Five Experiences I'd Love To Have

For lack of a better title, here are five experiences I'd love to have. No particular timeframe is specified.

1. Attend a NASCAR race
Yep, I'll admit that I'm a closet NASCAR fan. I'd love to satisfy my inner redneck and go to a race to see what it's all about. I think Talladega would be the best track to attend, since it offers one of the best party scenes and the fastest racing (albeit with restrictor plates) and offers a chance to see the Big One -- a gigantic multi-car pile-up.

2. Go scuba diving
I'm not certified, so I guess I'd have to get trained first. But once I'm trained, I'd love to head somewhere like Roatan or Australia's Gold Coast to see the amazing underwater world.

3. Do a marathon
Notice how I didn't say run. I highly doubt my ability to run 26 miles straight, at least without boatloads of training that I'm not willing to undergo. But I can walk all day long, and if I average 20 minutes per mile (which is what I do while walking around Cambridge), I can finish in a day's time. Backup plan is to strap on the rollerblades.

4. Hike Kilimanjaro
My friend Gabe hiked Africa's highest peak two years back and has regaled me with stories. I've always enjoyed hiking but have never done anything more intense than a day-long trek up one of the White Mountains. I'd enjoy a major ordeal.

5. Skydiving
I finally remembered my fifth activity. Why would I want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane at 10,000 feet? Well, the view and the sensation is a once in a lifetime experience. And it's safe. Relatively.