This wonderful bucket list travel adventure was kindly shared with us by Dr Troy Hendrickson. We’re so very grateful that Dr Troy Hendrickson not only shared his story with us but then allowed us to share it with you. I think we all have a bucket list item waiting in the wings. Life is short. Do it.
BUCKET LIST TRAVEL ADVENTURE
By Dr Troy Hendrickson
One of the things that my Father had always talked about was his desire to go to Alaska to go fishing. As an avid fisherman throughout his entire life (he is now 74 years old), it was one of the things that he always dreamed about doing…someday. While attending Trav Bell’s Bucket List seminar, I got the ‘fire in my belly’ to make this trip happen because I realised that at age 74, the potential of that ‘someday’ never happening was very real unless I proactively took the steps to make it happen. My sister died from a long battle with cancer just three years earlier in 2010, so the notion of ‘taking our life span for granted’ really resonated with me when Trav talked about this in the workshop. The idea to take my Dad and my Brother on this “bucket list trip” to Alaska had been planted, and it was germinating very quickly within my mind.
Over the next three days I did meticulous research regarding all of the nuances of this Alaska fishing trip, including best location to go to, the best fishing guides, the best times and, of course, the best place to actually stay at. If this trip was going to happen, it was going to be special. I knew that I was going to have to ask for forgiveness rather than permission because my Father would most certainly have some lame excuse for why he could not go- (aches and pains or some other justification/rationale for why it was not a good idea). I also realised that this may be the only time that my Father, my Brother and I could spend time together experiencing something that was very memorable. I grew up with two siblings and with my sister no longer living, my brother and I are the only ‘children’ that remain. So I decided that I needed to also bring my brother on the trip. There was a slight problem…he had never flown on a plane before and he is incredibly afraid of heights. Although there were many obstacles, I was determined to make it happen. I even contacted my brother’s boss (without him knowing) to secure the time off in his work schedule so that I could minimise excuses he would present to me. I needed to proactively address any and all obstacles and create a scenario that minimised the likelihood of them having an excuse NOT to go.
Although there was a huge risk in them bowing out, I booked the flights and secured a 7,000 square foot log cabin on the Kenai Peninsula for an entire week in May. I also locked in fishing guides throughout the week so that we could go fishing for king salmon, sockeye salmon, halibut and rainbow trout.
When I contacted my Father and Brother to inform them of the trip, it was not a request for them to come…it was a demand for them to be a part of MY BUCKET LIST adventure.
Long story short, we had the most incredible week that I could possibly imagine- catching our limit of every one of the previously mentioned species of fish, and having an absolute blast!! However, there was one ‘moment’ that will be etched in my memory forever. I remember glancing over at my Dad as he looked out the window of the plane during our fly-in sockeye salmon trip, absorbing the amazing scenery, with his hand resting on my brother’s leg…and there was a small, glistening tear streaming down his cheek as he said,
“I never thought this would actually happen…especially not with my two sons,
this is a dream come true…”
Amidst the hundreds of memorable experiences throughout the week , that one moment made all of the financial investment and time spent preparing the trip 100 percent worth it. As it turned out, this was not just a bucket list trip for me…but for my Dad and my Brother as well. Trav was absolutely right…life is way too short. Don’t wait to do the things that you know you want to do!!
Thanks again Dr Troy Hendrickson for sharing your story with us. We hope that others are as moved by it as we were. See www.thebucketlistguy.com for details on Trav Bell, the man who inspired Dr Hendrickson’s bucket list travel adventure.
