Kristine Joy, Writer

Mission:

Chalk up another 10 crazy life experiences before the end of the year.

Wellness Why(s):

All Inclusive

The Nuts & Bolts:

I referenced having been called crazy on more than one occasion in a former post. In those instances, the remarks had been meant to indicate that I was irrational or weird. But, I have also been called crazy as in adventurous, on more than one occasion, or unique:

You are the craziest woman that I’ve ever known in my life, and I mean that as a compliment!
– Brad F.

Whether I’m actually crazy or not, in a good or bad way, isn’t all that relevant, but I suppose the personality or reputation on top of my feeling a bit stagnant in life is what lead me to recently google the phrase “crazy things to do in your life“.

I surprised myself (but probably not Brad F.) to learn that I have already completed a number of (50+) life experiences that others (Anna Faustino, Megan Hatch) deem crazy:

• Watch the sunrise from the mountains.
• Drive cross-country on a road trip around the Balkans from the Midwest to the East Coast, Florida, Texas, Oregon’s Highway 101, Glacier National Park, and many places in between.
• Visit all 20+ of the National Parks.
• Cook over an open fire.
• Make it your quest to find THE PERFECT BURGER (we didn’t have to go very far and you can find it here).
• Go skydiving.
• Go whitewater rafting.
• Sign up for a Triathlon (thinking the completion of 4 Ironman events, 3 half Ironman events and too many sprints to remember satisfies the stipulation to SIGN UP for ONE but correct me if I’m wrong here).
• Go camping and sleep under the stars.
• Go on an epic cross country road trip with your spouse.
• Book first class tickets on a long haul flight. Thank you Mom and Dad and pleasure spending time with you Tony Gonzalez.
• Go backpacking with your spouse.
• Hop in a car and go chase a lightning storm (it may have chased us but that counts in my book).
• Witness a solar eclipse.
• Witness a lunar eclipse.
• See the redwoods in California.
• Take a trip to the Grand Canyon.
• Go on a week long cruise. Again, thank you Mom and Dad for taking all of US on an Alaskan Cruise for YOUR 50th Anniversary.
• Spend a week camping off the grid.
• Kiss in the rain. I won’t elaborate (more than the following) but my husband and I more than one upped this task at an undisclosed State Park in Iowa.
• Attempt meditation. I attempted…and failed.
• Go vegetarian for a month.
• Read ten books in a year.
• Learn how to code.
• Hike a new trail new trails here, there, everywhere.
• Adopt a rescue animal. How about two? We love you Crosley and Lu.
• Attend a major sporting event.
  • World Series
  • Wimbledon / U.S. Open
• Be an extra in a movie on a reality TV show.
• Give blood. I almost passed out, but I gave blood.
• Learn how to drive a stick shift. Thank you Dad (who trusts their teenage daughter to drive a stick shift brand new Corvette?!?).
• Rock climb a mountain.
• Read a book before seeing the movie.
• Upload a YouTube video.
• Learn how to do a magic trick.
• Find and work a job that you love.
• Volunteer to help children.
• Go at least 24 hours without internet / electronics.
• Visit Buckingham Palace.
• Cut out alcohol for a week three years.
• Learn how to quilt.
• Bike to another town (or several of them as you traipse through 112 miles in one of four Ironman events).
• Learn how to play an instrument.
• Learn how to surf.
• Become less materialistic.
• Do something people say you can’t do.
• Run a marathon.
• Drive along the Hawaiian coast.
• Explore the big cities of NYC, LA and Chicago.
• Ride a zip line.
• Get high at a coffee shop in Amsterdam at Sitting Bull Campground in Bighorn National Forest.
• Go clubbing in Miami.

Needless to say, I was inspired by life experiences on each list that I had not completed and could conceivably complete yet this year:

• Master cooking one signature meal.
• Dine and meet with a celebrity chef.
• Organize and cook a themed dinner for friends.
• Visit a vineyard and taste wine directly from a barrel.
• Go skinny dipping with your spouse.
• Run away and elope or get married in Las Vegas.
• Book a session in a float tank.
• Get a tattoo.
• Go on a weeklong camping trip by yourself.
• Learn how to bake bread.

And I have a few ideas of my own:

• Learn how to shoot a gun.
• Ride a Harley.
• Bow hunt deer.
• Visit Death Valley National Park.
• Run in the rain (and enjoy the fact that I am running in the rain!).
• Spend an entire day reading.
• Spend time fishing.
• I know how to drive a boat, but I’m not comfortable driving a boat so…..practice driving a boat!

And of course, I had to ask ChatGPT for some new ideas:

ChatGPT Ask

Assume that I have done all of these crazy things (list posted from above). Assume that I plan to complete the following crazy things (list posted from above). What additional crazy fun things can I do to add to my life experiences before the end of 2025 and given the fact that I live in the Midwest and have minimal time to travel extensively?

The entire ChatGPT response is posted below with activities highlighted that I’ve already completed. And here’s the short list of that which I have not done, is of interest and is more possible than not:

• Do a 24-Hour Fitness Challenge
• Write and Mail a Handwritten Letter to 12 People Who Changed Your Life
• Do a Solo Camping Trip with Zero Tech
• Do a Cold Water Plunge Every Day for a Week

Oh, and thank you ChatGPT for the pat on the back! I’m serious when I say that I needed your genuine heartfelt complimentary words:

“You’ve built a life that most people dream about — you’re a wild blend of gritty, curious, strong, and unafraid to live all the way out to the edges.”

Wrapping this up, the goal is to add another 10 crazy life experiences to my tally before the end of 2025; from the above lists of ideas or new, spontaneous, presented to me, etc. Suggestions from you?!? I’m ear and all ears.

10 Crazy Life Experiences Here I Come!

Wellness Spreadsheet:

I will track my crazy life experiences here if you’d like to follow along.

Update On:

December 31st

ChatGPT Answer:

You’ve built a life that most people dream about — you’re a wild blend of gritty, curious, strong, and unafraid to live all the way out to the edges. With your deep list already accomplished or in motion, and limited time to travel beyond the Midwest through 2025, here’s a list of additional crazy-fun, growth-filled, and brag-worthy life experiences you can tackle locally or on short trips:

🔥Midwest-Based, Minimal Travel, Maximum Experience (Before End of 2025)

⚡️ High-Energy, Physical, or Offbeat

1. Do a 24-Hour Fitness Challenge
   (One workout every hour on the hour. Pick a mix: burpees, yoga, treadmill, etc.)
2. Enter a Lumberjack or Highland Games Event
   Yes, they exist in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. Axe throws, keg toss, log rolls.
3. Try Dog Sledding or Skijoring in the Winter
   Available in Minnesota and northern Michigan—one-of-a-kind winter rush.
4. Join a Local Demolition Derby or Mud Truck Rally
   It’s wild. It’s dirty. It’s Midwest-core.
5. Do a “Century Ride” on a Gravel Trail
   100-mile bike day—try the Katy Trail (MO) or Root River Trail (MN).
6. Compete in a “Frozen” Race
   Sign up for a winter 5K/10K that involves snowshoeing, ice climbing, or running in sub-zero temps.
7. Run or Bike to Another State
   Choose a border route from your town and cross over on foot or bike, selfie at the sign.

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🔮 Totally Random & Unforgettable

8. Crash a Niche Convention in Full Costume
   (QuiltCon, Comic Con, UFO Fest, etc.—all within reach by car.)
9. Take a Glassblowing, Blacksmithing, or Butchery Class
   Learn fire skills or primal trades in local workshops.
10. Sleep Overnight in a Haunted Hotel or Abandoned Prison
    Try Ohio State Reformatory (Shawshank), Joliet Prison, or Villisca Axe Murder House.
11. Write and Mail a Handwritten Letter to 12 People Who Changed Your Life
    One each week/month. It’s wild how emotional this gets.
12. Get a Painting of You Doing Something Absurd (like juggling flaming chainsaws)
    Frame it and hang it with pride.

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🎯 Self-Challenges & Personal Grit

13. Do a Solo Camping Trip with Zero Tech
    No phone, no music—just paper maps and your brain. Bonus: bring a journal.
14. Swim Across a Lake (Safely)
    Pick a local spot, wear a buoy, and go full wild-woman energy.
15. Host a Backyard Survival Challenge
    48 hours, no electricity, no running water, no leaving the property.
16. Do a Cold Water Plunge Every Day for a Week
    Midwest weather will help you with this one.

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🎉 Fun, Silly, and Worthy of Telling People Forever

17. Host a Themed Backyard Party with a Ridiculous Dress Code
    “Formal BBQ,” “Dress Like Your Spouse,” or “1990s Prom.”
18. Enter a Local Talent Show with Something You Just Learned
    Magic trick? Harmonica? PowerPoint comedy set? Let’s go.
19. Invent and Document Your Own Town-Wide Scavenger Hunt
    Hide things. Make clues. Enlist friends. Treat it like a low-budget “National Treasure.”
20. Throw a Birthday Party for a Stranger (or Pet at the Shelter)
    Bonus if there are balloons and hats.

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✨ Bucket List but with a Twist

21. Run a Race in a Full Costume (banana, dinosaur, etc.)
    Pick a local 5K and become a legend.
22. Join a Local Parade (on rollerblades, in costume, etc.)
    Many Midwest towns allow participants to join their quirky parades.
23. Get a Tattoo You Design Yourself
    Maybe match it with someone special or tie it to one of these life quests.
24. Write and Record a Short Song or Poem and Upload It
    Doesn’t have to be good—just real.
25. Ride in a Small Plane or Helicopter
    Local aviation schools offer 30-minute “experience” flights.

If you’d like, I can:

• Turn this into a trackable checklist (printable or digital).
• Suggest specific places/events in your state or neighboring ones.
• Help you brainstorm a theme for your “2025 Local Wild Year” project.