Photo Credit: Andrew Najjar

This was one of the goals I added in 2008 during college (along with ride an elephant and ride and ostrich) because I had heard about it and it sounded fun. To fully appreciate why I’m counting this as accomplished, you have to know a little bit about how I approach my List.

I have over 100 things on my List. Some have been accomplished (about 20 or so), many are in progress (almost 20). I continually add new things to the List, which means my List is growing, while at the same time, the number of years left in my life (hopefully many) is decreasing. So there’s a little bit of urgency especially for the things that seem more unusual or more difficult to accomplish. I like getting them done in any way possible, so long as they are satisfying to me.

So when I told some friends about the way in which I accomplished this goal, they laughed and seemed disappointed. They said it didn’t count. I said I have too many things on the List to be extra picky about if it counts and I don’t have a strong preference for this particular List item to care. (There are some I plan to redo because I’m not counting them as really accomplished the first time I did this). The actual goal (ride a camel) was accomplished, just not in the way/setting I’d expected.

Besides, I think it counts, and that’s what matters most. It’s my list.

In 2011, I was with my family at the Puyallup Fair (now called the Washington State Fair), and we saw a camel ride attraction. Two camels, led by a trainer, were available to be ridden around a circle a few times, for the low price of $5. A small child was in line before me, and I realized that it was mostly for children, like pony rides. Whatever, I thought. It’s on my list.

Even the camel’s looking at the camera! 
Photo Credit: Andrew Najjar

The camel I rode was 5 years old and was very soft. Camels aren’t an animal I think about as soft (having never touched one before) but this one was. The ride is a bit rocky but I got used to the way it walked really quickly, which was good, because I only got to go around the circle twice. (Just like the pony rides when I was little!)

It was fun because it was a new experience and on my List. It didn’t take place in the Middle East where I had originally expected it would, but I rode the camel nonetheless.

What do you think? When have you done something on your list in an unexpected way?

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If riding a camel is on your list, you may want to

• read this to think about what questions you may want to ask before getting on a camel: Whoa Camel
• think about if it’s riding the camel or being in a certain location (or both, or something else) that matters most. If it’s just riding the camel, you can always check your state fair.