#34: Overcoming Grief and Ditching the Bucket List with Ashley Bugge
Ashley Bugge is a young military widow/solo mom of three, explorer, and award-winning author who was forced to rebuild her life after her husband tragically died in a recreational scuba diving accident while she was sixth months pregnant with their third child.
Ashley channeled that grief into her first book, Always Coming Back Home: An Emotional Tale of Love, Adventure, Tragedy and Hope and helped her kids write a second book, A Hui Hou: Until We Meet Again. And despite all three of her kids currently being six or younger, she’s still traveled to 13 countries and most of the states with them.
We chat about her inspiring story, some of the top travel destinations, why bucket lists are overrated, and discuss a few of the finest karaoke choices.
Highlights of our conversation include:
Some of the top karaoke choices for both Ashley and me. (1:56)
Why Ashley never thought she’d write a book — and how her “crazy life resume” helped her share her stories with the world. (7:46)
The reason Ashley lives her life without a bucket list, and why she encourages everyone else to do the same. (11:08)
Taking the phrase “live in the moment” to heart, plus understanding that some of the worst moments make for the best stories. (14:30)
Ashley walks through her process for how to write a book, both as a memoir love story between her and her husband and a book for children focusing on grief. (18:24)
After her husband died in a scuba diving accident, how Ashley overcame her fear of scuba diving and got in the water once again. (22:11)
How travel has changed Ashley’s perspective and outlook on life. (28:45)
The staggering culture shock foreign visitors can have in response to Americans, but why it’s such an important part of travel. (32:20)
Ashley shares some of her other top experiences from traveling, and why she considers herself a “friendship collector.” (34:18)
What’s Next for Ashley Bugge?
Connect with Ashley on Facebook and Instagram and visit her website to say hello. She is a friendship collector, after all — and she’s a pretty awesome person to befriend.
If you’re a fan of Good People, Cool Things, I would love your support. Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts. That helps even more people discover these wonderful guests.
You can also support the show by checking out the new Good People, Cool Things merch store. Thanks for listening!
