By Invitation only......what do I want to do, reality or fantasy?

Hi there, its our monthly By Invitation only post and this one is a good one. BIO is a group of bloggers who get together and post about an agreed upon theme for that month. Its great fun to see each others interpretations.    

  The idea this month is to talk about something(s) we want to do reality or fantasy, something on our personal "bucket list". I have had so many, some have fallen off the bandwagon like make the cover of Seventeen magazine of course sporting bright blue eyeshadow(back when I was a teenager) to wanting to marry David Bowie (still love his music but Iman I am going to let you keep him) to wanting to adopt a chimpanzee instead of having kids (I will take my three boys over) "Charlie", yes I had already named him to going to medical school (too grueling and I still get faint at the sight of blood....a definite no no in the world of medicine)  But there's a whole list of a "grown up" variety that I have now and with luck at least some of these will happen! SO ready to see what they are? Lets go, and in no particular order they are.......(you know theres no way there is just one)!       1. Visit Nepal/The Himalayas. Now 10 yeas ago I would have said to make it base camp 2 on an Everest expedition. Anyone who knows me well knows I had an absolute obsession with all things Everest. Think I had read every book.seen every movie on the subject. Even called a few expedition companies to find out just how it all goes down (you prepare for such a quest about  year in advance in case you are wondering) But in the end between my claustrophobia, fear of heights, absolute inability to give up cheese, fresh pasta and cappuccino, innate desire for luxury and warmth and hating bad hair days..this is not to happen in this lifetime. However my fascination with the region, its people and culture continues and I would love to visit this beautiful sacred land........and watch the expeditioners from afar (from the comfort of my hotel room...hehe)

    2. Attend midnight mass at The Vatican on Christmas eve. This has been on my mind for a while now, hubby are you listening? I have it all planned out, we are there for the Christmas holidays sleep in late that day so we will be bright eyed to make midnight mass that night. We, along with thousands of fellow Romans head out for a wonderful late Italian feast/dinner then proceed to walk to the church. As we are on our way.....it starts snowing, a beautiful light magical snowfall. The song Ava Maria can be heard faintly in the distance(this part is key to my dream)........ahhhhh, can you visualize?

      3. To write a screenplay, again anyone who knows me well knows this about me. I have had several ideas for a great screenplay that would translate well to the Broadway stage. One play in particular that I am not letting go of and go back to every now and then....you heard it here first:) What a thrill it would be for someone to read it, love it and get excited about it and then want to produce it. It would be satisfying to at least finish it.....Can you imagine!!

    4. Visit Fiji, I have always visualized that this is as close to heaven as you can get. I mean look at that water, look at that remote tiny island.  I can so easily visualize hanging on a hammock all day, tropical drink on hand, plenty of reading material with not a care in the world. I think this might be the ultimate place to go and just "veg out" and leave the world (and worries) behind. Anyone I know who has been says its really as beautiful as it is in the pictures......just wish it wasn't so darn far!!

    5.To rent a house in Tuscany or Provence for a month during the summer, this is something I know I will do, I am determined. Better yet, maybe two weeks in Provence then 2 in Tuscany...that way I can come back here to my blog and tell you about both places! I would love to rent a lovely villa for an extended period of time, have a bicycle at my disposal, ideally said house would come with a garden (a healthy thriving fruit and vege bearing garden) where I could pick fruits and veges on a daily basis and plan our meals around the days pickings. I see myself pedaling into town, saying buongiorno or bon jour to the local townspeople, grabbing bread from the local bakery, visiting local wineries and educating myself about wine....all in the name of "blog research" of course:) Afternoons will be spent in my hammock reading the 30 books I have had on my reading list for the last year!

    6. To own my own farm. I have spoken of this often. I really would love to buy a farm one day before I am too old to really enjoy it, restore the farmhouse, have a small vineyard, a massive garden, let my husband fulfill his inner cowboy and ride and lasso to his hearts content while I garden, blog of course, and eventually open up my own little restaurant right on the farms property.This would be the perfect time to put the finishing touches on my screenplay too!  Visitors from near and far are welcome! To be continued........

   

  7. Spend a month driving across country. I have been to a lot of places. But there are still so many I want to visit and revisit. This particular trip would send me all directions. South I would want to visit some of the great southern cities, places like Charleston, Savannah, horse country in VA, Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans, Austin, Dallas and Houston.....then I really want to drive and experience the great vast lands of Montana, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming..I want to feel like I am in The Horse Whisperer and if you want to throw in a horse whisperer like Robert Redford, I won't complain!! I want to explore the rugged coast of Seattle and head to wine country in California and drive the entire Pacific Coast Highway.....want to head to the windy city of Chicago and eat deep dish pizza and see if it's really "all that"  and end things with a bang in the northeast, visiting Nantucket, Martha s Vineyard, exploring Maine and New Hampshire and  ending this month long trip with a giant lobster dinner in a quaint Maine coastal town!! I have been to a lot of these places but my husband hasn't really gotten to visit the south and only a few places on the west coast...so think this is a trip we have to make happen. And some trips you cannot fully enjoy unless you drive them. 

  8. Open up a darling chic super cool cafe/bookstore/coffeehouse/shop. Yes it would be a lot of things to a lot of people. This is a place where cool sophisticated people in the know want to come, whether to have a light lunch or  a casual dinner with a  friend, pick up their morning coffee and a French or Italian newspaper (yes I will carry them in all languages), browse the books or select a beautiful item for their home or as a gift. It can all be done under one charming roof! I would have authors come in for readings and signings, local jazz bands come on jazz nights to perform, baronistas join us to give talks on coffees around the world and oenophiles would do sold out wine workshops. Sound like fun? I think so! In terms of look......Think the bakery from Its Complicated mixed in with a little of the Meg Ryans's books store in When Harry met Sally with a smidgeon of the great shop in Somethings gotta give (was the former Barefoot Contessa shop owned by our friend "Ina"). I would have black and white marble floors (honed and old looking) neat lighting, lots of antique mirrors, french music playing.....Get the picture? A lot of work....yes. Super cool to own it......even a bigger yes!

   There!! If I can even do half of these things I will be a happy girl. Nothing that is so extreme that its out of the question, right? Anything on my list something you too want to do? So lets see if all goes according to plan....... Nepal, Rome, Fiji, Provence and Tuscany will all be stamped on my passport while I will return home to my farmhouse to  put the finishing touches on my screenplay and get ready to open up my cafe/shop. Sounds like a good plan to me!  Your turn...whats on your list either reality or fantasy to do in your lifetime? As always, many many thanks for stopping to say hello and see what's happening over here....wishing you a wonderful day!   Want to see more bloggers posts on this subject and their interpretations? Click here to visit Marsha the brainchild of BIO....and there will be a link to all the others at the bottom of her wonderful post!