The Pages In Between

Week 7 – Top Five Things On My Bucket List

The day you’re born and the day you die are the covers on your book, life is the pages in between. These are a few things I’d love to add to my story before it’s through.

Full Steam Ahead!

Tickets on board the Belle of Louisville for The Great Steamboat Race. The Belle of Louisville is the oldest operational Mississippi-style steamboat in the world, still chugging along at the grand old age of 104. Her calliope can be heard all through downtown in fair weather, and that’s a sound I absolutely adore. Tickets aboard this floating piece of history for the race are pricey, and often sell out well in advance, but one day, I will have them!

My only stipulation to this is it must be on a year when she is racing another legitimate steamboat. Her original opponent the Delta Queen fit the bill, but was retired in 2008 and later became a floating boutique hotel. She was replaced in the race by the diesel-powered Belle of Cincinnati, who must go further before turning back to the finish line to compensate for her higher speeds and more powerful engine. That’s all fine and dandy, but I’m a little old school. If I’m onboard the Belle of Louisville for the race, I want to look out and see another steamboat competing. 

If the new addition this year of The American Duchess for a three boat race turns out to be the “real deal” and returns another year, who knows. This could get checked off fairly soon.

Unseen By Most

I adore Halloween. I always have. As I’ve mentioned often on social media, I am a part of the Haunted House Industry and have been for a good, long while now. It’s in my blood and I can’t see myself ever walking away. I love the one I work for and consider myself fortunate to have secured a place not only as an actor but as backstage crew as well. That means I get to help bring the place to life every year. However, there are some haunts in this country that are considered legends. 

Every year, I drool over their photos and promo videos. As a haunted, getting out to see other shows during season is difficult at best. Going to haunts in other cities or states, forget it. There are two in particular, which I will not name to protect my privacy, that I would love to visit. To see their shows, sure, but what I truly want is a lights on tour and a chance to see the inner workings of their productions, build crews and make-up and wardrobe teams.

To be able to see their stunning sets, costumes and props up-close and personal and to get to chat with their crews is my ultimate dream. Both attractions are in other states, so it would have to be in the off-season, but hopefully someday I’ll get my chance.

Ghosts Of So Many Years

The Palais Garnier and the Paris Catacombs are next on my list. While I would probably have to knock myself unconscious for a flight that long, I dearly hope to one day see these in person. The catacombs for the history, and because I’m more than a little macabre. I think they’re beautiful, which is an admittedly odd thing to say about a bunch of old bones. *shrugs*

The Palais Garnier, though – I get weak and drooly just looking at photos of it. That legendary theater is one of the most stunning buildings in the world and its rich history fascinates me. It doesn’t hurt that the Palais Garnier was the inspiration for the setting of the original Phantom Of The Opera novel and subsequent musical. To actually set foot inside would be a dream come true. Throw in the backstage tour (which they do occasionally) and a peek at the underground water tank that inspired the lake in Phantom Of The Opera and I’d be a happy girl. Yes, it actually has an underground “lake”! With a giant fish. 

 

Truth be told, that’s all I have. I’ve never been much one for bucket lists. I have the good fortune of working in an industry I adore as a year round job, with awesome people. I routinely get to experience odd and unusual things. If this post prompt had been five life goals, I would have filled that in no time, but I see those as different from a bucket list. Professionally, I want to walk into a bookstore and see my work on the shelf. I want to make a comfortable living as a writer and prop maker. Personally, I want to be the adult I needed as a teenager. The one the kids I work with feel they can come to with anything. I’m halfway there. I’ve already married an incredible person and we’ve bought a house we love, so those are checked off. But as far as a bucket list goes, that’s all I’ve got. 

 

Check out these other awesome #52WeekBlogChallenge posts from the fantastic peeps I’m doing this with!

Autumn McKayne (http://autumnmckayne.com  / @autumnmckayne)

Gisela Grey (http://giselagreywrites.wordpress.com  / @GGwritesromance)

Felicity Davenport (http://felicitydavenport.com  / @FelicitysQuill)

Cass Michaels (http://writercassmichaels.com/blog  / @WriterCMichaels)

Lisa Andrew (http://lisaandrewerotica.wordpress.com  / @TheWife101)

Charlie Knight (http://cknightwrites.com  / @CKnightWrites)

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