I stared at the blank piece of paper. I was attempting to write out my deployment bucket list, but I wasn’t sure how to start.
It was so intimidating! I knew he would be gone for months, and I knew that I wanted to better myself. However, when it came time to write it down, my mind went blank. However, over the years, and 7 deployments later, I have come up with a lot of options. Some I have completed and others are yet to come.
So if you are thinking of what to put on your deployment bucket list. Here are over 100 different options covering several different areas of interest. Find what works for you!
Health And Fitness
- Run a 5K or 10K.
- Run _______.
- Try zumba.
- Exercise every day for a month.
- Sign up for Crossfit.
- Try [fitness regimen].
- Try [diet regimen].
- Think outside of your comfort zone, such as yoga
- Go vegetarian for a week.
- Go vegan for a week.
- Try a Whole 30
- Cut all red meats from your diet for one month.
- Go ice-skating.
- Go inline skating.
- Complete a 30 day plank challenge.
- Go skiing.
- Go surfing.
- Hike ________ trails.
- Go wake boarding.
- Run/walk [chosen number of miles].
Skills
- Learn a new language
- Learn how to sew.
- Build a website and learn to code.
- Try your hand at origami.
- Cook your way through Julia Child’s Cookbook
- Learn how to play guitar.
- Take vocal lessons.
- Attend a lecture at a local college, bookstore, or library.
- Learn to coupon
- Take an art class.
- Start a DIY project around the house. It can be a craft or a home improvement project.
- Learn how to garden.
- Enroll in a college course.
- Learn how to make a dish from another culture.
- Teach someone else how to [insert skill]
- Learn to knit or crochet.
- Learn how to perform a magic trick.
- Take an improv class.
- Learn how to make ice cream.
Creative
- Read all the Best Books For Military Spouses
- Read all of [chosen author’s] books.
- Make a birthday or holiday present for your deployed loved one.
- Go to a live concert.
- Make a super awesome deployment playlist.
- Go to a local art museum.
- Change out the pictures in your picture frames.
- Go on a photo safari.
- Attend live theater.
- Keep a journal.
- Grow a garden.
- Get a tattoo.
- Complete a 1000 piece puzzle.
- Do a closet makeover or Capsule Wardrobe
- Repaint your bedroom.
- Rearrange your living room.
- Create a recipe binder.
- Find movies from your childhood and rewatch them
- Make a wedding scrapbook.
- Create a flower arrangement, whether fake or real.
- Write a book or short story.
- Illustrate another’s work.
- Write a song.
- Write a poem.
Career And Finances
- Write a business plan.
- Update your resume.
- Create or update your LinkedIn profile.
- Find a career mentor.
- Apply for a dream job.
- Create a professional website for yourself.
- Apply for an LLC.
- Attend a conference in your field of interest
- Apply for a speaking engagement in your field.
- Apply for an award in your field.
- Write and submit an article to a publication in your field.
- Complete a certification that will advance you professionally.
- Save [choose amount] every month.
- Challenge yourself to a no-buy month.
- Challenge yourself to a no-eating-out month.
- Learn how to coupon
- Cut cable or subscriptions
- Begin saving for retirement.
- Plan and save for an after-deployment vacation.
- Begin college funds for your kids.
- Start a date change jar for when deployment is over.
- Donate to charity.
- Call companies you purchase services from (insurance, entertainment, etc.) and negotiate lower rates.
- Begin saving for your forever home.
- Pay off a credit card bill.
- Pay off a portion (or all) of a student loan debt.
Relationships
- Write your loved one a letter every day for one month.
- Write your loved one a letter every day for the entire deployment.
- Plan out crazy, fun care packages. Themed care packages are fun for you and your spouse.
- Write each of your children a letter.
- Write a note to someone in your life once a month.
- Send a postcard to a friend.
- Invite a friend over for a spa day.
- Invite a friend or someone you would like to get to know better to grab some coffee.
- Connect with old friends on Facebook, email or phone.
- Host or help plan a family reunion.
- Plan a girls’ night with friends.
- Get involved with your FRG. These spouses are a great support.
- Start a new holiday tradition with your family.
Experiences
- Visit a new restaurant in your town.
- Join a book club.
- Bowling is a classic.
- Attend a spa or counseling retreat.
- Visit a veteran-owned small business you’ve never been to.
- Go to a community event you normally wouldn’t attend.
- Get a massage.
- Go to a yoga class.
- Go sailing
- Find a series to binge watch.
- Volunteer at an animal shelter or assisted living facility.
- Go zip lining.
- Go rock-climbing.
- Host a craft night. Invite all your friends and create together.
- Attend a murder mystery dinner.
- Go to the movies by yourself.
- Find a new restaurant that you’ve been wanting to try and go.
- Go indoor sky-diving.
- Go outdoor sky-diving.
- Get a manicure or pedicure.
- Do some genealogical research on your family.
- Go paint balling.
- Plan your dream vacation for after the deployment. You don’t actually have to take the vacation, sometimes just planning it is fun.
Do whatever makes you happy
Like everything in life, deployment is what you make of it. Things will happen during deployment that are out of your control and can be difficult. There are so many reasons why it can be hard. But a deployment bucket list can help you look at life with joy during a time you might not otherwise feel so cheery. It can help give you purpose and focus when you might be struggling to feel those things. And it can be a way to give yourself permission to really live, even when the love of your life is far from home.
