ANNETTE WHITE spent her youth feeling most exhilarated when her dad would take her out on road trips through the back tracks of Northern California.
Her lust for an adventure has remained with her ever since and today she travels the world offering advice through her blogs on everything from where to eat to the top attractions to see in some of the world’s most visited cities.
It was at a low point when Annettte came up with her idea for her ‘bucket list’ and she explains all and more about her unique and thrilling lifestyle in this riveting interview.
Start following Annette today at www.bucketlistjourney.net and pick up the many tips and hints from the extensive knowledge she has gained from travelling and adventuring around the world.
Tell us when your passion for travel began and where the idea for your bucket list stemmed from?
When I was young my father would take me on day trips through the winding back roads of Northern California. I eagerly anticipated each one because no two adventures were the same. This, and a month spent in Italy with my grandmother, had given me an insatiable curiosity for exploration. Even though I now spend most of my spare time travelling outside of my home state or country, I still enjoy taking close-to-home solo day trips, exploring new towns, streets, restaurants and attractions. I call them my mini-vacations.
As far as the bucket list goes, there was a time when everyone began throwing around the word ‘passion’ and I desperately wanted to find mine, that one thing that truly made me happy and wanted to do for the rest of my life. The search for passion meant that I would need to try new things, but I was suffering from extreme fear and anxiety that was keeping me from attempting almost anything that was not in my small bubble of a comfort zone.
After countless years, hundreds of missed opportunities and so many restrictions put on my life there was a moment that I was curled up on the floor of my bedroom with tears rolling down my face. I looked in the mirror and instantly realised that the woman staring back at me was not the woman she was meant to be. My heart wanted adventure, travel and exploration. And in that moment it became clear that the only one who could change my life was me. On that morning I made a life-changing promise to myself to never let fear make my decisions for me and to start living my bucket list. That day my entire life changed.
Which countries have you visited to date and what have been some of the highlights?
To date I have explored more than 50 countries on six continents, so I have been fortunate to have some of the most AMAZING bucket list experiences like swimming with whale sharks in Mexico, bathing elephants at a rescue in Thailand, taking a helicopter ride into the Grand Canyon, kayaking with Beluga Whales in Manitoba and so much more.
However, one of my most memorable travel stories that I always share with my friends is swimming in Jellyfish Lake in the tiny Micronesian country of Palau. The lake is home to millions of jellyfish that are deemed relatively harmless since their sting is so light. It was still frightening for the first five minutes to be completely surrounded by pulsating plankton, some brushing up against my body. But after the panic dissipated, there was something mesmerising about the way they moved and this became one of my all-time favourite bucket list adventures.
Annette’s passion for adventure begun at a young age when her father used to take her on road trips in Northern California.
When did you come up with the idea for www.bucketlistjourney.net and what is it about your writing that makes you so appealing to your readers and followers?
A little over nine years ago, I was searching for a place to keep track of my travel, food and bucket list adventures. The pieces of scrap paper and random internet files were getting out of control. Instead of being buried alive by crumpled up scratch paper, I decided to condense my dozens of notes into a blog. At that time, I knew that having new experiences was my passion, but had no clue that blogging would be added to that list.
The mission of my blog is to give every person in the world the tools and inspiration to live their bucket list – one check mark at a time. My readers come from all over the world and typically are people who want to step out of their comfort zone, travel the world and/or live their bucket lists.
Just how much of that ‘bucket list’ is there left to tick off?
My bucket list is just over 1,000 goals long (and growing!). I know that seems like a lot, but my passion is for having new experiences and I don’t want to limit myself by saying I can never add anything else to my list. I am always actively looking for opportunities to check things off my list andI have completed about a third of those thousand items.
What have been some of the craziest moments you’ve experiences on your adventures and have there been any situations you’ve found yourself in you’d prefer to avoid encountering again?
Though skydiving, swimming with sharks in the Galapagos and spelunking in a cave ranked pretty high on my crazy scale. The most dangerous thing I have ever done was rappelling down a 100-foot waterfall in the Costa Rican forest of the Osa Peninsula. The two hour steep and rocky horse ride, along with the slippery hike that bordered a fenceless embankment added to the danger. Pretty confident in saying that I wouldn’t do that again.
Tell us about Sugo Trattoria and how involved are you in its day-to-day management?
Me and my husband’s restaurant, Sugo Trattoria (www.sugotrattoria.com) is a casual restaurant that marries the traditions of the old world with Wine Country culture. Taking inspiration from the artfully hand crafted pastas, sauces and cured meats of Italy and integrating these recipes with local ingredients and California sensibility. It is our third food business together and we have owned this one almost 11 years.
I travel between 25 to 30 per cent of the time, so whenever I am home you can find me at the restaurant. There, I wear many hats: I am a chef, prep cook, part-time psychologist, accountant and sometimes even the dishwasher (not my happy day).
Also, we have set up many managerial systems online, so that even on the road I am still able to do payroll, pay bills, and so on.
What can our readers expect from your book, Bucket List Adventures, and where can they purchase a copy?
This is more than just a book of inspirational stories to whet your appetite; it is also a practical guide brimming with resources for active dreamers who are craving to create memorable adventures in their own lives. Each travelogue includes an informational guide that covers the ‘how-to’ of checking the experience off your own bucket list: the best hotels, restaurants, tour companies, time of year to visit, etc. Beyond this, there are tips on how to find the precious free time that always seems to be lacking, how to create a money management system to fund your travels, and proven techniques on working through the fear that affects us all on some level. Most importantly, my book will give you the tools to create a life-changing bucket list of your own, plus essential travel tips for planning an unbelievable journey, and ultimately crossing your items off your list.
You can purchase a copy of Bucket List Adventures on Amazon.
Where are you currently and what adventure and travel plans do you have for the months and years ahead?
I just returned home from an 8-day train trip through India (which was incredible!). I will be home in Northern California for the next month exploring what’s in my own backyard. Then I’m off to Mexico, and possibly back to Japan. This year I hope to finally make it to the continent of Antartica to kayak through icebergs, visit with penguins, and go whale watching.
