Co-author of “100 Things to Do Before You Die” recently died: Sad news and a reminder to not wait to travel

If there was ever an indication that one should seize the day and not wait to take that wonderful trip you’ve always wanted to go on, it’s this story at msnbc.com.

Dave Freeman, the co-author of 100 Things to Do Before You Die: Travel Events You Just Can’t Miss unexpectedly died on August 17. He fell and hit is head in his own house. He was only 47.

As a person who is reaching a hallmark birthday this coming Saturday, I can say that the title of the book certainly gives me the sense that time can slip by if one is not careful. Freeman’s death, illustrates the point. It also points to how unpredictable life is anyway, so why not take chances?

Sure there are the health threats that may loom in the future: cancer, diabetes and heart failure that niggle at you to hit the road while you still can, but there is the truth that anything can happen at any time, so don’t fret the small stuff and travel. Take a risk.

A friend of mine once borrowed money, for example, to come to visit me while I was a Peace Corps volunteer in The Gambia when we were both single. Years later, she recently returned from a trip to Peru with her husband. They left their elementary age children at home.

Whenever I wonder if a trip makes sense, I think of my friend, and how her life has continued to be one open to surprises even though she is the most organized person I know. She’s the reason I applied to go to school in Denmark when I was in college. I partially tribute her to my life that is largely one filled with travel.

For ideas on where to start traveling and what to look for when you go, Freeman’s book is a place turn to for ideas that offer some extra umph. I’m sure Freeman felt the pull of urgency to not waste time which is probably why he picked this topic in the first place. I hope that Freeman was able to see and do the 100 ideas he wrote about.

If you pick up the book and hit one of the places Freeman and his co-author Neil Teplica recommends, tip your hat to the sky and give him a big thank you.

If any of you have used Freeman’s and Teplica’s suggestions already, please let us know. It would be neat to see just how many people Freeman influenced while he was gracing the planet with his presence. How wonderful that his influence can live on.