Contemporary romance author Sara Rider isn’t the only one who has a bucket list. And don’t say you’ve never made one—whether it’s written down or in your head, we all have adventures we want to experience during our lives. Taking a lesson from Lainey Lukas, the heroine in her laugh-out-loud sports romance FOR THE WIN, Sara Rider opened with us to share some of the things on her wish list. Don’t miss FOR THE WIN and an exclusive sneak peek of Sara’s next book, KEEPING SCORE, in our brand new anthology, FALL INTO LOVE, on sale now for just $4.99!
The Reverse Bucket List
In For The Win, Lainey Lukas is a world-class soccer player who has sacrificed a lot to become a professional athlete. When the hero, Gabe Havelak, discovers her secret bucket list, he’s surprised to find that it’s not filled with amazing adventures. Instead, it’s a list of boring things she’s put off doing while focusing on her career, like getting a library card and learning to make salsa. But it’s not just top athletes who’ve put off doing little things that could make their lives richer. Today, I’m sharing my reverse-bucket list of mundane things I wish I’d done sooner.
- Buying a proper pillow: After years of kinked necks and restless nights, I finally bought a supportive pillow that lets me sleep in comfort. Why did I wait so long? I have no idea, but I’m glad I finally did it.
- Learning to cook family recipes: Before my mother-in-law passed, she taught me two of her famous Peruvian dishes: ceviche and papas a la huancaina. These recipes are one of the many memories I’ll be able to share with my children about their grandmother. Now, I’m making sure to learn my own family’s recipes while I still have the chance.
- Going for regular manicures: As a chronic nail biter, manicures were never part of my vocabulary. When I was pregnant for the first time, my nails suddenly went from weak and brittle to long, healthy, and desperately in need of some TLC. For those nine months, I went for regular manicures and pedicures. How did I go so long without knowing the benefits of paraffin wax treatment and regular cuticle care? Now that I have two young kids, I don’t have much time for spa visits, but I’ve made a promise to myself to make it a priority in the future.
- Purchasing an e-reader: I was a devout paperback lover until I had my first child. A friend recommended buying an e-reader for those late-night feedings and I’ve never looked back. There are so many incredible authors self-publishing and writing for digital imprints that I would have missed out on without converting to e-reading. Plus, the ability to download a new book with one-click is the best form of instant gratification.
- Getting a decent bike: I’m not proud to admit that I didn’t learn to ride a bike until my twenties. I’m even more ashamed to admit that I spent almost a decade riding a second-hand piece of junk that could only switch between lowest and highest gears. Despite the fact it was given to me by a friend after it was stolen and subsequently recovered by the police in a drug bust years later, I was loyal to my little blue bike. My husband is an avid mountain biker and keeping up with him was incredibly frustrating until he bought me a bike that didn’t require fixing the chain every ten minutes. Until that point, I had no idea that biking could actually be fun. Now, I actually look forward to hitting the trails for a ride whenever I have the chance.
I still need to add learning to drive a stick shift to this list, but that’s an adventure for another day. How about you? Share in the comments what’s on your reverse bucket list!
