I grew up in the small town of Rotterdam, New York, just outside of Albany. Ours was a modest, lower-middle-class family. My mom drove a school bus, and my dad worked as a printer for the State of New York. Life was simple. There were no big expectations for me —no one ever told me I needed to be a doctor, a lawyer, or a businessman. I wasn’t even sure I’d go to college. I never felt pressure to succeed and become wealthy. My parents would have been happy if I became a responsible adult and worked at the General Electric factory in Schenectady as my grandfather did. I never had dreams back then to see the world and be an adventurer, and the thought of becoming a doctor wasn’t ever on my radar. I was just an average student in high school and not a bad basketball player. It wasn’t until college and later medical school that I began to find my footing.

 Our family didn’t travel much when I was young. We camped in tents around New York and New Jersey for our vacations. I never went to Disney as a kid. And aside from a trip to Niagara Falls with my grandparents when I was 12, I hadn’t seen much beyond my hometown. In fact, I didn’t even have a passport until I was 48 and took my first trip overseas with my wife. But something changed then. I took my first trip abroad for business, and I fell in love with the world, the people, the cultures, and the shared humanity.  

Since then, I’ve traveled to all seven continents and visited over 60 countries. More than many, fewer than some—but each journey opened my heart and mind in ways I never imagined as a kid from upstate New York. I began to seek out new, exciting things to do near home. Trying new foods and activities and challenging myself to do things out of my comfort zone instilled greater confidence in my character and enhanced my self-esteem. Novelty and finding new experiences became a new positive addiction, or should I better say, passion. I soon recognized the positive effects it had on my mind, brain, and emotional disposition in life. More clearly, I saw the world through a different lens, with greater dimensions, heightened tolerance, and more profound gratitude than ever before.

 As a psychiatrist, I’ve spent my career helping people move toward healing. I’ve learned that while clinical treatments like therapy and medication can push people into a better state, we also need something pulling us forward—a reason to feel better and to want more from life. This is where my bucket list concept intersects with my professional work. A bucket list mentality helps conceptualize and create tangible things that pull people into a better mental place with purpose, meaning, and intentionality and, in doing so, enhances life and personal performance on a daily basis. It energizes us, fuels mental health, and drives personal growth—no matter where we started or how far we’ve gone.

  I share my story in no way to boast, impress, or invite comparison but simply to connect. Like everyone, I’ve had struggles, setbacks, and hardship challenges that have appeared on my social media pages. But the truth is, we all have our own path, our own timing, our own way of healing, and our own version of what fulfillment looks like. My journey isn’t meant to be a standard—it’s just a story, like yours, still unfolding. I hope it reminds you that what matters isn’t how far you’ve gone but how deeply you’re living what matters to you.