Episode 19: The One Where We Make a Midlife Bucket List

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What’s actually on your bucket list in your 40s and 50s — and are you really going to do it?

In this episode of Unfiltered-ish, Natali, Carina, and Nikki dive into bucket list ideas for midlife, from big travel dreams to small, meaningful experiences that make life feel fun again. What starts as a conversation about French Polynesia, New Zealand, the English countryside, and hot air balloon rides quickly expands into something deeper: how do you choose adventure without burning out?

They talk about:

• Creating a midlife bucket list
• Trying new things after 40
• Travel goals like Australia, Croatia, the Galapagos Islands, and Antarctica
• Visiting an elephant sanctuary in Thailand
• Going apple picking in New England
• Taking a hot air balloon ride
• Visiting all seven continents
• Dreaming about world travel without rushing through it

The conversation also moves into creative bucket list ideas, including cooking every recipe from an Ina Garten cookbook, watching The Great British Bake Off together, making flower crowns, taking dance classes, playing pickleball tournaments, and rediscovering fun after seasons of work and responsibility.

They reflect on:

• Why shared experiences with friends matter more than the destination
• The pressure to do “big” things versus meaningful small ones
• How midlife shifts your definition of adventure
• Reclaiming joy after years of ambition, caregiving, or business growth
• Why sometimes the scariest thing is simply trying something new

If you’re building a bucket list in your 40s, questioning your next adventure, craving travel inspiration, or wondering how to bring more fun back into midlife, this episode offers laughter, honesty, and real-life ideas you can actually try.

Unfiltered-ish is a women’s podcast about midlife reinvention, friendship, travel, ambition, and the conversations we don’t always say out loud.