I haven’t decided if I’ll keep this series going: 200 seems like a natural stopping point, but it’s also a lot of fun and I continue to come up with fresh ideas. Regardless of next steps, 200 felt like a good place to pause and recap the many lists of things I had/have never done.
Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. Part 8. Part 9. Part 10. Part 11. Part 12. Part 13. Part 14. Part 15. Part 16. Part 17. Part 18. Part 19. Part 20.
When I posted List #19, my friend Jan commented: It would be interesting to see if over the course of your “Never have I ever…” posts, you’ve actually done some of the things.
My answer to that is YES!
I had a great time reading over my compilation of Never Have I Evers to check for updates, which I’ll share now…
NEVER HAVE I EVER TO… YES I HAVE!
I tried Marmite in London—#123—and haggis in Scotland (#24)!
Speaking of London, that’s where I got my first taste of Hop On/Hop Off bus tours (#142).
I used Reddit (#3) to figure out the best place to catch a gondola ride in Venice (Ponte San Polo was the consensus and it worked like a charm for us).
I’m counting our 19-hour cruise from Helsinki to Stockholm as “taken a cruise vacation”—#12—though it might be a bit a stretch?
John bought me an Instant Pot for Christmas, so I’m counting that as using a pressure cooker (#69).
I’ve tried Starbucks drinks several times over the last year (#23, including with SHU and Kae!!), and I’ve had multiple cups of black coffee—#30—at this point.
And while I didn’t actually get behind the wheel to drive, I experienced lots of time as a passenger on the left side of the road when we were in the UK—#100. (Rachel did a fabulous job of navigating, even if everything felt very topsy turvy to me; I tried to get into her car on the “North American side” as a passenger the first few times.)
People sweetly insisted I HAVE gone waterskiing (#190) despite not successfully getting up on said waterskis, so I’ll go ahead and give myself a point for that, too.
While I can’t remember the exact date, I know I have now had a sip of Mountain Dew (yuck; NOT MY THING), so that’s #72 checked off the list. I don’t have plans to repeat the experience.
ELISABETH’S SCORE
Admittedly, this is a highly personal list of things I’d never done, so I’m impressed I managed to move various items from my Never Have I Ever list into the Been There, Done That category.
Drumroll:
I scored 11/200.
THE FULL LIST
I realize it is going to take some dedication for readers to go through the entirety of Never Have I Evers. While there’s no pressure to go through this list and come up with a score, I’ll award anyone who does a million (virtual) bonus points!
- Been pulled over by the police.
- Had a salon manicure.
Used Reddit.- Gotten a tattoo.
- Cleaned an oven.
- Had an Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X, or Threads account. (I had Facebook for a few years in university, but that’s over 15 years ago.)
- Worn a cast.
- Attended a professional sporting event (or, for that matter, a major concert—I saw Joss Stone perform at a small venue in Montreal 20 years ago; it doesn’t really feel like that counts).
- Had pink eye.
- Run a marathon.
- Owned a dog or a cat.
Taken a cruise vacation.- Boosted a car battery. (I’ve had other people boost my car battery, but I’ve never actually been brave enough to operate the cables.)
- Gone skydiving or bungee jumping or mountain climbing.
- Visited any continent other than North America or Europe.
- Pierced anything other than each earlobe (once).
- Been diagnosed with pneumonia.
- Worn braces.
- Been able to wiggle my ears or roll my tongue.
- Purchased a brand new vehicle.
- Smoked a cigarette.
- Gone scuba diving.
Ordered anything at Starbucks(I have used their free bathrooms and I once bought a bag of Starbucks coffee at the grocery store, but I’m not counting that).Eaten haggis.- Read the Iliad or the Odyssey. [I have now seen a film version of The Odyssey!]
- Slept under the stars without a tent.
- Learned to juggle.
- Thrown a “message in a bottle” into the ocean. (I’ve never discovered a message in a bottle either.)
- Learned to play chess.
Consumed an entire cup of black coffee.- Fainted.
- Ridden on a camel.
- Slept in a car overnight.
- Gone to an airport and purchased a plane ticket on the spot.
- Attended a professional sporting event (e.g. MLB, NBA, NFL, etc.).
- Had a root canal.
- Been to the top of the Empire State Building in New York City.
- Attended a book signing.
- Accidentally worn two different shoes out of the house (though I have left wearing sweaters or exercise pants inside out on numerous occasions).
- Attempted to break a Guinness World Record.
- Gone axe throwing. (I have used an axe to chop wood, though.)
- Sewn an entire article of clothing (this includes knitting).
- Done a Polar Plunge.
- Had a personal run-in with poison ivy. (My son had an especially memorable—for all the worst reasons—experience with poison ivy.)
- Learned how to competently play an instrument. (One of my biggest life regrets is not sticking with piano lessons).
- Gone white-water rafting.
- Had my legs, armpits, or eyebrows waxed. Ouch!
- Sent food back at a restaurant.
- Ridden inside a limousine.
- Walked out of a movie theatre before the movie finished.
- Watched an episode of Bluey.
- Travelled outside of Canada over the Christmas holiday.
- Been in a row boat (though I’ve spent countless hours in canoes).
- Permed my hair.
- Learned how to tie a bow tie.
- Made or received a collect call.
- Been an extra in a movie.
- Visited any Canadian province west of Ontario.
- Played Minecraft. (Indy is happy to pick up my slack.)
- Changed a flat tire.
- Seen a crocodile or alligator in the wild.
- Been to a circus.
- Had a walk-in bedroom closet.
- Missed an airline flight.
- Sung karaoke.
- Visited a volcano.
- Eaten an insect (on purpose—there was an incident my first time at summer camp when we were playing hide and seek and I accidentally inhaled a dead fly under my bunk bed. That was 30 years ago, and I’m still traumatized by the memory).
- Painted a room (by myself or with someone).
Used a pressure cooker.- Attended a high school reunion.
- Used a metal detector.
Consumed Mountain Dew (I have tried Dr. Pepper, though!)- Had a part of my body impacted by frostbite.
- Owned a dog or a cat. [Just realizing this was repeated from #11. Oops…]
- Caught a wave on a surfboard. (I’ve tried surfing, but never managed to actually get my body upright.)
- Eaten something so spicy it made me cry.
- Ridden in a convertible.
- Touched a tarantula.
- Had lice. (Ditto for the kids, thank goodness.)
- Eaten raw oysters.
- Made homemade yogurt.
- Participated in a parade (I’ve watched a few and have always been underwhelmed).
- Eaten dandelion greens.
- Owned chickens.
- Laminated anything.
- Taken an item to a pawn shop. (Or bought an item at a pawn shop.)
- Entered a hot dog eating contest.
- Attended a Renaissance Fair(e).
- Used a neti pot.
- Slept in a hammock overnight.
- Crossed a provincial, state, or international border on foot.
- Been summoned for jury duty.
- Started a campfire without matches or a lighter.
- Crashed a wedding. (I can’t imagine doing something like this.)
- Used gold leaf while preparing a fancy dessert.
- Been mistaken for a celebrity or someone famous. (But one of my favourite things to do is look for celebrity lookalikes.)
- Taken a lie detector test.
- Donated blood. (I’d love to, but had chronic anemia for many years so, alas, it’s not currently an option.)
- Used a fire extinguisher. (Thankfully!)
Driven on the left side of the road.[A stretch, but I’m counting it.]- Gone hitchhiking. (As a kid, I was definitely in the car when my dad picked up hitchhikers, which wasn’t all that unusual at the time. In university, I worked with someone who hitchhiked the whole way across Canada with his girlfriend. And my uncle hitchhiked ten hours home every holiday during his undergrad in the late 1960s. Times change.)
- Gone go-carting.
- Slept in a yurt. (I have slept in a tent many times, though.)
- Sent or received a message in Morse code.
- Consumed coconut water straight from a coconut. (To be fair, I don’t think I’ve had coconut water from a can, either.)
- Been part of an official sand-sculpting competition.
- Hung wallpaper.
- Looked through a telescope. (I’m surprised I haven’t managed to do this in my lifetime.)
- Lost my wallet.
- Foraged for wild mushrooms (and/or eaten them).
- Beaten a video game. (To be fair, I almost never play video games, which definitely makes it harder to beat them.)
- Used a chainsaw.
- Hiked on a glacier. (I’ve never even seen one in person.)
- Tried cupping therapy.
- Gone on a silent retreat. (This sounds dreamy after a full summer at home with the kids.)
- Done a “Dine and Dash” at a restaurant.
- Spent a night in jail. (Thank goodness.)
- Carried a picture in my wallet.
- Made homemade soap.
- Eaten durian.
- Taken photos in a photo booth.
- Cooked with saffron.
Tasted Vegemite (or Marmite).- Learned sign language. (I know the signs for “more” and “thank you”…)
- Solved a Rubik’s cube.
- Donated my hair.
- Been stung by a jellyfish.
- Taken a Polaroid picture. (Or even shaken one; why yes, I am singing Hey Ya! in my head right now.)
- Completed a jigsaw puzzle over 1,000 pieces.
- Accidentally (or intentionally) set off a fire alarm.
- Topped up/changed any fluid in a car OTHER THAN GASOLINE. (Not oil, not radiator fluid, not even windshield washing fluid.)
- Gotten gum stuck in my hair.
- Taken an item of my own clothing to a dry cleaner. (I once took one of John’s suit jackets, and that remains the only time I have ever set foot in a dry cleaner in my entire life.)
- Been diagnosed with a UTI.
- Lost a fingernail or toenail. (Thank goodness—OUCH.)
- Used crutches.
- Gone dog sledding.
- Purchased (or been given) a lottery ticket. (Which obviously means I’ve never won any money via a lottery ticket.)
- Jumped on a pogo stick.
- Used a sourdough starter. (No pandemic bread for me!)
- Tried caviar.
Taken a hop-on, hop-off tour bus.- Completed an escape room.
- Been inside a sensory deprivation tank.
- Created something with a label maker.
- Ridden in a sidecar on a motorcycle. (I have ridden on the back of one.)
- Stayed overnight in a hostel.
- Made a jar of preserves like jam or pickles. (I’ve helped my mom, but I’ve never made a batch by myself.)
- Gone whale watching.
- Used a DNA ancestry kit.
- Eaten at Taco Bell.
- Ridden a Segway.
- Gotten lost in a corn maze.
- Applied lipliner.
- Used a manual (non-motorized) lawnmower.
- Been a spectator (or participant—that likely goes without saying) at the Olympics.
- Eaten ceviche.
- Waitressed at a restaurant.
- Used a snowblower.
- Had a microblading procedure done.
- Tried fresh sugar cane. (Jenny mentioned this recently and I immediately knew it would go on my next Never Have I Ever list.)
- Gone skinny dipping.
- Followed a vegetarian or vegan diet for an extended period of time.
- Entered a 50/50 draw. (Alas, this also means I’ve never won.)
- Created a Build-A-Bear.
- Picked citrus fruit off a tree. (The east coast of Canada is not prime citrus-growing territory!)
- Led the national anthem at a sporting event. (I’ve been part of the crowd, singing along.)
- Fed a reindeer. (But many people in Finland certainly have!)
- Read a single chapter of War and Peace.
- Ordered room service at a hotel. (This seems like very low-hanging fruit!)
- Completed a NYT Crossword puzzle.
- Seen an ancient wonder of the world. (I’ve seen the Colosseum which is on the list for modern wonders of the world; to be fair the only existing ancient wonder is The Great Pyramid of Giza.)
- Driven in a Tesla, McLaren, Bentley, or Lamborgini.
- Visited Radio City Music Hall.
- Watched an episode of Real Housewives.
- Gone on a safari.
- Attended an antiques auction. (In general, antiques do not appeal to me.)
- Followed a No-Poo hair-washing method.
- Lost an adult tooth (not counting wisdom teeth).
- Been in the audience of a live TV show taping.
- Travelled on a plane with my parents or siblings.
- Spent a night in a hotel room with my parents or siblings.
- Spent a night in a hotel room by myself!
- Attended a Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
- Worn a fascinator (or any fancy hat, for that matter).
- Read a complete book in a different language.
- Gone to the movies on opening night.
- Attended a horse race (or watched one live on TV).
- Tried lychee.
Gone waterskiing. (I’ve tried twice, but couldn’t get up either time. Womp, womp.)- Ridden a mechanical bull.
- Attended a comic convention.
- Gone ice fishing. (I’ve seen huts set up out on the lake where my parents live.)
- Developed photographs in a darkroom.
- Been bitten by a snake. (THANK GOODNESS!)
- Ridden a snowmobile.
- Flown in a hot-air balloon. (There are local options to do this, but I’m not especially keen.)
- Performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on someone.
- Sent a fax.
- Attended a courtroom trial.
Your turn.
- What’s your score out of 200 (technically 199 since I have just realized I repeated the dog/cat ownership)?
- Pick a few things from this list you’ve never done that you actually WANT to do!
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Oh my gosh this list has so many great ideas on it of things to do, and so many things I wish never ever to do haha.
But I’ve definitely grabbed some inspo for my 52 in 52 list for next year.
Like play a game of chess against my son. He goes to Chess Club and really knows his stuff. I know the utter basics. So he will cream me, and my pride will get damaged. But this would be fun to do for some bonding time, so on the list it goes!
Yay! I love that this list inspired a few things on your own list <3
Just out of curiosity, how do you come up with these? Do you just have a brainstorming session? What’s your thought process? As you go through your normal life, do things come up that you file away for future Never Have I Evers? This is quite an eclectic list!!!
Most of the time I’ll be just bumping through normal life and see something and think: I’ve never done that. Sometimes I actually sit down and brainstorm to come up with ideas. Or sometimes a blog reader will say something and that will set off the idea in my head or I’ll Google lists of things that might belong on a Never Have I Ever list. But I TRY to come up with things that could potentially be on someone else’s list. (Though the fact that Lisa has ridden a mechanical bull still AMAZES me.)
I’m 76/199. I’d love to spend some time in a yurt or go dog sledding. Those sound like fun! There are some that don’t sound like fun at all – getting bitten by a snake? no thanks!
Agreed. Some things sound truly terrible!
I love that you have done 11 of these things since posting about them! Which things do you think you are most likely to cross off the list in future? Which things are you not even going to PRETEND you’ll cross off?
Hmmm. I think some of the travel/adventure style ones I might do (like, I CAN see dogsledding at some point; I CAN see having a dog/cat at some point, theoretically). I suspect it’s highly unlikely I’ll ever get a tattoo and I sure hope I never get stung by a jellyfish!
Great that you crossed off almost a dozen from the list over the past while. I’ve done a surprising number of your 200 things – but then I’m no spring chicken:) I looked to see if there was an item we could do together to cross it off your list, but nothing jumped out at me. And I misread “made handmade soup” rather than handmade soap:)
Ohh! Love the idea of combining crossing something off the list with doing it with a friend!
None of the things on my list are deep burning desires for me. That might be a fun next thing to do as a series. Never Have I Evers that I REALLY want to do. I suspect most of them would be travel based?
If I haven’t done one yet, I probably won’t! Definitely will avoid Marmite at all costs.
And given that dog and cat are two pets, we’ll just count that as two separate items.
Yes, let’s go with your idea of counting them separate 🙂 200 does sound better than 199.
Marmite was… not very good, IMO. But I also now know a little goes a LONG way. I spread it on thick and one bite was all I managed. I think less is more.
This is a fun revisit, and what a great imagination you have to come up with all these things! I got 81/199. Some of the things on your list I’d like to do – visit Radio City Music Hall – and some are a hard pass and am glad I haven’t experienced – stung by a jellyfish!!
Agreed! Never been stung by a jellyfish and VERY much hope to keep it that way.
Jenny beat me to my question! I was also wondering his you came up with the lists! I’ve done 48-52 of the 200. Depends on if a couple very close things count!
Done 70 of these. Come visit me and we can pick some oranges or lemons!
#8 and #35 appear to be the same thing. So, maybe my score is 69.
I would love to pick citrus fruit with you, Jana!
77/200 for me! It would be fun for you to revisit this list every 5 years or so and compare your answers. A few of these were things I completed from my 30 Before 30 list (skydiving, making pickles, eating caviar).
I highly, highly recommend spending a night in a hotel by yourself. It’s one of my favourite things ever. I’ve done it maybe five times in my life and I just love it.
I think I would enjoy an overnight solo hotel stay and I feel like this will likely happen… at some point?
Also, since getting married, I’ve never slept in my apartment/house alone. Not a single time! Either John is home (when the two kids have been away together), or at least one kiddo is home with me. So I haven’t woken up alone a SINGLE TIME in over 17 years. That’s… wild!
I have done 119 of your things! Fun fact: I had to once give the Heimlich to myself!
ACK! Good skill to have though!
That is taking things to a whole new level. Also, 119?? I have a suspicion you may be the highest scorer.
I want to do 5 more things off of your list, because I’ve done 95 and that would make it an even 100! Which 5 would I like to do though…hmmm…go on safari, visit another continent besides North America and Europe, Western Canada (specifically I want to see BC), eat dandelion greens, go dog sledding. I’ll add a few more that I know won’t happen – learn an instrument, because my interest level is low enough that I know it won’t happen, but it would be cool; be able to roll my tongue (not something I can learn, it’s inherited). I was shocked that you had never made homemade soup, I’ve seen you post about it…then realized you wrote SOAP. And you counted sporting events twice (8 and 35). Between the double count for sporting events and dogs, I guess I’m really at 93.
Oops. TWO doubly listed things.
A non-insignificant number of people have thought I said soup, not soap. I make soup… basically weekly this time of year 🙂
I feel like trying dandelion greens would be a very easy one for me because I know someone who does a lot of foraging and consumes quite a few dandelion greens in the summer!
Also, I generally have no interest in an escape room, but would totally do one with some cool bloggers! AND, I suspect you could find some citrus to pick when you’re in San Diego next year! Keep your eyes open!
I also never want to be stung by a jellyfish! I was feet away when my cousin was, and it was HORRIBLE.
The closest I’ve come to being stung is watching the Friends episode about the jellyfish sting!
I am going to see if I can pick an orange or a lemon.
And agreed that doing just about anything (including an escape room) with cool bloggers would be a total blast.
Wow, what an amazing list! I have done 56 of your things. The one that made me smile is that you’ve never sent a fax. Is there anything I’d like to do on the list? Some of the travel things sound interesting. But honestly, I’m quite happy NOT doing most of them!
I just missed the fax era. Also, I never worked in an office. So faxes were still very much a common thing, but I wasn’t in the right environment to need to use them!
I’m at 62 of these! But there are many that I’ve never done, and some that I’ve only done once and were a long forgotten memory that your post stirred back up!
It only takes once to cross it off the list! I’ve eaten Marmite once and that might be the right amount of times 🙂
Ahhhh these are just so much fun to read through. Get to know you better and at the same time wonder if I have done these things or if I ever want to. I have jotted down a few on my drafts for future posts. I never come up with a 200. And it seems for me it is easier to come up with things I have done. Fun.
And congrats for crossing 11 things off the original list.