Photo provided by Lara Krupicka – Used with permission

Lara Krupicka is a bucket list blogger specializing in family bucket lists. She is also an author and speaker who enjoys helping people “create lives full of meaningful family adventures.”

Her latest book, Bucket List Living for Moms: Become a More Adventurous Parent, “guides moms through the process of designing, implementing, and celebrating a list of how they want to spend their lives” and “offers reassurance and help as moms face the challenge of redefining themselves as people and mothers” (quotes taken from her website). Below, she shares interesting stories, her inspiration, and the best advice she’s ever received.

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Name and blog:
Lara Krupicka at larakrupicka.com – living the bucket list life

Fun fact about you:
I’m addicted to strategy games. A good weekend for me is when I can get my whole family to sit down for a game of Settlers of Catan or Ticket to Ride.

Funner fact:
I managed to get a back stage tour of the Lyric Opera in Chicago by striking up a conversation on a commuter train with the guy who ran the subtitles. It’s a pretty amazing place.

Funnest fact:
I once had a Russian friend take me through parts of Moscow where Americans aren’t welcome, with the warning that if I was asked, I was to say I was Estonian (I think because my command of the language wasn’t terrific).

What do you think has been essential to your success as a bucket list blogger?
Keeping it real. I’m just a suburban mom of three kids. No corporate sponsors. No special status to give me a leg up on bucket list living. And I try to convey that on my blog. When you’re a parent juggling all the responsibilities of that role, bucket list goals can seem illusive. But I’ve found that moms appreciate hearing about our adventures as an ordinary family, with the thought that maybe they can make their bucket lists happen too. [Editor note: To prevent the Typo Hunters from overrunning the comments: “illusive” is a real word, and is different from “elusive”]

What was something that surprised you about blogging?
I’ve been surprised at how much readers relate to the tough parts of life. It taught me that we all long to know we’re not alone in the challenges we face and the mistakes we make. So I have learned to share about both the good and the bad (although I try not to throw my family under the bus, which makes for a good editorial filter).

If you had to describe your blog in 6 words or less, what would you say?
Regular mom, bucket list life

Who or what inspires you?
People who have found a simple focus for their lives (that benefits others), and who don’t let themselves be taken off course from that focus. Author and speaker Bob Goff comes to mind. He’s so driven by one cause: love in action. And he brings himself fully to it, without apology or conceit. I want to be like that and I want to help others be that way too.

What is your all-time favorite bucket list item (of yours or someone else’s)?
My husband’s bucket list experience playing in the U.S. Disc Golf Championship (the equivalent of playing in the U.S. Open in golf). I loved the week I got to spend with him at the tournament. He’s an avid disc golfer, so it was over-the-top excitement: watching the top players in the world up close and behind the scenes, receiving the five-star treatment afforded to competitors, and watching my husband play in the tournament. Just knowing that this was a dream he had never imagined possible, now come true, made it an unforgettable experience.

If you weren’t doing anything related to your bucket list, what would you be doing in your free time?
I’m a crafter at heart, so I like to spend time in my craft space creating vinyl wall sayings for my kids’ rooms, making cards, and scrapbooking. I also like to read a lot.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Don’t borrow trouble from tomorrow.”

I tend to project into the future and try to plan for every possibility – which is really a form of worrying and trying to control things. But I’m learning (still) that I am much happier when I let go of that control and just focus on what’s in front of me. That doesn’t mean I don’t dream for the future, I just trust that God will work things out according to His plan.

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Thanks, Lara, for sharing your time and thoughts with us!

Want to keep reading? You can read more about Lara, her lists, bucket list experiences, and her books on her website. On the site, she also offers links to her profiles on all the usual social media sites, book excerpts, and free resources and worksheets to help you live your bucket list life.

Who else do you want to see interviewed? If you have an inspiring person in mind, please let me know using the contact form or comments below.

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