We all have dreams, many of which revolve around travelling the world. But for most of us, the demands of family, friends, work and a weekly routine leave little or no time for thinking about them, let alone their realisation.
When his wife of five years left him three years after they emigrated to Australia, Ian Usher’s life was turned upside down. Finding his immediate world unbearably interconnected with his lost love, he decided to sell everything he owned on eBay.
The sale of all his worldly possessions (including house and car), introductions to his friends and a trial role at the rug shop where he was previously the assistant manager netted him £192,000.
In the lead up to the auction his original plan to leave Australia with only a set of clothes, wallet and passport gradually evolved into an epic bucket list. He set himself the challenge of completing 100 hundred goals in 100 weeks.
Over the course of two years he’s managed to achieve 93 of those goals. Indeed, he achieved a lot more than he planned – falling in love with a woman he met on his journey, buying a tropical island and selling the cinematic rights for his story to Disney.
While Ian Usher’s story is extreme, from the trauma that released him from his everyday life, to his commitment to completing his personal goals, it should encourage us all not to let our dreams pass us by. See the travel and adventure elements from his list of 100 goals below – follow his lead and take inspiration for your next trip.
Tomatina Festival – Bunol, Spain
Festival of the Dead – Oaxaca, Mexico
Carnival – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Elephant Round-up – Surin, Thailand
San Francisco
Los Angeles
See the Grand Canyon – Arizona, USA
Las Vegas
Climb the Statue of Liberty – New York, USA
Drive America’s Route 66 – USA
Paraglide – Gourdon, Alpes Maritimes, France
Gallop on horseback on a beach at sunset – Gold Beach, USA
Learn to play the didgeridoo with circular breathing – Outback, Australia
Nude skydive – York, Australia
Night skydive – Canon City, Colorado, USA
Skydive from a helicopter or balloon – California, USA
Attend Cannes Film Festival – Cannes, France
Snowboard in Whistler – Whistler, Canada
Ride the long surf – Hawaii, USA
Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling Festival – Gloucestershire, UK
Dive with whales – Naha, Okinawa, Japan
Dive with manta rays – Hawaii, USA
Shark Cage Dive – Gansbaai, South Africa
Swim with a 10+ metre whale shark – Ningaloo Reef, Australia
See Hammerhead shark reef – Yonaguni, Okinawa, Japan
See an iceberg – Jokulsarlon, Iceland
Ride an elephant – Surin, Thailand
Take controls of a helicopter – Big Island, Hawaii
Big bungee jump – Verdon Gorge, France
Ride the Kingda Ka rollercoaster at Six Flags – New Jersey, USA
Fly in a MIG fighter jet – Florida, USA
Bobsleigh run – Salt Lake City, Utah
Sleep in a Japanese capsule hotel – Tokyo, Japan
Weightless flight – Florida, USA
See Uluru (Ayers Rock) – Northern Territory, Australia
See Pyramid at Chichén Itzá – Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Snowboard on Dubai indoor ski slope – Dubai, UAE
See Table Mountain – Cape Town, South Africa
San Fermin Bull Run Festival – Pamplona, Spain
See Machu Picchu – Cusco, Peru
See Easter Island’s statues – Easter Island, Chile
Walk on the Great Wall of China – China
See Christ the Redeemer statue – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
See the Taj Mahal – Agra, India
See Christ of the Deep – Portofino, Italy
Attend Bonneville Speed Week – Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA
Climb the Eiffel Tower – Paris, France
Enter a $1,000 poker competition – Las Vegas, USA
Oktoberfest – Munich, Germany
Learn to kite surf – Perth, Australia
Visit Israelite Bay – Western Australia
See Iguazu Falls – Argentina/Brazil border
Niagara Falls – Canada/USA border
Victoria Falls – Zambia/Zimbabwe border
Ice sculptures of Yuki Matsuri – Sapporo, Japan
See red crabs march – Christmas Island, Australia
See the Northern Lights – Vik, Iceland
See Everest – Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal
See Mount Rushmore – Rapid City, South Dakota, USA
Dog-sled ride in the wilderness – Whitehorse, Canada
Do a wingwalk – London, UK
Stay a night at an underwater hotel – Key Largo, Florida, USA
White water rafting – Colorado, USA
The “7 peaks in 7 days” challenge – Colorado, USA
Ride an ostrich – Oudtshoorn, South Africa
See an active volcano – Big Island, Hawaii, USA
Spend a night in a haunted house, alone – Gold Beach, USA
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to …
(Image: timo_w2s)
