Novel experiences

[Koolau]

If you like airplanes:

Take flying lessons and solo.

Take it even farther and get your private license or keep going and get the instrument, multiengine, and commercial ratings. Bring your checkbook for those. I ran out of money at the private license.

Take acrobatic lessons in an airplane that is stressed for it (not all small airplanes are). It's really kind of neat to be in a spin and seeing the windshield filled with dirt. That really gets one focused. Or go ballistic (weightless) and fly the airplane around the falling pencil in the cabin.

Pencil, heck. How about an unsecured tow-bar. Not fun. They make quite a racket when they hit the ceiling or cabin floor.

 

[hoosier]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I was surprised to see how many people replied. As extra background, I'm married, no children yet but have had exchange students, already retired but do consulting a few hours a week for fun. Probably because I'm so young (30s), I'm still itching for adventure and novelty. DW and I have lots planned this year and next but we're in a waiting period until we leave so I've been thinking about it lately.

I like the idea of solo travel to a different country (marko) and was actually planning to in 5 years or so. In the past, I studied abroad in Asia and worked some time in Europe. I completely agree that living in another country, especially with a different language, fits what I'm looking for. So, I'm also planning to teach English in Europe for a year in the near future. I also have been learning another language (retire48in2018) for the past few years and will be visiting for a month this spring. Living in a third world country (Koolau/savory) sounds scary but probably worthwhile so I'll keep that in mind for the future. Maybe will do that as part of a church mission trip.

pacergirl, I do like the idea of an immersion language program. I've learned a few languages to varying levels but it would be a great experience to learn a new language and culture.

Something like the hiking Appalachian Trail or a very long road trip does sound interesting. I'll keep them in mind for the future.

The world is full of so much! You don't have to BTD to travel someplace that sounds ever-so-cool, in order to have a novel experience that has significance for you. You probably DO have to take the initiative to find these experiences on your own, without someone leading you by the hand, though. Finding the experience by yourself is part of the experience.

Agreed. It seems like I'm most satisfied with my own ideas. Lots of inspiration here, so it's time for me to let it process and see what I want to pursue.

 

[calmloki]

Need more precision.

Swing dance?

Swing jazz?

Sex swing?

Swing "both ways"?

Whew. Thanks. Having swing after the nude bath house and insisting on a desire for something not dull made my mind jump. Then I thought I was just a dirty old man. HaHa would never have let that go by.

 

[Fermion]

The biggest novel experience for me personally would probably be going gold mining in Nome, Alaska. We have watching Bering Sea Gold for years and I am fascinated with the treasure hunt aspect.

1) Dangerous

2) Expensive

3) Nome makes the worst neighborhood in your town look like a gated community for millionaires in comparision.

And yet and yet, I still want to do it.

 

[Amethyst]

OP was all over the map..."swing" was in the same sentence as roller coasters, which even I indulge in sometimes; and nudity just isn't that big a deal/thrill as far as I'm concerned. Roller coasters = playground equipment = sex swing....I guess I just found the whole sentence confusing.

Whew. Thanks. Having swing after the nude bath house and insisting on a desire for something not dull made my mind jump. Then I thought I was just a dirty old man. HaHa would never have let that go by.

 

[SecondAttempt]

OP was all over the map..."swing" was in the same sentence as roller coasters, which even I indulge in sometimes; and nudity just isn't that big a deal/thrill as far as I'm concerned. Roller coasters = playground equipment = sex swing....I guess I just found the whole sentence confusing.

Perhaps Mr. Hoosier will explain. I found it (swing) an interesting mention though not shocking by any stretch. I wasn't going to go there, lol.

 

[hoosier]

Perhaps Mr. Hoosier will explain. I found it (swing) an interesting mention though not shocking by any stretch. I wasn't going to go there, lol.

I guess I'll address it after multiple people speculating: swing as in swingers / swapping partners.

 

[SecondAttempt]

I guess I'll address it after multiple people speculating: swing as in swingers / swapping partners.

No worries. Just make sure DW is fully onboard!

 

[yakers]

Burning Man

 

[ls99]

Go to St Paul Island in the Bering sea, watch the seal harvest.
Skinny dip in the Bering sea.
Go to any slaughterhouse and see where your meat protein comes from.
Go to where a revolution or a war is taking place, see if you come out alive.

I have done them and much more.
Nowadays content with watching the world go by and take dance lessons.

 

[Amethyst]

not to mention, pay extra attention to hygiene. I can only imagine the challenges.

No worries. Just make sure DW is fully onboard!

 

[NameTaken2]

Agreeing to have children because of spouse -never was a goal for me.
Resulting shift of focus from me/my desires to creating the best life possible and being there for them.
Resulting reward of having a wonderful family.
Huge bonus of now having grandchildren who I spend lots of time with -watching them grow, teaching them things and watching them learn is a wonderful counter to navigating advancing years and my own inevitable decline. Great medicine that keeps me feeling young.

Parenting isn't easy -but wow what a great, rewarding experience.
I put a lot into it, and got a lot more out of it.
Best thing that ever happened to me, and when my time comes it will feel good knowing that the family I dedicated myself to will go on.

 

[big-papa]

A verse in One Night in Bangkok by Murray Head.

At dusk, just ask a Tuktuk to go to Patpong. It doesn't exist during the day.

I thank you for planting that earworm in my head...

 

[tmitchell]

1. Find the largest, most remote wilderness area you can. Hike to the middle of it and stay there for a couple nights. Stay up late and look at the Milky Way.

2. Climb up a mountain, sufficiently high to get above the tree line, and watch the sunset in silence. I am partial to the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

3. Take a cruise on the Southern Ocean and watch the phosphorescent wake of your ship at night caused by the stirred up plankton.

4. Go through the Strait of Magellan and the Panama Canal by boat. Contemplate the wonderful creations of nature and of humankind as you do.

5. Go to a foreign country where you don't really know the language. Hop on a bus going anywhere. Get off where something looks interesting. Then find your way back.

6. Pick a battle from some armed conflict. Research and learn all about it. Then, go to that battlefield on a quiet day, sit down and think about what happened there to ordinary people and about the folly and futility of war. Antietam would be a good choice.

7. Spend at least 45 minutes intently looking at some famously awesome work of art in a museum. I recommend Michelangelo's "David" in Florence.

8. Find a place of religious pilgrimage, such as the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, watch the continuous line of pilgrims coming to his crypt, a line that has not stopped in nearly 800 years. Contemplate the nature of religious devotion in general and of your own religious beliefs.

9. Do something that risks embarrassing yourself in front of an audience, like singing, acting, dancing or even just speaking or lecturing. Prepare for it well and feel great when it is over.

10. Master, practice and take pride in an obscure skill that few other people can do well. For me, that was as simple as learning to shave every day with a straight razor.

11. Someone mentioned genealogy. Trace your ancestry back as far as you can. If you are not descended from nobility and your ancestors came from a country with relatively good records, such as England, that will be to the mid-1500s (so a little less than 500 years) or about 15-16 generations. After you have done that, go to the Pantheon in Rome and see that it was built almost 2000 years ago, in about 126 AD or 60 generations ago. Then go to Egypt and look at the Great Pyramid of Giza, which was already over 2500 years old when the Pantheon was built. So, built by humans about 135 generations past. And finally, go look at the Lascaux cave paintings, which were put there about 17,000 years ago, or about 600 generations of humans past. This should give you a better appreciation of time -- from just how long the human story spans to how very, very short is our individual part of that story. It should inspire you to live and do and see and experience as much as you can while you can.

Gumby this is a fantastic list!!

OP I'd recommend living abroad for a year teaching English or something. There's nothing like full immersion to up your language skills and learn new perspectives on life. Pick a place where you won't have easy access to expats, but are forced to live as a local.

 

[GaryInCO]

OP was all over the map..."swing" was in the same sentence as roller coasters, which even I indulge in sometimes; and nudity just isn't that big a deal/thrill as far as I'm concerned. Roller coasters = playground equipment = sex swing....I guess I just found the whole sentence confusing.

I like the way your mind works!!

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Travel by a cargo ship on a short haul.

Dear Old Dad did this shortly after Mom died, but he circumnavigated the globe. He said the ship had three staterooms for passengers. He loved it, and I think the time alone at sea was good for him at that time.

 

[Amethyst]

It's an odd working, but I like it myself.

I like the way your mind works!!

 

[kgtest]

You could get pretty crazy with this.

But I think for me experiences are better with people, for some reason. That is how it is with me. Travelling and seeing something cool with my dad. Or taking my son to his first fill in the blank. Or meeting up with an old friend at a new location.

These are experiences that can be inexpensive or off the charts expensive. Perhaps heli skiing is your thing. Or renting out an entire suite for your family in friends at a baseball game. Or bungee jumping with strangers...or doing some other extreme but still "bookable" and attainable experience.

I want to go on a hot air ballon. Learn how to play a few known jingles as well as create some of my own riffs on a guitar someday, learn another language well enough to understand the locals, I hope i experience seeing my own children's experiences that are important like graduation, first loves, marriage, and hopefully grandkids! Take them all on a cruise someday.

I've experienced a lot of cool stuff in my life, and some not so cool things but most of it wouldn't be much without the people that were there with me to experience it.

My late sister passed before she could see any of her three children graduate high school. You just never know, so don't delay.

 

[kgtest]

Here is one experience I kind of went above and beyond on. My DS, DF and I are all three travelling to Mazatlan for the Total Solar Eclipse. Experiences like that are literally unforgettable, as they will perhaps never again happen in one's lifetime, just based on pure scientific data.

I'll post pictures come April. I know there will be some super-geeks and next-level astronomer's with telescopes watching it all unfold.

 

[Gumby]

We're going to Plattsburgh, New York for the eclipse. Not quite as fun as Mazatlan, but I'm still looking forward to it.

 

[Ronstar]

….3. Parachute. Do it at least once. You won't regret it.

I agree. Unbelievable how quiet and peaceful it is up there.

 

[latexman]

I agree. Unbelievable how quiet and peaceful it is up there.

I always wondered about that. Never sky dived, but it is quiet and peaceful when parasailing.

 

[GaryInCO]

But I think for me experiences are better with people, for some reason.

Me too. I used to love traveling with my ex, but then she dumped me. Haven't done much travel since -- just not much fun by myself. I took a couple of small-group trips in 2018-2019, but then cancer and Covid slammed the door shut on that. So in 2022 I got a Tesla so I can road-trip -- very convenient, I just camp in the back. Now it's safe for me to get on a plane, but I haven't gone anywhere yet. But in April I'll road-trip to visit some old friends in Missouri -- 100mi from the center of the eclipse totality. Fingers crossed for good weather.

It'll actually be a busy year for road trips. Visited my mother-in-law in Phoenix in December, my nephew's wedding in Iowa in 2 weeks, Missouri in April, Iowa for my brother's 70th birthday bash in June and my 50th class reunion in Sept. I gotta squeeze a trip to Europe in there somewhere...

 

[Gumby]

... But in April I'll road-trip to visit some old friends in Missouri -- 100mi from the center of the eclipse totality. Fingers crossed for good weather....

You may already know, but the total width of the path of totality is only 115 miles (57.5 miles on each side of the centerline). So if your friends are 100 miles from the centerline, you will need to take a drive.

 

[GaryInCO]

Yes, I know. You can see totality at the edge of the band, but it'll just last a moment. We'll only get the full 4:16 of totality if we drive ~100 miles to the centerline -- roughly Branson MO to Clinton AR. But we could come up 30 miles short and it would only lose us about 20sec of totality.

There's a great interactive map at https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8 -- click on any spot and it'll tell you if it's in totality, and if so, when it starts, how long it lasts, etc.

That's not a real densely populated area, but who knows what kind of eclipse madness we'll run into. Totality starts about 1:50pm there, but I intend to leave Branson early in the morning. We can sightsee in beautiful downtown Clinton (population 2602) until showtime.