Bucket list Updated!

I started my Bucket List back in 2010 and thought I'd update it a bit. A select few are specifically on my 30 things to complete before/during my 30th year. I'll highlight those in orange.


Note: The newly completed items on my list are marked with a date without being crossed off.

• Cycle across Canada for something I believe in
• Find a starfish in the Ocean (Completed in the Bahamas, April 2010)
• Take a father-daughter trip to soak in some European architecture :)
• Take a mother-daughter trip
• Travel to:
• Tokyo (to visit my brother and see his life over there) Planned for March 2012!
• Italy
• Ireland
• Switzerland (my mum's favourite European country)
• Newfoundland
• California (Completed Dec 2009)
• Romania (Completed Summer 2003)
• London (Completed August 2003)
• Austria
• Papua New Guinea (to see my cousin and get a glimpse of her life)
• BC (Completed when I was little, but revisited as an adult June 2009)
• NYC (Completed for the first time on a grade 12 drama trip)
• Texas
• Boston (Completed October 2010)
• Africa & go on a safari
• Arizona
• The Wave, Utah (and photograph it!)
• Greece
• The peak of Mount Sinai (Completed August 2010)
• Spain
• Tanzania
• Argentina
• Chile
• Nepal
• Bora Bora or Fiji
• Barcelona
• The Galapagos Islands
• Use nothing but a bike for transportation for an entire month (aside from cross-Canada tour)
• Become a published author
• Couch-surf (Completed May 2011, in Memramcook, New Brunswick)
• Have my artwork displayed in an art gallery
• Participate in a worship service at Westminster Abbey in London (Completed August 2003)
• Own a dog  (:
• Photograph the International AIDS conference
• Take a train trip! (Completed May & June 2011 from New Brunswick to Montreal, and then on to Toronto)
• Photograph a destination wedding (The Bahamas! Completed May 2010)
• Volunteer in Africa doing something related to the AIDS epidemic
• Fall in love
• Have some babies
• See a Shakespearean play in the Globe Theatre in London (Completed August 2003)
• Go an entire year without buying anything new (shoes, furniture, clothes, etc.)!
• Spend up to one month living on reserves learning about the history of Canada's Aboriginal peoples
• Publish a photography book (going to print Dec 2011!!)
• Sell my photography book in a book store
• Go SCUBA diving or snorkeling in tropical waters (Completed in Dahab, Egypt. August 2010)
• Live debt free
• Learn to speak/understand
• Arabic
• Hebrew
• Publish a coffee table book showing the similarities between Israelis and Palestinians
• Ride a camel in Egypt
• Grow a vegetable garden
• Pierce my nose :) (Completed February 2011)
• Read 30 books
• See Rod Stewart in concert
• See Stuart McLean's Vinyl Cafe Crhistmas show
• Launch a business branding company (I have my first clients. The official launch is planned for Dec 2011)
• Move & make my new place a creative and inspiring space (moving date Jan 1st, 2012!)
• Buy a really great piece of used furniture and re-furbish it
• Upgrade my photography equipment to Nikon's professional line
• Re-brand Red Umbrella & launch new website and business cards
• Host a potluck for local professional photographers
• Enter a photograph in one of the WPPI photography competitions
• Learn to read lips
• Go to bed before midnight every night for a month! (As I write this post at 1:30 a.m.)
• Join a choir (Completed December 2010)
• Take a train trip with Erin Leis!
• Tithe consistently
• Go on a hot air balloon ride (preferably in Petra but anywhere will do to complete this in my 30th year)
• Learn to surf (Completed May 2011 in Monterey Bay, California)
• Swim in 5+ oceans or seas (Completed: Pacific, Atlantic, Red Sea, Dead Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Sea of Galilee)
• Learn to cook a Thai dish and an Indian dish
• Open an Etsy store
• Visit the Toronto Zoo
• Present about Israel-Palestine in 100 Cities
1. Kitchener (Grandview Baptist Church, September 2009)
2. Puslinch (Crieff Hills, October 2009)
3. Waterloo (University of Waterloo, March 2010)
4. New Hamburg (Private event, 2010)
5. Jerusalem (August 2010)
6. Toronto (Morningside-High Park Presbyterian Church, February 2011)
• Present about Israel-Palestine in each Province in 2011
1. BC
2. Alberta
3. Saskatchewan
4. Manitoba
5. Ontario
6. Quebec
7. New Brunswick
8. Nova Scotia
9. PEI
10. Newfoundland and Labrador

What's on YOUR bucket list??  I'd love to hear it. Maybe I'll add some of your ideas to my list!  (:

First days of biking

I'm not a cyclist.  The last time I owned a new bike was when I was in 6th grade.  I played on my bike all the time when I was little, but haven't ridden since about 7th grade!  I rode a few times last year but definitely not on a regular basis. Recently, Julia suggested we bike across Canada and I thought it was a great idea! And just like that, I've started biking in preparation for our 2011 adventure.

The first time I went out biking a few weeks ago I realized how completely out of shape I am! Bikig uses muscles that I haven't used in a long time!  With that said though, it isn't taking long to get back into shape now that I've started biking on a more regular basis.

I've compiled a "to do" list of things I need to do and/or learn in these beginning days of biking.  Eventually I'll add another list of bigger things I need to do before Julia and I leave to bike across Canada.  I'll update it as we go with the date I complete each item.  This will look like a pretty basic list at this point because I'm literally starting from scratch.

-buy a bike lock (done!)

-buy a bell

-buy lights for the front & back of the bike

-buy & attach a water bottle holder to my bike

-bike without squeeling in fear haha (this took a few rides, but I'm fine now!)
-bike in the rain (done!)
-fill my tires
-learn how to fix my chain when it falls off (Corrie showed me how today, but I haven't done it on my own yet)
-learn how to change my gears haha...lame, I know!
-bike at night (done!)
-buy a basket for the front of my bike
-bike from my place to Waterloo (did this today, and I'm sure this will be done MANY more times this year!)
-ride down a curb (done!)
-ride up a curb

That's all I can think of for now.  Any other suggestions for someone just starting out?

My Bucket List...

From the time I was little I had five things I just knew I had to do at some point in life.  I didn't realize at the time, but it was the beginning of a Bucket List.  It was short and to the point and I had completed four of the five things by the end of high school.  I completed the last remaining thing when I traveled to Romania at 21.

1. Be a camp counsellor
2. Be a cheerleader
3. Work with kids in Romania (my cousin was adopted from there and I had always wanted to see where she was from, and work with kids in a similar situation to what she had been born into)
4. Model
5. Act

As I grew, so did my list.  So, without further ado, here is my current bucket list  (:

• Cycle across Canada for something I believe in (planned for July-Oct 2011)
• Find a starfish in the Ocean (Completed in The Bahamas, April 2010)
• Present about Israel-Palestine in 100 Cities

1. Kitchener (Grandview Baptist Church, September 2009)
2. Waterloo (University of Waterloo, March 2010)

• Present about Israel-Palestine in each Province in 2011

1. Vancouver, BC
2. Calgary, Alberta
3. Regina, Saskatchewan
4. Winnipeg, Manitoba
5. Ottawa, Ontario
6. Montreal, Quebec
7. Fredericton, New Brunswick
8. Halifax, Nova Scotia
9. Charlottetown, PEI
10. St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

• Take a father-daughter trip to soak in some European architecture :)
• Take a mother-daughter trip
• Travel to:
• Tokyo (to visit my brother and see his life over there)
• Italy
• Switzerland (my mum's favourite European country)
• Newfoundland
• California (Completed Dec 2009)
• Romania (Completed Summer 2003)
• London (Completed August 2003)
• Austria
• Papua New Guinea (to see my cousin and get a glimpse of her life)
• BC (Completed when I was little, but revisited as an adult June 2009)
• NYC (Completed for the first time on a grade 12 drama trip)
• Texas
• Boston
• An African safari
• Arizona
• The Wave, Utah (and photograph it!)
• Greece
• The peak of Mount Sinai
• Spain
• Tanzania
• Argentina
• Chile
• Nepal
• Barcelona
• The Galapagos Islands
• Use nothing but a bike for transportation for an entire month (aside from across Canada tour)
• Bike Australia
• Become a published author
• Participate in a worship service at Westminster Abbey in London (Completed August 2003)
• Own a dog  (:
• Photograph the International AIDS conference
• Volunteer in Africa doing something related to the AIDS epidemic
• See a Shakespearean play in the Globe Theatre in London (Completed August 2003)
• Go an entire year without buying anything new (shoes, furniture, clothes, etc.)!
• Publish a photography book
• Go SCUBA diving or snorkeling in tropical waters
• Launch Love Travels
• Learn to speak/understand
• Arabic
• Hebrew
• Publish a coffee table book showing the similarities between Israelis and Palestinians

What's on YOUR bucket list??  I'd love to hear it  (:

Love travels to Haiti :)

I logged onto Facebook one morning a few weeks ago and in my newsfeed saw a video link a friend had posted; it was entitled Young Artists For Haiti - Wavin' Flag. I'm sure many have already seen this by now but if you haven't, check it out.

I can't put my finger on just what it was, but something in the video really touched my heart and I immediately knew I had to go to Haiti to help. A friend of mine, Julia (I think you'll hear a lot about here in this blog since she has quickly become my partner in crime when it comes to traveling) had told me of her plans to go to Haiti in September. Her plan was to buy a one way ticket and stay indefinitely. I called her right away and made plans to meet her there for the month of October.

Later that day, Julia and I met up to go to the movies. As Julia and I stood in line to see Alice In Wonderland 3D our conversation turned to past travels, and aspirations for the coming years. During that 90 minutes in line (yes, we waited that long, and to top it off, I fell asleep during the flick!) we birthed the idea of a non-profit travel organization.

Each of us are frequently approached by friends with questions about how to get involved with volunteering around the world. We have both had the opportunity to travel extensively and have worked with organizations in many countries. Our idea is still very much in its birthing stage and not yet launched, but even so, I'll tell you a little bit about it.

Love Travels will provide guidance to people who are interested in traveling with the purpose of learning about the people and history of the region, as well as baring witness to the current struggles in that area. We will be partnered with organizations around the globe who are making a difference in their local communities in order to ensure the people we send will be helping in practical ways.

It was two days later when Joe, the Pastor of The Embassy, approached us with the idea of sending a team to Haiti to help with relief efforts. He hadn't heard about Love Travels yet, since it's still being formed, but Julia and I saw this as an opportunity to put our ideas to action before officially launching our newest endeavor.

We spent two weeks getting in touch with organizations in Haiti, putting together an application package, generating interest, and developing what we believe will be a successful orientation and debriefing.

We will be taking a team of around 12 people to help with building initiatives and delivering relief packs to families in need. I'm excited to share that we've sent out the application packages to the 20+ people who have shown an interest in joining the team!! I can't wait to get the interviews going, select the team, and begin the orientation.

This is the cover we designed for the application package...

Please pray for our discernment throughout this application and interview process and as we begin the orientation. It's a time during which the foundation of our team will be built, and we hope it will be a strong one!

Mesi!! ("Thanks" in Haitian Creole)

Hannah

Why Barefoot & Boundless?

What's with the Blog title? The two words combined work well to describe me and where I'm at in life right now.

Barefoot:

Well, other than the fact that I love to be barefoot whether it be while driving, worshipping, or walking with sand or grass between my toes...

Bare feet have become a symbol of peace, as shoes are banned within Gandhi's memorial site, Raj Ghat. One way to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi is to walk barefoot around his monument (which I would love to do someday!). Those of you who know me know that peace (particularly in Israel-Palestine) is something I dream of and do my best to work for. I was so happy to learn that bare feet symbolize peace.

Bare feet are also a sign of mourning within the Jewish traditions; shoes are not worn by mourners during the ritual Shiva mourning period. Last year was a year of mourning for me and my family. The ways in which I am changed (and continue to be) as a result of those losses and times of mourning are difficult to define but I'm certain that those close to me can bare witness.

Boundless:

To be limitless. I have nothing holding me back right now and am available to make ambitious plans that reflect that. The plans I have in the works at the moment include time in the Middle East this summer, a couple of trips to Haiti to join relief efforts, and a bike trip across Canada in 2011!

Thanks for reading! I'm excited to have you along for the ride!

Peace,

Hannah