Bucket Lists - Near and Far: Michael Valliant

Bucket Lists - Near and Far

by Michael Valliant

I’m not sure about bucket lists. I don’t like the idea that of having a list to work through that determines if I’ve had fun or chased my dreams enough. At one point, I had what I considered a “gravy list” ~ not necessary, but things that would be great over and above living life as best as I can. Whatever we call it, the idea of having an ambitious and fun to-do list is something I have warmed up to. But they don’t all have to be big, expensive, international adventures. Bucket list items can be near or far, so let’s make a list and check off some things over the months and years ahead.

A couple list disclaimers: Even as an introvert, I can tell you that some experiences are meant to be shared. Finding bucket list friends (it doesn’t have to be Morgan Freeman or Jack Nicholson) who

get and want to experience things with you can make all the difference. And there are countless experiences I want to share with my daughters, family, etc., but for the sake of writing, let’s stick to experiences that have spoken to me over time. Here are ten, starting closer to home.

Walk Across Maryland: Just over 40 miles of the Appalachian Trail cut through Maryland. There are times I think I want to do it in a single day, carrying as little as possible, with some resupply points along the way. And then I remember it was 2007 when I finished the JFK 50-Mile Trail Race, that I am not in that kind of shape anymore and that I would enjoy myself and the views better with one overnight camping stay in the middle.

Write a book: I am guessing anyone who writes feels the pull of writing at least one book. I know I would like to; the biggest issue to date is that I am not sure what it

will be about. I have no desire to write a novel, or fiction in general, so it could be a collection of connected essays or a larger nonfiction/creative nonfiction narrative. Over the years, a few ideas have danced through my brain, but none has taken up residence. One that I come back to is a multigenerational autobiography of Oxford, told with personal stories, cultural history, as an environmental story, and with humor.

Stay in a yurt: I have been fascinated by yurts for 20 years, and they have become a craze of their own. The dictionary defines a yurt as “a circular tent of felt or skins on a collapsible framework, used by nomads in Mongolia, Siberia and Turkey.” There are yurts at state parks and higher end yurts throughout Maryland and Delmarva. Friends have recently posted pictures of their stay at Savage River Lodge in Frostburg, which boasts luxury yurts. That may be the way to go as a first-time yurt-er.

Read James Joyce’s Ulyss-

es: While an English major at Washington College, I read Joyce’s “Dubliners” and “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.” I was completely blown away by his attention to detail, his precision with words and his ability to tell a story while seeming to write a novel-length poem. “Ulysses” is always thrown down as a modern masterpiece, a gauntlet for literature lovers, and

those I know who have read it have lauded it as a fun adventure, possibly best down with a group and a guide. This year marks the 100th year since its publication. Maybe it is the year to make it happen.

Paddle around Wye Island:

Each year there are races around Wye Island, which is a roughly 13mile affair. I’ve had friends who have done it, and I have held it up as something I would like to do. Whether by stand-up paddleboard or kayak, maybe stopping for a picnic lunch partway through, this is one of those ready-made local adventures asking to be enjoyed.

These are five things that can be

done without leaving Maryland. They are experiences that ring my bell of wanting to do—I would love to hear other Maryland Bucket List ideas that people have.

Now let’s move a bit further afield.

Stand among the Redwoods:

I can’t tell you how long I have been fascinated by giant Redwood trees because I don’t remember not being awed by them. But I have never stood among them and marveled. And I want to. Whether at Sequoia National Park, Yosemite, or Muir Woods, this is an experience I would love to make happen.

Interview an idol: “Idol” might be a strong word, someone I look up to for what they do or have done. When I watch people like Mary Oliver, Jim Harrison, or Chris Cornell pass away, I feel a sense of loss from someone I have never known personally but who has meant a lot in my life through their work. And it makes me think I would love to sit down with skateboarders Tony Hawk or Mark Gonzales, or poet Gary Snyder or writer Anne Lamott. I briefly met poet W.S. Merwin after a reading he gave in Washington, DC, and I had a brief encounter and subsequent conversation with writer George Saunders. Just being able to tell them that their work has made my life better in some small way ~ interviewing someone and writing about them, that’s on the list.

Take an epic/scenic train trip: I am not big on flying or heights, though I will fly to get somewhere. I will go ridge-walking while hiking, and I have gone cliff-jumping. Trains, on the other hand, are the stuff of travel wonder for me. While I was working at the Oxford Community Center, a number of folks returned from and were telling me about the train trip they had just taken through parts

of Colorado and up through the Pacific Northwest. I have daydreamed about a trip like that ever since (and before that as well).

Eagle and Child Pub and

Lake District: Here’s one for international travel. The Eagle and Child Pub in Oxford (the other Oxford) is where writers C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams and others known as the “Inklings” would have pints and eat together and share ideas. Word is that in June 1950, Lewis distributed proofs for “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” to his friends there. Just to be in that place, to drink a pint, to have a meal, and wonder about it all. Being a word nerd, I am drawn to places full of stories like that. And having never

It’s smooth sailing when you leave your home cleaning to us!

CC LEANING SLEANING S ERVICE ERVICE

Reliable & Flexible • Locally Owned & Operated • Background-Checked Security Cleared • FREE ESTIMATES • Excellent Customer Service 410.251.2838

Tidewatercleaningservice.com

been to England, walking/hiking the Lake District, where William Wordsworth walked, and seeing what is left of Tintern Abbey, even though the two places aren’t particularly close, are both on the list.

Alaska: Let me give some space to John Muir from his book, “Travels in Alaska:”

“When night was drawing near, I ran down the flowery slopes exhilarated, thanking God for the gift of this great day. The setting sun fired the clouds. All the world seemed new-born. Every thing, even the commonest, was seen in new light and was looked at with new interest as if never seen before.”

Between Muir and other writers and photographers, my favorite show of all-time, “Northern Exposure” (which I know wasn’t actually filmed in Alaska), and talking to Coast Guard friends who were stationed there, Alaska has long been on my list. Of all the experiences on this bucket list, it is a trip to Alaska that we have plane tickets booked for in July. And that will be a story I look forward to telling.

Michael Valliant is the Assistant for Adult Education and Newcomers Ministry at Christ Church Easton. He has worked for non-profi t organizations throughout Talbot County, including the Oxford Community Center, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and Academy Art Museum.