The importance of bucket lists

Just try and do one thing, even a small thing, that represents

your bucket list.

The term "bucket list refers to the list of things to do in one's life before one "kicks the bucket.
I'm a big fan of bucket lists. I think everyone should have a bucket list and everyone should try and cross stuff off their list.

A bucket list is a highly personal thing, and should be unique to each person. No one is going to be wrong either. But I would add, that it should be somewhat life affirming, life changing or significant.
Whatever makes up your bucket list make it worthy. It should be something so personal, even selfish, because that's really the whole point of a bucket list, it's YOUR list of things YOU want to do, see or experience before YOU die. Unlike in the video games, you only get one life. While there may be regrets on things you've done, there is almost certainly many more regrets on the things you wish you could have done.
It's important to feed and nurture your bucket list. I take accomplishing things on my bucket list very seriously. It's not some flippant excuse to go on a vacation.
The trick is the things on your bucket list should be obtainable and it's probably a lot easier than you think.  There will always be some people are able to do more than you, It's not about them, it's about YOU; some people are not able to even do the things you can. Opportunity, time and money are all measures of excuses. Easy for you, some people say.. you don't have kids. Or I could never take that time off. or yeah.. maybe I'l look in to it next year. People plan and make time for the things they want. Most of us will never have that extra money laying around to do a bucket list thing. Or the time. You have to commit to doing a bucket list thing. Plan for it. Work for it. But that is part of the fun. Setting a goal and actually accomplishing it. It's easy to make a list.. but it is such a feeling of accomplishment when you are achieving  that goal that you put on your bucket list. If you are putting "president of the USA" as a bucket list goal.. well, that's not going to be very obtainable. But if you ever wanted to ....cage dive with great white sharks for example. That can happen if you plan for it. I did it. Get those big goals on your list, but keep an eye on some of the smaller goals, the easy to check off ones. Those are going to be your stepping stones on the way to the next big thing. And more importantly they will be easier to accomplish and once you start accomplishing one thing you'll want to check off another one.
My mom passed away suddenly in 2015. That really drove home the "use it or lose it" aspect of life. A year later I'd embraced  the top of my bucket list... to go cage diving with great white sharks in Guadalupe island, Mexico. Could that money have been saved? Sure, but that's not the point. My realization was that you only have so much time in your life and you really don't know  how long you have. So.. best live a little, other wise what the's point. If your only view of the world around you what you see commuting to the office every day, you need to change that view. If you keep going back to Disney world  every year because the kids like Disney, try someplace else- give yourself and your kids something else Something more. Epcot doesn't count. Change your view. I was in Epcot recently, standing in the Norway area, I was thinking to myself.."y'know... I'd rather just see Norway". I've been out of work for a bit this year. Which means I have the time to do a trip I've always wanted to check off my bucket list. If I was working like I have been, i'd never have been able to take the time off to do it. I'm going to work with elephants in Thailand.  Thailand is very cheap to travel to.  And I have money saved in a travel fund to help out with expenses. Is it counter intuitive to jump on a plane to Thailand when I'm in between jobs? Perhaps. But When will I ever have this sort of  flexibility in my schedule to accommodate  this sort of trip. Plus I ain't getting in younger.

I've accomplished a bunch of bucket list type things already. I've published novels. Been on safari in Africa, fulfilled a childhood dream of going to Loch Ness. I've ridden horses across the Scottish Highlands. I've worn chainmesh protective shark suits to hand feed sharks. I've swam with whale sharks, I've been cage diving with great Whites. I'm going to Thailand to work with Elephants. I've been white water rafting in Costa Rica. All of it was a willingness to commit to doing it. Planning and research. I've saved money. I won't bore you with photos of my me doing my bucket list stuff.  I still have a lot I really want to do. I want to go to Antarctica, I'd love to visit Iceland. I've never been in a helicopter.

In most cases, you can plan a trip for a year from now, putting down a small amount of money for a deposit then for the rest of the year, budget save, and pay it off along the way. Easier to do it in small chunks across a period of time, you don't have a prohibitive larger amount  stopping you and now you have a plan. You have a timeframe, a schedule and best of all you are committed. It all comes down to what do you really want to do?

This is Bucky. My Bucket List shark.  I got him when I was planning my Great white shark trip. He represents my bucket list. #buckyshark.

Do you "practice pack"?

This is about over packing.

There's a bunch of videos and blogs on the internet about efficient packing tips and tricks out there.
This probably isn't going to be one of them.

This is about over packing. I'm really good at over-packing for trips. I pack for "just in case" and I'll do the "extra day of clothes". It comes second nature to me almost. My trips tend to require a bit of gear, and a variety of clothing. So this "overpacking" may not hold true for everyone.

 I "practice pack". Practice packing kinda started off as a joke. I'll start packing for a trip about a week or 10 ten days before a trip. I need time to figure out what I am going to bring. I'd hate to find out the night before a big trip that things don't fit, or that my luggage is overweight or If I need to bring a different suitcase. Or I forget that one thing. I don't need any last minute surprises.

My wife on the other hand, is totally opposite. Barely two days before a 14 day trip she only just started figuring out what to bring. She only just opened her new suitcases. 2 days BEFORE she leaves.
How do people live like this?

In my defense, I'm the guy that's going to be bringing cameras with me on just about any trip.
I'll typically bring a main camera like a DSLR. AND I'll also bring my 360 camera and at least one or more gopro's (I have 5 to choose from). Which also means packing extra batteries, chargers, cables, cases, possibly tripods  or other accessories depending on the type of trip;  also a laptop and external hard drive. If there's diving or snorkeling involved, then there's underwater camera accessories, and dive gear basics like masks, fins etc.
And I haven't even gotten to packing clothes yet! Most of the important camera gear travels with me in a carry on.

hard case carry on for camera gear and my checked bag. Not pictured is a small carry on backpack.

So I guess you can see why I practice pack. But there's some good reason to do. It allows me to get that urge to over pack out of the way. I'll pack everything I will think I need for a trip. Then I can start eliminating what I really don't need. And I do try to scale back on things, really I do. I tend to bring a lot of contingency things along- I don't rely on my destinations to have what I may need. Rarely will I use on site laundry services- I have done it though; on cruises laundry service is rather expensive and if I'm staying in other countries, I am not confident that water and local detergents won't be an issue or that I will "lose" some clothing in the process. I'll also bring any OTC meds I think I might need rather than relying on local stores to have something of questionable equivalence- if at all.

While I'm practice packing, if there's any thing i realize I need to bring along, I'll take care of immediately, rather than trying to remember later or creating a long last minute packing list. If there are things I can pack right a way, I'll just leave them packed. Doing a practice pack a week or so before the trip, give me time to wash it, and also this gives me time to adjust or buy something that I may need.  PRO TIP: my toiletries bag is redundant with it's own toothbrush, deodorant and stuff. so I can just grab and go without forgetting to bring anything.  PRO TIP: it gets restocked AFTER I get back and then put away for next time.)

I use those compression bags- Not the attach to vacuum ones, but the roll up ones. This way you don't need a vacuum or have to pack a pump to bring along.   These work great for stuff that can get wrinkled, like socks and sleepwear. and I do believe it does save space. But where it really comes in handy is on the return trip as i can then just compress any used clothing for the trip home.
(PRO TIP: bring a scented garbage bag with for keeping any dirty laundry separate and to help offset any smell. Bonus: it helps keep the rest of your packed clothes smelling good too. Yes, you can also compress the dirty clothes bag  in your compression bag too. Another  PRO TIP: use tea bags as deodorizers for sneakers or other shoes. They are small, and cheap and work great... just don't use them for making tea afterwards.)

Be aware of your overpacking tendencies. Embrace the practice pack!
(Here's another PRO TIP: Always leave yourself room for bringing back a few souvenirs!)

VIDEO: Anthem of the Seas 1 Bedroom Owner's Suite #11234

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas

1 Bedroom Owner's Suite #11234

see video on youtube: https://youtu.be/51iiTaoLQwc

You can get a lot more elbow room with a suite!

Thoughts on choosing a stateroom...
When considering a cruise we try to research potential rooms, and a lot of that is via YouTube. We do this a lot! There are tons of videos on YouTube, but we couldn't find one for this room specifically so we uploaded our own.

Cruises can be expensive. For many people just getting a room with a balcony is a splurge, or perhaps it's more affordable to have an interior room. There are other factors you may want to consider about where on the ship the room is located. Towards the bow? Near elevators or close to the buffet? on the Port side? On what deck? etc.

Being able to see the space of the room can be helpful in your decision making, and if you are able to look up a specific room, or perhaps nearby on the same deck, you can get a better understanding of what to expect. Are there obstructed views on the balcony, like lifeboats or overhangs? How big is that mini-fridge? How many hangers are in the closet? Finding out these little details ahead of time can really help make a cruise (that much) more enjoyable. 

Many of our cruises have to also accommodate an older person with a mobility scooter. Getting a suite might seem to be more the expensive option but there is considerable value in having ample space for 2-3 people, luggage, and a scooter. (Leaving a scooter in a hallway, risks damage, theft and inconvenience). Additionally, suites tend to come with perks (the cruise line and suite level can vary this) drink packages, internet packages are typically included, whereas they are an additional cost to that "cost saving" interior room. If a suite is just not an option financially, a budget friendly alternative is to consider 2 adjacent staterooms with an interior connecting door.

Suite Advice:

• Work with a travel agent to get better rates 
• Keep an eye out for sales and specials! 
• Book early (potentially even a year out) to get good rates (Plus it gives you more time to help pay off any costs).

For Anthem of the Seas, a 1 bedroom owner suite was available. One of the standouts for this room is the generous balcony size. The average stateroom with balcony on Anthem has between 55-65 sq. ft of balcony space. THIS suite has an impressive 259 sq.ft.!

ROYMAURITSEN.COM website rebuild!

Welcome to the newly renovated ROYMAURITSEN.COM!

It's a New Year and time for new things! Originally, my website was created to showcase my artwork- mainly the chesspieces series, convention appearances and later included promotion of all things related to my 2 novels- the  Shards of the Glass Slipper series. But I've been having a shift in creative focus these past few years, and my website was not keeping up.

Still, change is always a good thing!

I've rebranded the website with a broader interest.Travel and photography. I've alwys been a photographer and it's time to put this in the spotlight! I've selected over 100 of my personal favorites and popular photos- The best of the best to share! (Even a few "never before seen")! I've gone back to as many of the original files and high rez versions of these photos as I could find and refreshed them; improved color and details in many cases.

Additionally, this new direction opens the website up to share more. This blog will become more active with my observations for photography, travel, adventure, gear, reviews, videos etc.

BY POPULAR DEMAND! This website will now have the option to purchase my prints in various sizes (there are some specific photos that will not be available to purchase, but more the exception than the rule)! 
***Due to the varied nature of the photos sizes and aspect ratios, they may not all conform perfectly to "standard print sizes" so some cropping may be required.

Also available! Refreshed versions of my popular Chesspieces series artwork are featured here too.

I'm excited about this expansion! It's going to open up a lot more opportunities.

ShardsoftheGlassSlipper.com is still active! However much of that website content is no longer available. (you can find a few select pieces of artwork on the new Roymauritsen.com site) That website address now links directly to the books available on Amazon.com.