Wakakusa Yamayaki (若草山焼き)

Last post I mentioned creating a bucket list of things to do before I kick the bucket, and while I don't officially have a list, I will still post from time to time when things come up and gradually I guess build a list.

Now to my new bucket list item! I recently discovered, through Instagram, an annual event in Nara, Japan called Wakakusa Yamayaki (若草山焼き), or "Roasting of Wakakusa Mountain" festival. The dry grass is set ablaze on the mountain by Buddhist Monks to commemorate a boundary feud between 2 Buddhist temples that resulted in the mountain being set on fire in 1760. They now celebrate this on the 4th Saturday of January by setting the dried grass on the mountain on fire, and putting on a massive fireworks display above the blazing mountain.

I have always wanted to visit Japan and what a great way to immerse myself in their culture. I know a few people who have gone to Japan and they have all had amazing experiences. So this is going to be going on my bucket list as well. One of these days I will have to post an actual list of things, but for now I will post from time to time on my blog about it.

Have any of you been to Japan or have your own bucket list items you would like to share? Feel free to leave a comment!

Adding to the "Bucket List"

I've never really thought about making a bucket list before, but like anybody, there are things I would love to do in my lifetime. I have been amazed by remote Pacific islands for some time and always wanted to be able to go and spend some time on one. When there are slow days at work and I have nothing at all to do I have found myself just exploring the world through Google Maps and have often "visited" these remote tiny islands. This has been brought back into my mind this week with the story of the fisherman from Mexico who was lost at see for ~13 months until his small boat washed up on shore on a small atoll in the Marshall Islands. Now this story still seems unbelievable to many, but has my mind back on the Pacific islands once again.

Many of these small atolls and islands are less than 5 miles across and either uninhabited or have very few people on them. How amazing would it be to visit one of these locations and live there for a few months and learn how to live there? Catch your own fish to eat and live off of the tiny piece of land while you kick back and relax away from the pressures of the modern world. No phone, no internet, no tv! Just relaxing on the beach, watching the sunrise and sunset, and maybe catching a glimpse of a passing boat or ship in the distance. That is something that would be an amazing experience and something I would love to do some day. Even if it is only for a couple of weeks instead of a couple of months, I'm sure it would be the experience of a lifetime! I don't have a bucket list or have a plan to make one, but if I did this would for sure be on it.