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Since January seems to be the time to set goals, I’d like for us to work together on this one. What’s on your “bucket list?” In case you don’t know, a bucket list is an inventory of things you’d like to do before you “kick the bucket.” While I have no intention of kicking the bucket any time soon, last year’s movie “Bucket List” got me thinking.

I’m 52, and it’s time to look at the many things I want to do and see in this lifetime and map out a plan for how to do them. So I’ll share my list if you’ll share yours! My list is actually a work in progress – the items are on scraps of paper on my desk and in the margins of word puzzles that I keep by my spot on the sofa.

My list is not in order of priority, so you’ll just see it in random order.

The important thing is to spell out these goals. So here we go.

 Aurora borealis.

My desire to see the magical colors of the aurora borealis, or the Northern Lights, goes back to grade school science or geography class. As frightened as I was by those filmstrips of lava flows, I was fascinated by the waving, mystical movements of colorful lights in the night sky. A friend from Michigan tells me I can see the lights there but the best places are high northern latitudes during the winter – Canada, Alaska and Scandinavia.

Did you know that the Northern Lights actually were visible in Mexico City in 1958? That was a rare occurrence and I’d be silly to think I’m going to catch a glimpse of this phenomenon while on a trip south. If I want to see these lights I need to venture to Canada in the winter and hope that atmospheric conditions are right.

Whales.

Seeing a whale in the wild (I do not count the killer whales at Sea World) is another of my fascinations.

Twice I’ve actually tried to see a whale. Once was on a trip to coastal Maine when I was in college and more recently was when we went to Hawaii three years ago. The time was right when I was in Maine, but the grandest mammal was a bit shy – or at least I wasn’t in the right place. Then we were about a week shy of the whales’ annual migration to Hawaii (apparently it’s a good place to reproduce) and while we had great views of sea turtles and a shark (and that shark eating a sea turtle), no whale for me.

What I want to see is the majestic surfacing of a whale and grand splash of its tail as it dives. And I’ll take that view from deck side of a ship or from the air but don’t count on me to be in the water by the giant’s side!

Panning for gems in Hiddenite.

A very attainable item on my personal bucket list is to go gem hunting with my nieces in Hiddenite. I’ve panned for gems at one of those roadside attractions between Boone and Sugar Mountain and absolutely loved it. And yes, I did it with one of my nieces. I guess the treasure hunter in me wants to take my four nieces, pan for and find gems and then have the stones set in necklaces or rings as a keepsake of our bounty — and our adventure.

Let me just go on the record as promising to do this soon — perhaps even this summer. I’ll be sure to let you know!

 Tour the National Parks.

Ken Burns’ regal series “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” aired on PBS this fall and just solidified my desire to take in some if not most of our nation’s grandest parks. I yearn to see the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone (or Jellystone if you grew up with Yogi the Bear as I did) and Jackson Hole.

We’ve actually gone so far as to investigate railway adventures to many of the western parks and their grand lodges within the next couple of years. After all, that’s how dreams come true.

Visit all 50 states.

Finally (at least for the time being), I want to visit all 50 states. So far, I’m almost up to 30. A few years ago I vowed to see two new states each year. Last year I managed just one — Oklahoma.

We’ll just have to wait and see which state I have the opportunity to see in 2010. So far, each year has brought surprise travels but I do intend to methodically make my way from coast to coast – and even to Alaska.

Maybe I’ll even see a whale and the Northern Lights while I’m there!

Inspired? Send me your bucket lists and we’ll work on them together.

Contact Cathy Weaver at CWeaverNR@gmail.com.