Well, I’ve been blessed to reach a milestone birthday! The big 4-0, today!!
I decided not to lament over the fact I failed to make it on anyone’s “40 under 40” list in time. Poooh!
Instead of wallowing in self pity and despair over reaching middle age, I decided to instead come up with a bucket list of 40 things I want to accomplish over the next 40 years, God spare me long life.
But first, I think I should also be proud of all the amazing things I’ve been able to do and accomplish up until this point—including many things that may likely be on other people’s bucket list.
Here are 40 of the most amazing:
- Camped out at Assateague Island and saw the migration of native Wild Ponies in the spring.
- Slept in a hammock under pygmy palm trees in Anguilla
- Snorkled with tropical fish at Baby Beach in Aruba
- Rode in a helicopter – In 2007 on my way back home to the US after visiting my native Sierra Leone.
- Found a Charity – I was there to deliver supplies to the poor, an amputee refugee camp and to meet with the Archbishop of a remote and rural province, and Vice President with co founder of Sierra Leone Fund
- Contributed to a major motion picture- Sponsor was Time Warner who I helped get permission to use the Sierra Leone National Anthem in its Warner Brothers summer blockbuster Blood Diamond about a fictional story featuring actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Honsou and Jennifer Connelly.
- Ran a near 200 mile relay race, the Ragnar Relay — twice with a team of college and other friends
- Competed in a Warrior Dash 5 k obstacle course twice.
- Met the President of the United States, Barack Obama – and shook his hand
- Clip Clopped in heels through the White House for meetings, press conferences, tours while working as a Washington correspondent for a political site.
Got carded while watching the roulette game at a Las Vegas casino during one of 5 times I visited Sin city.- Hiked the rocky hills of the Allegheny Mountains and Skied the slopes of White Tail Mountains
- Got to walk onto Byrd stadium to collect my plaque as the runner up to the University of Maryland at College Park’s version of Homecoming Queen, called Spirit of Maryland
- Got noticed in the first place for the honor after I wrote a response to a racist hate letter someone sent me and got it published in the campus newspaper. The letter sparked campus-wide conversation in classes. Was the first time really appreciating the power of journalism, media and writing.
- Spoke impromptu before an audience at a Protest Rally over the campus newspaper’s inadequate coverage of black issues. A Washington Post journalist wrote a story about the rally which caught the attention of the person who wrote the hate letter, who figured I’d be the best recipient of it.
- Went to The Grammy Awards (twice) – once as the official rep for a college friend who was nominated for an award one year and a second time just for fun. Saw Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Mick Jagger, Bruno Mars and more perform live. Was awesome and overwhelming but it made me realize how average and normal stars are and are just like us.
- Went to the BET Awards – Got to see all of Black Hollywood & Musical industry greats under one roof including Diddy, Rihanna, Nelly, En Vogue, Alicia Keys, Lil Kim, Drake, the late Whitney Houston
- Went to a Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas – had a blast enjoying Mysterie up close.
- Saw a Broadway show – Destiny Child’s Michelle Williams played Aidah and Les Miserable
- Played mas in Trinidad and Tobago carnival – the Greatest show on earth (4 times)
- Saw the entire circumference of the island of Grenada from a hotel on the highest hill
- Traveled to Europe (visited Scotland, Iceland, Isle of Mull, & toured a Scotch distillery – two of them)
- Scored a sought after coveted gig as an intern at the US News & World report
- Went to Cayman Islands the year after Natalee Holloway disappeared.
- Nom nom’d barbecue at a Longhorn ranch in Texas (pre-vegetarian days)
- Won a Spelling bee (2nd place in the 3rd grade)
- Went to NYC’s Fashion’s Night Out precursor to New York Fashion Week
- Attended a presidential inauguration and Helped Plan & execute a presidential inaugural ball (two of them)
- Took a road trip to Disney World and Took a road trip to Niagara Falls
- Saw my favorite artist Prince from 5th row floor seats
- Wrote for the same news organization AT THE SAME TIME that the creators of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Jeff Kinney) and Boondocks (Aaron Magruder ) were also creating comic strips for our campus daily at the University of Maryland.
- Went to a dancehall in the local and gritty part of The Bahamas during post-college vacation with my giirl.
- Fulfilled a missed childhood opportunity by signing up and taking Ballet and Gymnastics as an adult with a bunch of other badly coordinated, fraidy cat adults with tight joints. Was interesting.
- Worked backstage at major concerts as an event publicist and at minor concerts as a personal publicist to a recording artist.
- Toured the Blue Mountains of Jamaica while in country to do a presentation at a government conference on the invitation of the government
- Left the comforts and security of a paid job to start own business and represented non profits and businesses even before the US Supreme Court
- Designed and Commissioned a painting by an artist
- Worked at a domestic violence intake center & helped clinic attendees get temporary protective orders from their battering spouses
- Saw the stairs where Andrew Cunanan killed Gianni Versace and later the houseboat where he took his own life while living in Miami the summer it all went down.
- Ran several 10 mile races (including the Army Ten Miler& Cherry Blossom 10 over 5 times each)
And now 40 things on the bucket list:
- Secure a publishing deal and write a book
- See the US Open live Done –> And made a Video to prove it!
- Visit Japan
- Unplug from the Matrix for 48 hours to a week Done!
- Swim with dolphins
- Go to the Sundance and/or TriBEca film festivals
- Go to the MTV Music Awards
- Sing at Kareoke night
- Go fishing
- Go to Brazil Carnival
- Visit Australia
- Take a photo 365 days of a year
- Read the bible cover to cover
- See Beyonce in Concert
- Visit every State in the United States
- Walk a red carpet
- Ride a horse
- Finish promises made to people met in Sierra Leone in 2007
- Do a zipline
- Watch the Times Square ball drop on New Year’s eve live
- Learn how to play the piano or another instrument
- Learn another language
- Get an investor for my startup
- Break a million in app sales
- Take a mixology class
- Do a flash mob dance
- Learn to Code
- Read books to the elderly
- Ride an elephant
- Crush grapes with my feet
- Go to a shooting range
- Go to a Safari in Africa since the one at Disney World doesn’t count
- Visit Dubai
- Visit Amsterdam
- Be a guest on a TV show
- Parasail
- Go to South Africa
- Do something amazing and life-changing for many people in Sierra Leone
- Throw an amazing milestone bash!
- Be Here – as in “Started from the bottom now I’m….,”
Jay Jay Ghatt is also editor at Techyaya.com, founder of the JayJayGhatt.com and JayJayGhatt.com where she teaches online creators how to navigate digital entrepreneurship and offers Do-It-For-You Blogging Service. She manages her lifestyle sites BellyitchBlog, Jenebaspeaks and JJBraids.com and is the founder of BlackWomenTech.com 200 Black Women in Tech On Twitter. Her biz podcast 10 Minute Podcast is available on iTunes and Player.fm. Follow her on Twitter at @Jenebaspeaks. Buy her templates over at her legal and business templates on Etsy shop!
