I suffer horribly from a condition I like to call “Menu Envy”. I’ll admit that sometimes I am too quick to decide what I want to order in a restaurant and almost without exception determine that one of my fellow diner’s plated food looks much better than my own once the wait staff hands over the chef’s creations. More than a few times I’ve sat picking over my seared Ahi salad while my dinner partner devoured a generous helping of Honey Glazed Chilean Sea Bass, sopping up the last of the delectable curry coconut sauce with fresh sourdough rolls while I try to pretend that the arugula that was served as a bed for my sushi was incredible, adorned only with a little soy sauce. Sometimes, the same thing happens when I compare my bucket list with those of my friends and family. I start to get insecure about some of the items on my list when I hear about places and things that my brethren think are worthy goals. I mean, why did I settle for just having Visit Canada on my bucket list when I could have spiced it up with specific goals, like Skiing at Whistler or touring the Top 10 National Parks?

One of the really fantastic things about what I think is one of the greatest travel oriented websites, TripBucket,  is that you can easily see how many of your fellow Dreamers have a particular destination or achievement on their lists and how many have actually checked specific dreams off. In a section of the website that is nested under the Find a Dream menu you can drill down to Most Popular Dreams. There, you’ll find just how many Users have a dream that interests you on their bucket list and comments about the experiences in quick order are right there as well.

For instance, the Dream to Explore the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is included on more than 700 individual bucket lists AND has been checked off over 2,600 times. Over 870 folks have Explore Yosemite National Park on their to-do lists and almost as many want to watch lava flow down the face of an active volcano at Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park, yet, only 117 have See an Active Volcano on their list. Go figure. I find myself wondering if they know it’s a 2 for 1 special?. I’ve been to Yellowstone National Park on a snowmobile trip that included multiple sightings of Moose, Elk,Buffalo and Big Horn Sheep. It puts a smile on my face to see that 625 other Users want to tromp around the Old Faithful geyser’s home. A sort of validation for me of previous actions, I presume. It’s also interesting to see that more than 2,300 have been there and done that. And, since this adventure is another that is securely placed on my list it’s reassuring to note that almost 900 Dreamers want to head to Alaska to Explore Glacier Bay National Preserve.

It’s surprising to me to find that less than 30 Users want to surf the legendary waves of Hawaii’s North Shore while almost 70 thrill seekers want to take their lives in hand on a Jet Boat Ride between narrow canyons in New Zealand. 300 Dreamers hope to one day navigate the canals of Venice, Italy while nearly the identical number wish to tour Rome’s Colosseum; perhaps in the same trip. I have a visit to Jordan logged into my list of goals in hopes of one day seeing the Rose-Red City that is carved from rock at Petra. Almost 240 others also have this on their bucket list. 265 Dreamers want to go to Paris while slightly more hope to one day Swim with a Whale Shark (but they won’t be doing that in France). 170, or so, hope to one day hoist a mug of frosty cold beer in Munich at Oktoberfest. 470 want to see the Inca estate at Machu Picchu while only about 1/3 of that number want to walk the Inca Trail; the rest will take a bus, I suppose.

While I think it would be cool to learn Japanese, it’s not on my list but it is on the list of 8 other User’s. 29 Dreamers say they want to Lose 20 Pounds but why do I suspect that number should be higher? But, 75 folks say they want to Dive with a Great White Shark – really? Apparently there is only 1 thrill seeker wanting to surf with man-eaters in the ocean off Shipstern Bluff in Tasmania, yet, almost 300 folks want to paddle along with Dolphins in the Wild. Now that I know there is nothing to fear, I added the dream to Dive with Manta Rays off the Kona Coast of Hawaii along with more than 90 others longing for the experience.

Like the selections in a gourmet all-you-can-eat buffet, the more than 7,000 Dreams in the TripBucket inventory beg for discretion and serious investigation before loading up your plate. Right now there are in excess of 324,000 entries on all the registered user’s lists that are either checked off as completed or still need to be fulfilled. While you are building your bucket list it might just make sense to take a look at some of the trips, self-fulfillment goals and experiences that are included on the lists of your fellow Dreamers.

Pass the Soy Sauce, please?