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Psychologist Dr. Christopher Peterson, who is the author of Pursuing the Good Life, says that a bucket list might help with goal setting but the drawback is that it also implies a "check off the boxes" approach to our time on Earth, which can lead to a superficial sense of fulfillment and distract from deeper, more meaningful experiences.

So let's take a look at a bucket list that is meant to not be completed. An anti-bucket list, if you will. A few days ago, Reddit user TheDeadYeti made a post on the platform, inviting everyone to share the things that they have tried and vowed to never do again. From chasing popularity to staying at hostels, here are the most upvoted entries to the discussion.

#1

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Cave crawling. I've done walking cave tours since this story I'm gonna tell, no problem. What I'm talking about is laying on my stomach and sliding through gaps in caves that look too small for a house cat to slip through. The one that made me reconsider caving as a hobby was a professional cave club tour, but not one advertised to the public because it was so demanding and specialized. I felt really comfortable with the two leads despite some minor claustrophobia because they were highly recommended by the club. I had little pings of fear here and there but the leaders were so comforting that it was adding to the experience rather than taking away from it.

We were probably a quarter mile crawl (no place to even fully get on your hands and knees let alone stand and stretch) one group leader in front and one in back to insure our group was sandwiched by experienced guys. Anyway, the leader was in front of me, two of my group behind me then the 2nd leader. The guy behind me got legitimately stuck and started grabbing and scratching at my legs and feet which sent me into a full blown panic, the third guy got kicked in the nose and lip which pissed him off and caused him try to leave, but this is literally a perfect human sized tunnel so no one could urn around, plus the 2nd leader was behind him blocking him in, causing him to freak out as well. After a solid ten minutes of yelling and kicking at each other, the leaders got us to quiet down enough so they could make a plan. I crawled ahead another 200 feet or so with the 1st lead to a wider gap where we could both get on our hands and knees and turn around, ten minutes ago this big gap would've been a god send, in that moment though I was so panicked it didn't matter, I might as well have been buried alive. Anyway, the lead left me and crawled back to help pull the stuck guy through, but couldn't because he was just too big. The two guys in the back had to crawl all the way out, sliding backwards since they couldn't turn around head first, then the 2nd leader crawled all the way back to pull the stuck guy out. Obviously I immediately agreed to leave when I was told the guys were pulling out and silently cried all the way back.

I have never been so genuinely terrified in my life, it's an indescribable feeling. Imagine every drop of adrenaline your body can produce being pumped through you but not being able to crawl more than four or five feet per minute, soaking wet, covered in stinky mud, freezing cold yet sweat is burning your eyes but your arms are stretched out so far forward so you can only use your dirty finger tips to swipe it away. It was like one of those nightmares where you're trying to run and scream but your legs don't work and your scream for help comes out silent.

I'm glad I did something that scared me that deeply though I'm not sure why lol. It was just a little too close to a real disaster for me. I'll base jump in a squirrel suit before I cave crawl like that again.

Gotcha-bitch_69 , Christopher Politano / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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#2

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Not taking care of my teeth.

Seriously guys, Brush Your F*****g Teeth.

jembutbrodol , Miriam Alonso / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#3

Buy a place with an HOA .. if I do that again. Someone kick me. Hard.
It wouldn't so bad if they weren't such *a*s-douches*.

Eat_Carbs_OD Report

#4

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Date a man that follows Andrew Tate and his comrades in misogyny. The men's rights online coalition and ideology is a problem for all genders.

BetterCatastrophe , Anything Goes With James English / wikipedia Report

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Luke Branwen
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of the eternal mysteries for me is how Tate & those similar to him claim to be the ultimate womanizers with irresistible alpha male aura who can have any woman they point at... and yet I haven't met A SINGLE woman who is attracted to him. I've seen more women lusting over Jack Black than Andrew Tate.

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#5

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Go to Vegas. The disconnect between the lights and flashiness and the poor and homeless begging was unsettling. Plus it's way too hot there for me.

Rainebaelia , Julian Paefgen / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

#6

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Get a puppy. I love this little demon but I’m not doing this again. I’ll adopt some 7 year old lazy mutt.

yaknowit90 , Maria Rosenberg / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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howdylee
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup, I rescued a 2 year old. She came crate trained, potty trained, and knew basic commands and manners. All I had to do was love her! :)

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#7

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Go to disney - OMG what a waste of time and money.

shonuff2653 , Dylan Bman / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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The Other Guest
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to love going to Disneyland, but the magic has worn off for me. It's so crowded you can hardly walk around, the wait to get on a ride is ridiculous even with FastPass (or whatever the current equivilent is; it's been a decade since my last visit), and it's just too dam‍ned expensive. And it's not just inflation; a general admission ticket in 1964 was $1.20, which would be $15.88 today. Now it varies depending on what day of the week/month you want to go, and ranges between $104 and $194. Then there's another $25 to park your car...

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#8

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Hopefully chemotherapy.

HarrySatchel , Ivan Samkov / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Colleen Glim
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Been there, done that. I wouldn’t wish chemo on anybody! Just when you start feeling semi-human, you’re into another round of chemo

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#9

Live with someone.

Dogs, cats, reptiles, rodents? Hell yes. All fine.

A human being? No f*****g thanks.

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#10

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again I once tried to impress a date by ordering the spiciest dish on the menu. I'll never again pretend my taste buds can handle what they clearly can't. Lesson learned: ghost peppers aren't a substitute for personality!

emiiejane_ , emy / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

#11

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Get pregnant.

Labor's not so bad, I can do that. It's the 9 months before and the 4 years after that I won't do again for love nor money.

Kylynara , Jonathan Borba / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Foxxy says Hello
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4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah I'm not doing that again. Thankfully I can't, don't have to worry about accidentally falling preggers.

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#12

A cruise. Average to below average food, watered down drinks, claustrophobic on the ship, contributing to an ecological nightmare, crammed in a boat with hundreds if not thousands of other people, stressful suboptimal excursions...an overall expensive nightmare I have no desire to ever repeat.

Pete_Sweenis Report

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Angela B
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4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have no desire to even try a cruise. Some friends have been, and apparently, had a great time. Hard pass and a firm nope from me.

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#14

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Drinking. Honestly life is funner without the alcohol involved, and it's not fun as you get older.

dooperkariobumshine , Michael Discenza / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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Steve Kenney
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The recommended intake of alcohol is O, think about that. The only way to prevent any negative effects to your body is by never drinking.

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#15

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Attend a massive event. I was at Obama's inauguration in 2008, I went to college nearby and thought it would be cool to be a part of. It was freezing cold, and many people weren't ready for that. I was, but I wasn't ready for the realities of 2.5 million people descending on a city with a population of 600k. No food, no water, no restrooms, no shelter, no room to move at all, nowhere to sit down after hours on end of standing and walking. Trash everywhere, subway stations were a claustrophobic's nightmare, people were fainting from dehydration. I ended up walking over 4 miles over the Potomac to Virginia to catch a train home. Ended up being an exhausting 12 hour day. It's cool to say I was there but I'll never put myself in a crowd that size again.

coombuyah26 , Samantha Gades / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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Ample Aardvark
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I went to watch the new year fireworks in London in 1999/2000. It was ok until I realised every single one of the 20 billion people there would try to get on the tube at the same time as soon as the fireworks were done. So much p**s and vomit everywhere!!

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#16

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again I live in LA so I have routine access to Universal, Disney, Six Flags, Knotts, etc.

I will never go to a park in the summer.

It's 100F. Kids aren't in school so it's packed. You stand in the sun for hours for a 30 second ride.

My dad is coming this weekend and wanted to go to Disney. I flat out refused. We'll go in November.

id_death , Aditya Vyas / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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Foxxy says Hello
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4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If I ever took my kids to a theme park, I would go on a weekday during school hours. The kids can have a few days off school.

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#17

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again I will never have another wedding in my life. If my husband and I divorced, I’m positive I would stay single. I’m not expecting to divorce him. But if I did, I don’t ever want to try it again. One and done. If it doesn’t work with him, I won’t bother ever trying again.

free-toe-pie , Leonardo Miranda / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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Julia H
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm with you. Told hubby if anything happened to him, I will never remarry. He thought I was being romantic. I will never adjust being me for anyone again.

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#18

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Spend time trying to get people to see why I'm worthwhile to be friends with.

OhMyGodBearIsDriving , Min An / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#19

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Attempting to catch escaping Goslings. They have a lovely nest in a large pen with Momma but so far they’ve escaped and got stuck somewhere else 4 times. 4 times today and it’s only 1pm.

Every rescue risks genuine injury from Mum who despite me returning her babies every time and then feeding/watering the family - still tries to kill me for helping.

F*cking Geese Man.

alwaysexplainli5 , Krzysztof Kowalik / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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ArodTheHorrible
Community Member
4 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... geese are a******s

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#20

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Swim in the Dead Sea. Don't do it, fam, it's not worth the risk of TOO MUCH SALT in any opening in your body. Scratched your arm too hard? SALT. Blinked at the moisture in the air? SALT. Spread your legs while having a p*ssy? GUESS, F*****G GUESS. Oh, and here's the fun part, once your tender bodily orifices start burning like the fires of hell from SALT, you *will* start thrashing around because AAAAAA GET IT OUT GET IT OUT GET IT OUT. And that *will* splash water everywhere, causing more tender bodily orifices to get tainted with SALT. By the time you make it back to shore everything will be on fire, and it will take a long, long time to wash all that SALT out. The Dead Sea: not even once.

nopingmywayout , Rhett Noonan / unspalsh (not the actual photo) Report

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MurderMittens
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I loved floating in the Dead Sea! I was probably out there for nearly an hour. The only time it started to burn was after i got out and rinsed off and missed a little spot. You need to rinse thoroughly. This person went into the Dead Sea with open wounds. It's not a good idea to get into any body of water with open wounds.

aubergine10003
Community Member
Premium
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

or maybe they just had more sensitive skin than you seem to

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pebs
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know people who have had a great experience bathing in the Dead Sea. Maybe because they didn't spend time scratching and expelling stuff from all their orifices.

SkippityBoppityBoo
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have actually swam/floated in the Dead Sea and they do give you advice and recommendations on what to do and not to do beforehand. ....... The vagina part? All ours survived it... And NO it doesn't burn your vagina... Chances are that she shaved her lady parts beforehand...

Michelle
Community Member
1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m seriously concerned by OPs spread ur legs and a have a vagina comment…I can honestly say I can be in a body of water and spread my legs and NOT have any of the water enter inside me…only way I see if causing issues is if it got inside or like u suggest a very fresh shave…but she’s not making sound like a shave 😵‍💫

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Nora Smith
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

been there a couple of times, never had a problem, its just weird

Luke Branwen
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Anakin Skywalker if he grew up on an oceanic planet instead of a desert one

Pandamonium
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I went - didn't have problems described, but I can tell you all that salt was really bad for my long hair - should have worn a swim cap or something. Still worth it

Pat Lenzo
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I didn't mind the salt, though I noticed it was much more salty than any ocean I've been in. So salty that I couldn't really swim because too much of me was really on top of the water! Weird feeling.

Hugendubel
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a chill time floating. You prepare yourself that its not a swim in sea. Many people with skin disease go there.

James Woolfenden
Community Member
1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was trying read a book that had scene about swimming diving into the red sea, no mention of the smell and agony of hyper saline water when it meets the human body. Couldn't read another word as I know what that's really like.

Richard Head
Community Member
1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Swimming, swimming is prohibited, splashing making waves of any sort prohibited. And it feels like battery acid. Not burning but weirdly oily feeling, battery acid oily. (Its not oily just feels like it)

Matthew Barabas
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

skill issue, really. im 90% sure theres special preperations you can, and should, do, for the dead sea.

Salty Wild Hair
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How odd. I received 1st degree burns in a motorcycle accident and (not immediately) soaking in the ocean a couple times afterward sped up healing. Hurt like heck at first, but it got better.

BrunoVI
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do all lakes that salty burn so much, or is it the particular salts? An arm of the Great Salt Lake in America has similar salinity. Is it as bad?

Joanne Mendonza-Earle
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think anyone swims in the Great Salt Lake either. Aren't there loads and loads of flies/gnats?

Amelia Jade
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People do swim in the Great Salt Lake. The flies are brine flies. They're important to migrating birds. The flies don't bite people.

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#21

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Hostels! I'm very glad they exist as cheap options for young people, exactly how I experienced them, but I'm now happy to close that chapter of my life lol. Extra privacy, extra cleanliness, and extra comfort are vastly more worth it to me now and fortunately I can afford that!

Ffleance , Shobhit Sharma / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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Crescent 3
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I stayed in a hostel once and NEVER AGAIN! I was a contestant on a game show that taped in NYC. Unlike other game shows, this particular production company did not pay for hotel accommodations. The only place in Manhattan that I could afford for two nights was a hostel. It was a mall room in a very sketchy-looking building. The bed was little more than a cot. The room had a bare bulb light hanging from the ceiling and a small (12 in.), B&W TV with an antenna. Mind you this was in 2007. The bathroom and shower were down the hall. I didn't trust the cleanliness of the place so I slept on top of the covers for two nights. I couldn't wait to get back home! For the record - it was worth it because I won $16,000 on the show and got to meet Meredith Viera.

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#22

Outdoor music festivals where you camp. My husband and I went to Sweetwater in Atlanta 2 years ago (when it was still cool) and it ruined other fests for me. We got to go see music all day long, then go back to the hotel and shower and actually SLEEP at the end of the day. I didn't realize how old I had become until I vowed to never sleep on the ground in the mud in a tent again.

kaps84 Report

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David
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At a regional burning man event I had an inflatable air mattress in my tent. Tent was near our giant music pyramid. The air mattress acted like a passive subwoofer - vibrating with the bass beat. It was amusing, and fun, but not how I'd like to sleep every night. And we did have showers - just had to walk a little ways to get to them.

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#23

New York City on New Years Eve.

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#24

Accidentally eat poorly cooked chicken teriyaki in a strange city far from home the night before an early flight.

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#25

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Dating a woman who says she loves you 4 days into the relationship. To any guy or girl reading this, please use it as a warning. The only thing that’ll come out of a relationship like that is trouble.

Jackhammer008 , Katerina Holmes / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#26

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Mardi Gras and the Kentucky Derby. Everyone should do them once but if you do them more than once something is wrong with you.

Hot_Week3608 , Infrogmation / wikipedia (not the actual photo) Report

#28

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Jet skiing.

My brother refused to slow down. My ankles, knees, hips and back were so f****d up from all the bouncing that when we stopped at a beach I couldn’t walk.

The jet ski was extremely bouncy, and we hit a particularly bad patch of water. We jumped and slammed back down and my head flew forward and my chin hit his back. I legitimately felt my brain rattle.

Two weeks later I was diagnosed with PCS after having nonstop migraines, throwing up, extreme lethargy and what I can only describe as disassociation.

Comfortable-Ebb-2859 , Ludovic Gauthier / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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Kristal
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds like it wasn't the Jet ski that was the issue but a crappy driver

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#29

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Polyamory. I barely dipped my toe in and got burnt real bad. I'm good to not try that again.

Quazimojojojo , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Lyoness
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One thing I don't think has been mentioned yet is that BOTH partners have to be 100% on board before it starts, otherwise it's just cheating. Polyamory has to be ethical to work, that's why it's called ethical non-monogamy.

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#30

“Once Was Enough Forever”: 30 ‘Anti-Bucket List’ Things People Swear Never To Do Again Giant swing.

One I went on was 200+ft high when we pulled the quick release to drop. Thought since I love rollercoasters and thrill rides I’d enjoy it.

I did not like freefalling while parallel to the ground. At all. Only time I’ve let out a blood curdling scream of pure terror.

Frozefoots , Kayra Sercan / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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Emily M
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4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am so afraid of heights just reading thus made my stomach tense. Also I feel like they might mean perpendicular to the ground??

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