#2 Completed! Swim with Dolphins

"An amazing experience that I would highly recommend!"

How I did it: I recently went on a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Besides sitting on the beach drinking Pina Coladas & eating chilaciles, swimming with dolphins was the only other activity on the agenda. Lucky enough, my girlfriend & her boyfriend sat through the torture of a 3-hour time-share seminar (God bless them!). They were able to score 4 tickets to the Dolphin Experience at Vallarta Adventures for $130! The usual cost is about $120 per person.

The dolphins were kept in large pools (similar to swimming pools). I was worried that it would make me feel sad that they were contained, but they seemed to be having fun. A few were just playing ball with each other with no trainers around. We stood on a platform in the pool and, for all you wimps (myself included), the water was cold! I sucked it up because I couldn't wait to swim with Dolphins! We were able to ride the dolphin, get a kiss, dance and feed it a slimy fish. For more money there were more intimate experiences available, but I was pleased with the interaction we had. Everyone with me agreed that we don't need to do it again, but it was totally worth it!

The only bummer is that they don't allow cameras in the dolphin area, so their photographer took all of the photos & you had to purchase them if you wanted any record of your experience. We paid $99 for 8 photos on cd. I felt kind of ripped of, but couldn't pass it up.

#2 Swim With Dolphins

I am well aware that this goal is trite in the Bucket List arena. Really, who doesn't want to swim with dolphins? Can anyone resist the charm of potentially being smooched by this enchanting creature? I suppose swimming with sharks would be a more adventurous feat, but I'm just not ready for that yet (maybe by the time my bucket list gets into the 200s).

You would think that a dolphin swim would be easily obtained, but no so. There is actually some planning and travel involved. I will be going to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in April 2009 and then I think this goal will have a big check mark by it (if the Tequila doesn't take over first)!!

About The List

I have always had a list. A shopping list. A to-do list. A need-to-repair list. A list of all my lists. And my favorite of them all, my bucket list. Having a bucket list is the perfect way to get myself motivated and experience all the pleasures in life. The following are things that I have completed on my list so far:

~Skeet Shoot
~Take a Pilates class
~Enter something in a food competition
~Take a Rip Line ride
~See a Volcano
~Have a 2nd home in Sonoma County
~Make a significant change in someones life
~Teach a class
~Stay at a 5-Star hotel
~Blow $150 on one 5-cent slot machine
~Get a spa pedicure
~Try to surf
~Tell my dad I love him
~Go on a $500 clothes shopping spree in one day
~Play the stock market
~Spend the day at a resort spa
~Own investment real estate
~Rappel

I still have 105 more (& counting) things on my bucket list! I hope this blog helps me keep a record of the progress of my goals and help those who want to create/experience their own list.