coffee shops, small-batch breweries, or shake shacks.
2. Museum Hopping
Museum hopping is a fun way to spend a couple of days. You map out all the museums within a 100-mile radius of your hometown and go crazy visiting these artsy wonders. If you don’t have many, you can add art galleries or specialty shops to fill out a weekend getaway.
Old theaters and Broadway-type stages can also work if you’re not into museums and art galleries. Sometimes you can catch a great film on the cheap and make lasting memories.
3. Up, Up and Away
If you’re not afraid of flying, you could try skydiving. It’s a huge bucket list item for most people. However, if jumping out of a perfect airplane doesn’t sit well with you, you could also take a helicopter ride.
If you schedule one near your home, you can hire a professional photographer to take aerial shots of your home. My grandmother had a beautiful shot of her home and land she kept framed in her home for years.
4. Memoir Madness
Everyone has something they can impart to someone else. Usually, we do this through some level of teaching. Sometimes, we put our story down in the form of a memoir. Your story will certainly entertain if you were in the military, had an extreme experience, or traveled the world.
Writing a memoir can also be a cathartic experience, helping you to open up about painful experiences and start the process of healing.
5. Volunteer Schedule
Volunteer work can help fill up the hours when you retire. When you stop working, those long hours of the day can seem to drag. If you like animals, ask your local animal shelters if they can use your help. You can also volunteer at a local soup kitchen or help sort food packages that go out to help needy families in your area.
Volunteering at your local library to read stories to children is also a great use of your time if you can make the trip regularly.
6. The Great Outdoors
If exercise is a high priority for you, you could take up cycling and enter a few races, go on a camel ride, run a marathon, or go white-water rafting. If you can travel, visiting the Redwood Forest or taking a dolphin cruise can be fun ways to enjoy nature.
Many wonderful places on Earth offer once-in-a-lifetime moments that should not be missed if you have the time and means to make them happen.
7. Homeward Bound
One fun experience is to take a deep dive into your hometown. Visit every hole-in-the-wall shop and enjoy a meal at every restaurant. You’ll find some of the most incredible food and goodies in places you never imagined.
You may even find a diner or coffee shop you love, and you’ll become a regular patron, enjoying great food, fantastic coffee, and an excellent atmosphere.
8. ESL for Six Months
Teaching English as a second language (ESL) is a great way to see the world. You can commit to a contract for six months and explore a new country while at it. Plus, you get paid while teaching, so your trip won’t cost nearly as much as if you were footing the bill yourself.
Teaching English to non-native speakers is an excellent way to learn about a new culture and a place you’ve perhaps never been before.
9. Cosmopolitan Travel
Take a trip to Santiago, Chile, and enjoy the cosmopolitan travel experience of a lifetime. See Sky Costanera, the tallest building in South America, or spend some time at Santa Lucía Hill, a hilltop park with picturesque landscaping, public art, and a pleasant ambiance.
Anytime you visit a new country, be sure to take in local attractions and tourist stops. And never forget to try as much local food as possible.
10. Seven Wonders
Whether or not you can afford to visit all seven wonders of the world, checking even one or two off your bucket list is an achievement. Take a walk along the Great Wall of China, take a selfie in front of the Taj Mahal in India, or take a helicopter ride over Christ the Redeemer in Brazil.
Peru, Mexico, Italy, and Jordan are home to the other four wonders of the world and are equally worthy of your time and visiting consideration.
11. Dance the Night Away
In retirement, many couples have copious amounts of time on their hands – and feet. If you like spending time together, taking dance lessons is a great way to enjoy each other’s company. A quick search will show you places that offer different types of dance, from salsa and flamenco to ballroom and swing.
Whatever your pleasure, enjoy learning new styles of dance. You can even enter a few dance competitions to see how well you do against other couples.
12. Ancestral Roots
One activity you can enjoy is to trace the roots of your family tree and then plan a trip to see the country of your family’s origins. My husband’s family hails from Ireland, and my family is mostly English.
Our bucket list contains a trip to visit both countries when we reach retirement and our youngest children are grown.
13. National Pride
If you haven’t had a chance to travel, plan a cross-country trip for your whole family. Show your children and grandchildren the national parks, visit some great museums, art galleries, or aquariums, and stop by Disney World or your favorite amusement park for a day.
I still remember the trips my family took to Michigan’s Adventure and Cedar Point as a child. They’re some of my fondest childhood memories.
14. Second Time Around
If you were fortunate enough to have a honeymoon when you married, taking a second honeymoon can be fun and invigorating. Scheduling your dream trip can be rewarding and exciting if you aren’t.
If you’re inclined, you can even double down and renew your vows while you’re visiting your dream destination, making the trip truly memorable.
15. Scuba Diving in Belize
If you enjoy scuba diving or snorkeling, Belize has a gorgeous sinkhole called The Great Blue Hole for your diving pleasure. This massive sinkhole is 984 feet across and 410 feet deep, providing plenty of viewing pleasure for the nurse sharks, giant grouper, and reef sharks that inhabit the area.
The Blacktip and Caribbean reef sharks are two species of shark that call the Great Blue Hole home.
16. Upskill
My husband has always wanted to get his pilot’s license, and perhaps one day, he’ll take the steps to get it. Learning a new, valuable skill can be a fun way to while away the hours once you retire.
Whether you want to get your pilot’s license, go crab fishing, or learn a new trade like carpentry, keeping your mind sharp is a worthwhile investment when you have nothing but time on your hands.
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