Saturday Showcase – Veni Vidi Vici

Hello world! My name is Elle and I’m a bucket list travel blogger from Florida. I spend my days corrupting the minds of Kindergarteners and teaching them the art of sarcasm. I write about my extensive bucket list and the brilliant adventures that I’ve experienced as a result of pursuing my goals.

Your site focuses around your bucket list what inspired you to make one?

When I was sixteen years old, I went on my first trip abroad without my parents. I traveled to Paris and Madrid along with six classmates and my high school French teacher. During that trip, I learned who I was as a person, as cheesy as that might sound. When I came back, I had a new-found appreciation for the world around me and had a sudden desire to see and do everything. I sat down and wrote out a list of goals that I wanted to accomplish.

Little did I know, I was creating my very first bucket list

Why would you recommend making one and any hints/tips to get started?

I definitely think everyone should take the time to write down their aspirations. You will be more inclined to reach your goals if you have a visual reminder of what you would like to accomplish.

Keep in mind that these are your dreams and your goals. You can add whatever you want to your list!

Do you want to race down the Eiffel Tower? Do it! Would you like to stroll along the Great Wall of China? What are you waiting for? Have you thought about cage diving, learning a new language, or learning how to SCUBA dive? The sky is the limit! All of these things are achievable if you set your mind to it!

Check out these useful tips to help get you started on your very own bucket list.

Out of all the ones you’ve ticked off which has been the best experience?

I’ve done some pretty awesome things in my lifetime so this one is a bit difficult. I think my ultimate favorite bucket list item has been zip lining in Belize. I chose this one for two reasons: the thought of dangling from a harness over a jungle canopy makes me want to pee my pants. I am scared to death of heights! Secondly, Belize is the ultimate vacation destination for bucket listers and adventure travelers. What better way to create an amazing memory than by doing something wild and crazy while you’re visiting a new country?

Any experience that was a massive letdown?

Visiting the Hoover Dam was a total let down. It’s literally just a concrete wall. Wow. Maybe I’m not geeky enough to appreciate it, but after five minutes and a few photos I was ready to move on to bigger and better things.

Are there any items that your really nervous/scared/excited to complete?!

Without a doubt! One of the keys to creating a bucket list to putting items on your list that will challenge you and help you grow as an individual. For instance, as I mentioned earlier, I’m scared to death of heights.

To help myself get over that fear I have tried zip lining, repelling, free climbing up waterfalls, rock climbing and cliff diving. There are other height based goals on my list that I’ve yet to complete but I’ll get around to them soon! I figure I’ll either wind up killing myself doing these things or I’ll finally be able to overcome my fear. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?

Another thing that really makes me nervous is my fear of things that are different than what I’m accustomed to. To help me get over this fear, I am planning on teaching English in Asia in about two years time. Talk about scary! This is all part of a much larger plan to embark on a round the world trip where I make pit stops in foreign countries to teach.

Any other bucket list bloggers you’d recommend checking out for inspiration?

I actually did a Sunday Series (similar to your Saturday Showcase) where I featured a different bucket list blogger each week. I was overwhelmed my fellow bloggers willingness to participate in my little project. The people that I interviewed are truly inspiring people who are actively pursuing their dreams. I would highly recommend any of the participants.

Shameless plug time now out of all you’re lovely blog posts which one is your favourite, care to explain why?

I wouldn’t be a blogger if I wasn’t all about self-promotion, now would I?! One of my favorite posts is 50 Steps to Living a More Fulfilling Life.

One weekend I asked myself what I could be doing differently and how I could make a more positive impact on the world around me. This list was the end result. I love this post because if you choose to do even only one of these things each day, you can start to see life in a whole new light.

From your bucket list adventures I’m going to give you the task of picking your favourite travel image what’s it about and why did you pick it?

I’ve wanted to visit the Grand Canyon since I was a little girl. This summer my mom and I took a trip that took us to California, Nevada and Arizona. I was so excited that I would finally be able to see this amazing sight with my own eyes. My mother snapped this photo of me overlooking the canyon- little did she know, at this very moment I made the decision that I need to travel more than I do and decided to prepare for a teaching job abroad.

Time to pass the Saturday Showcase on now who would you like to nominate, and could you give us a sneaky insight into why?

Dangit Chris, this is so unfair! Since my girls Lauren, Lynnie, Sharon and Toni have already been featured, that makes my decision a tad bit easier. I kind of feel like I should add some testosterone into the mix so I’m going to nominate my boy Fidel of Scene with a Hart. I have a love/hate relationship with this fella. I hate him because he gets paid to see the world but I adore the articles he writes as a result of his travels.

Plus he’s a total stud with a killer smile, so there’s that too!

If you want to keep up with the fast and crazy world of Elle check our her blog – www.elleswim.net – her twitter feed – @elleswim – or her Facebook Page.

…and I guess I’m going to have to see what all the fuss is about with Fidel for next week!