10 Things to Add to Your Bucket List

NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- The hit movie “The Bucket List” hit a chord with people, especially those of The Greatest Generation and Baby Boomers, many of who immediately went on to creating “what to do before I kick the bucket” lists of their own.

“I think it is important, it’s almost like a young person setting a career goal,” says 80-year old Joy R. Mara, a widow in West Boylston, Mass., who made a “things I want to do before I die” list even before her husband passed away. “When I accomplish something on my bucket list, I have a great feeling of satisfaction.”

Mara has crossed off many unique things off her list in recent years, including smoking marijuana, seeing a Chippendale’s show in Las Vegas, visiting Greece, tracing her family tree, swimming with manatees and – a biggie for a woman who came from a very modest generation – swimming in the nude.

About smoking marijuana, Mara explains, “if I get sick I may need it for medicinal purposes and I wanted to see what it was like.” For any law enforcement officials reading this article, you won’t be busting her for her stash any time soon, as Mara wasn’t impressed. “I like my wine much better,” she said.

Some things on her list she will never be able to accomplish, like going on the Oprah Winfrey Show. “She never responded to my requests,” said Mara. “Now that her show is over, I won’t get to complete that one.”

She would also have liked to see a space shuttle lift off. She went with her family to Florida, but that flight was cancelled due to the weather. Now that the manned space program is over, she had to give up on that dream.

Mara adds to her list continually, and she has enlisted her daughters to help her cross things off of it. Still on the list: swimming with dolphins, mastering snorkeling and learning to tango and foxtrot “I haven’t found a guy to do it with yet,” Mara said.

Here are 10 other unique bucket list items from planners and dreamers around the U.S.