The Bucket List You Need Right Now
Most folks have a bucket list going. It’s a running list in your bullet journal, or stuck on post-its in a mound of papers you should have filed but haven’t yet, or on a Trello board (raises hand), or on some glorious vision board you’re better about decorating than you are about “envisioning,” or shoved in the recesses of your brain. If you’re not careful, it can easily become your “shoulda-coulda-woulda” list. Now, I could easily go into a rant about how foolish it is to save your grand list of glorious one-day things for any time that’s not the present, but let’s just agree to table that conversation for another day.
Instead, let’s talk about the bucket list you need now — a neighborhood bucket list.
What it is.
A neighborhood bucket list is a running list of all the must-see or must-experience spots in the neighborhood. It can include local places of interest like museums or historical landmarks, aquariums or zoos, and the like. Maybe the town is host to the last remaining drive-thru movie theater on the coast — that would make the list. Or the town BBQ joint that was featured on a Food Network special. Whatever makes the place you call home special or one of a kind or quirky or magical or mysterious, all of that is neighborhood bucket list worthy.
What you need it for.
You’re constantly coming and going in this life, amiright? If you’re coming and looking at a new zip code to call home, your neighborhood bucket list is going to encourage you to embrace all that this move has to offer. It’s going to remind you to celebrate a new place with new discoveries to be made. (It’s also going to save your life the next time someone in your house exclaims that they’re exceedingly bored and there’s nothing to do.) Consider your neighborhood bucket list your treasure map for your new home.
If you’re going, and unless you’re using base housing, you’re likely going to have to rent or sell your current home. And you’re going to want every possible advantage in that process — like a handy dandy “here are all the things that make this house and the town it’s in magical” list that you can share with prospective renters or buyers. After all, you remember how important the idea of there being things to do in the area was when you last moved, right? Provide some extra value to people interested in possibly renting or buying your house (and give yourself a competitive advantage).
Bonus points if you add your notes/comments from your own experiences utilizing that list when you were new to town.
How you create one.
There are several different ways you can populate your neighborhood bucket list. You can do a standard Google search or ask folks you know in/close to the area what’s worth mentioning/visiting. You can pull up the location in Trip Advisor or ask your real estate agent to share some favorite spots. You can tune in to a MILLIE Baseside Chat featuring the location you’re next headed or join Moving the MILLIE Way group on Facebook to have the benefit of a whole community of support and feedback.
There’s no one right way to do your intel gathering. And there are no right answers for what should or shouldn’t be included on your neighborhood bucket list. Just take the time to do your homework and put together something that will be meaningful for your family to explore together when you arrive. And give the gift of where to start exploring to the folks who will next call your house home.
Be sure to check out our weekly Baseside Chat Livestream in our Facebook group, Moving the MILLIE Way — or catch the #replay on our YouTube Channel!
MILLIE is an online community and digital marketplace that connects members of the military and their families with specialized knowledge and trusted resource providers to alleviate the stress of PCSing. Check out MILLIE’s Installation Guides, our network of veteran and military spouse real estate agents, and MILLIE Scouts, our on-demand task service comprised of military spouses.
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