I turned 29 this past December.. time to make a list of 30 things to do before i'm 30. I'll post my list soon. For now, here's the list Ami James of Miami Ink made:
http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/miami-ink/ultimate/ultimate.html30. GET A TATTOO — Ami offers the following three rules for getting a tattoo.
1. Make sure that whatever you’re going to get tattooed is something that you put a lot of thought into.
2. It's one thing to get your kid’s name tattooed, but remember tattoos last a lot longer than romance.
3. Don’t get tattooed for anyone else, get tattooed for you.
29. STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
28. RIDE A ROLLERCOASTER — Ami recommends the following coasters to try:For loops, try the Colossus at Thorpe Park, England. The Colossus has an awesome 10 loops in its tail.
For speed, the Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey is the world’s fastest and tallest roller coaster.
27. PAY TRIBUTE TO THE GODS OF ROCK AND ROLL — If you love music or just want to know more about the greats, then take a pilgrimage to the places where their presence can still be felt. Places to visit:Kurt Cobain’s house in Seattle, Wash.Jim Morrison’s grave in ParisJohn Lennon’s memorial at Strawberry Fields in New York Joshua Trees in Nevada desert (made famous by U2)The Abbey Road crossroads in London
26. BUY THE HOUSE A ROUND
25. TRY THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE — Live it up by ordering a Magie Noir cocktail. This ultimate treat is made by the mixologists at London’s Umbaba bar. With a shot of Hennessy aged cognac, a measure of Dom Perignon vintage champagne, and a dash of Crème de Mure, the Magie Noir is officially the world’s most expensive cocktail at $620.
24. LEARN TO DANCE
23. JUMP — At 216 meters off the ground, the Bloukrans Bridge bungee jump in South Africa is the highest bungee jump in the world. If you want to do something safer that still packs an adrenaline punch, try Scad Diving — it’s the only way to jump 150 feet with no ropes or parachutes to protect your fall.
22. BE NICE
21. DRIVE YOUR DREAM CAR
20. VEGAS — Everyone should hit Vegas at least once before they turn 30.
19. ROCK ‘TIL YOU DROP — The music that you love during your younger years is the music that you’ll love forever. Crowd Surfing is a great way to share your love with the rest of the crowd. It’s also a great way to get the best view of your favorite band.
18. COME FACE TO FACE WITH MOTHER NATURE — It’s dangerous, risky, and sometimes deadly but if you want to look Mother Nature straight in the eye, then storm chasing has got to be on the list.
Tornado Alley, located on the Great Plains stretching from central Texas to the Canadian border, sees most of the high-speed wind action. To be successful, go in late summer.
17. VISIT FAMOUS FICTIONAL LOCATIONS OR CELEBRITY WATCH — Grab a cup of coffee in Tom’s Restaurant, the place made famous by Seinfeld. Or, go to Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, wait in line at a premiere and have your autograph book ready.
16. BUY YOUR FAVORITE ARCADE GAME
15. LEARN HOW TO COOK
14. TAKE A ROAD TRIP — The road trip is the only way to really experience all that our vast country has to offer. Try one of these routes the next time you're in the mood for wide, open spaces.
Border to Border From North to South, Highway 93 will take you from the Columbia Icefields all the way to Arizona. On this trip, don’t miss the Neon Museum Boneyard outside Vegas. Coast to Coast US–50 will take anyone brave enough to attempt this 3,200 mile monster road trip right across the country from East to West. After that humungous drive, de-stress and wind down with Grateful Dead fans in San Francisco’s hippy Haight neighborhood. Or, try driving from Chicago to Los Angeles on America's famous Route 66. For neon lights, an overload of classic Americana, and a whole heap of trucks and trailers go for Route 66.
13. BECOME A WINE BUFF — Here are Ami's three rules to ordering wine:
1. Your wine should normally match your meal. Remember, white goes with light. This means if you’re eating light flavors like chicken or fish, go for the white wine. Red goes with dark, so always pair red wine with red meat and highly spiced foods.
2. Get the right temperature. Keep white wine in the refrigerator and keep red wine at room temperature. Pink wine should be cold and sparkling wine even colder.
3. Like what you drink and drink what you like.
12. AVOID LOOKING OLD — Ami suggests the following tips for keeping that youthful glow.
1. Plenty of water inside and outside.
2. For men, keep your weapons sharp and clean. A blunt razor will rip clumps of skin off your face and speed up the aging process.
3. Give your skin regular pampering.
11. PARTY WITH THE BEST IN THE WORLD — Want to really party?
Try one of these locations picked by Ami:Ibiza, SpainOktoberfest in Munich, Germany Carnival in Rio, Brazil Miami, USA
10. EAT SOMETHING CRAZY
9. MASTER THE WEDDING TOAST — Chances are you will be asked to give a wedding toast before you turn 30, but make sure you've actually mastered it before the big event. Use Ami's tips as a guide.
1. The Vegas rule (what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas) applies everywhere — especially in a wedding toast! No one wants to hear your old college stories when the focus should be on the happy couple. Edit yourself.
2. Keep it short and sweet no matter how much history there is between friends.
8. PUSH YOUR LIMITS
7. PLAY HOOKY AND DO SOMETHING FUN
6. SINK OR SWIM — Get up close and personal with the largest, most deadly, most intelligent, and the most colorful creatures in the sea. Ami suggests the following locations:
The Great Barrier Reef located off the Queensland, Australia is the world’s largest coral reef and considered one of the seven modern natural wonders of the world. Covering an area of 23,200 square kilometers — that makes it about half the size of Texas — the Great Barrier Reef is home to more than 1,500 species of fish.
There are less than a handful of locations in the world where you can swim with whales. Located in the southern Pacific Ocean is the island of Vava’u in Tonga, where whales teach their newborn calves the ways of the ocean. This is a perfect place to come face-to-face with a 40-ton mother and her baby.
Cage diving in waters populated by the most deadly predator in the ocean is an experience every underwater explorer should have. Despite their fearsome reputation Great White Sharks can be shy and are difficult to find in the wild. So head for the waters around Dyer Island near Cape Town, South Africa for some guaranteed Great White action.
5. BACKPACK — Traveling the world, broadening your mind, and generally having the best holiday of your life is what backpacking is all about. Check out some of Ami's favorite spots.
Cambodia — home of empty beaches, huge rivers, dense forests, and most famously the Ancient Temples of Angkor Wat. Mysterious and amazing these temples were only recently rescued from the jungle that had grown over them.
Peru — The best reason to travel to Peru is to make like the Inca and visit their legendary 600 year old city of Machu Picchu.
China — Built nearly 2,000 years ago and stretching for 6,400 kilometers, the Great Wall of China remains a construction marvel today.
India — You can’t claim to have visited India properly without setting eyes on the Taj Mahal. Come at sunset to see the white marble slowly turn from gold, to pink, then red, and finally blue. Everyone should find the time at some point to throw a few things in a bag and see the world.
4. DESTROY SOMETHING BIG WITHOUT HURTING ANYONE
3. QUIT A JOB YOU HATE
2. PUSH YOURSELF — Test yourself by entering one of these world famous competitions:
The London marathon is the largest modern race in the world, so join the 40,000 other runners and see if you can go the 26.2 mile distance.
If a regular marathon seems pretty tame, why not really push yourself and take part in the annual Iron Man competition. Wannabe Iron Men start off with a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike race, and then they finish off with a full marathon.
Today the really hardcore competitors are turning to Ultra Marathons to get their kicks. In Ultra Marathons runners compete over distances of 50 or 100 miles. The Marathon Des Sables is the most challenging event in the world. Competitors run six marathons in six days through the scorching Sahara desert.
1. FIGURE OUT HOW TO GROW UP, NOT OLD — Each day should be an adventure where you do something different, learn something new and experience anything life throws at you.
Danny and me cookin up a storm...
Unkle Boon.
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