My Favorite Travel Experiences So Far

NORTH AMERICA

  1. Taking an Alaskan cruise and meeting dogs who pull sleds
  2. Walking down to the edge of Crater Lake
  3. Standing on the Golden Gate Bridge
  4. Hiking at Land’s End in San Francisco
  5. Touring Alcatraz
  6. Walking under the redwoods of California
  7. Riding the rides at Disneyland
  8. Sleeping on a houseboat at Lake Powell
  9. Exploring Carlsbad Caverns
  10. Walking on the White Sand Dunes in New Mexico
  11. Seeing Rocky Mountain National Park
  12. Standing at the top of Mount Evans
  13. Seeing Aspen in the fall when the leaves have changed
  14. Staying at a farm in Delta, Colorado
  15. Drinking wine in Montrose with Daryl the dog
  16. Standing at the edge of Black Canyon of the Gunnison
  17. Exploring the tiny ski towns of Western Colorado
  18. Visiting Mesa Verde
  19. Standing at the edge of the Great Salt Lake
  20. Seeing the Golden Spike in Utah
  21. Walking through fields of wildflowers at Albion Basin
  22. Exploring the natural rock formations of Southern Utah
  23. Hiking to Delicate Arch in Arches NP
  24. Hiking Fishers Towers Trail in Moab
  25. Watching Old Faithful go off in Yellowstone
  26. Seeing bison, bears, and a wolf in the wild in Yellowstone
  27. Walking through the battlefields of Custer’s Last Stand
  28. Seeing Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial
  29. Standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon
  30. Seeing the actual London Bridge in Arizona
  31. Fishing in Minnesota
  32. Going up in the Arch in St. Louis
  33. Wandering through the Art Institute of Chicago
  34. Eating pizza in Chicago
  35. Seeing a baseball game at Wrigley Field
  36. Walking down Michigan Avenue
  37. Seeing Second City in Chicago
  38. Taking an architecture boat tour in Chicago
  39. Eating biscuits in South Carolina
  40. Seeing the whale sharks and MLK’s house in Atlanta
  41. Hiking to the top of Stone Mountain and seeing small town Georgia
  42. Living out my childhood fantasies at Harry Potter World
  43. Staying in the Animal Kingdom Lodge at Disney World
  44. Taking a night safari at Disney World
  45. Exploring Epcot’s World Showcase
  46. Swimming with manatees in Florida
  47. Dancing in the Orange Bowl back when it used to be Dolphin Stadium
  48. Visiting the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC
  49. Seeing the monuments at the National Mall
  50. Touring the U.S. Capitol
  51. Eating cupcakes in Georgetown
  52. Taking a limo to the White House
  53. Touring Independence Hall and seeing the Liberty Bell
  54. Day tripping through Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey
  55. Seeing Times Square at night
  56. Walking over the Brooklyn Bridge
  57. Seeing the tree lit up in Rockefeller Square
  58. Experiencing my first show on Broadway (Beetlejuice)
  59. Going to drag brunch, clubbing, and brunches with friends in NYC
  60. Visiting the Susan B. Anthony House and seeing feminist history in Rochester
  61. Going wine tasting in Canandaigua
  62. Eating Italian food in the North End in Boston
  63. Walking the Freedom Trail in Boston
  64. Seeing lighthouses in Maine
  65. Boating on Lake Louise
  66. Staying at the “Castle of the Rockies” in Banff
  67. Getting lost in the streets of Havana
  68. Driving down the Malecón in a classic car in Havana
  69. Taking a salsa class in Cuba
  70. Drinking Cuban rum out of coconuts
  71. Sunbathing on the beach at the Bay of Pigs
  72. Visiting a tobacco farm in Viñales
  73. Taking a boat ride to the Lamanai Archeological Site in Belize
  74. Climbing to the top of Mayan ruins in Belize
  75. Seeing howler monkeys and crocodiles in the Belizean jungle
  76. Touring the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave in Belize
  77. Snorkeling at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve with sharks and manatees
  78. Exploring Panama City and living as a local there
  79. Watching enormous ships traverse the Panama Canal
  80. Waking up on the beach in the San Blas Islands
  81. Relaxing in the hot springs near Arenal, Costa Rica
  82. See a sloth in the wild in Costa Rica
  83. Swimming in the La Fortuna Waterfall in Costa Rica
  84. Ziplining over the canopy in Costa Rica

EUROPE

  1. Riding the rides at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen
  2. Eating lego fries at Legoland Billund
  3. Walking through the rainbow fog room at AROS in Aarhus
  4. Climbing the Church of Our Savior for the best views in Copenhagen
  5. Eating kanelsnegls on Wednesdays at Sankt Peders bakery in Copenhagen
  6. Exploring Christiania
  7. Showing my parents all my favorite spots in Copenhagen
  8. Walking through Hans Christian Andersen’s house in Odense
  9. Seeing the Jelling Stones
  10. Stargazing on Fanø
  11. Visiting an open prison to learn more about Danish laws
  12. Taking the Hamlet tour at Kronborg Castle
  13. Crossing the Øresund Bridge to Malmö
  14. Exploring the streets of Gamla Stan
  15. Visiting the Viking ruins and city center of Uppsala
  16. Singing Dancing Queen at the ABBA museum in Stockholm
  17. Marveling at the grandeur of the ship at the Vasa Museum
  18. Exploring the ice sculptures in Kiruna
  19. Sleeping in the Ice Hotel
  20. Drinking at an ice bar (from an ice glass)
  21. Standing in the amber room of Catherine’s Palace
  22. Walking through the Church of Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg
  23. Watching a show in the Mariinsky Theater
  24. Taking a canal tour of St. Petersburg
  25. Meeting Russian students and learning about life in St. Petersburg
  26. Learning how to do shots the Russian way in St. Petersburg
  27. Seeing a communist apartment in St. Petersburg
  28. Exploring Peles Castle
  29. Walking through the secret staircase at Bran Castle
  30. Exploring the Rasnov Citadel
  31. Climbing three mountains in the Carpathians in Romania
  32. Meeting the German family
  33. Taking a tour of Neuschwanstein Castle
  34. Climbing the Munster Cathedral in Ulm
  35. Drinking a beer at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich
  36. Climbing the Berliner Dom
  37. Touching the Berlin Wall
  38. Walking through the monuments at the Tiergarten
  39. Going to a museum exhibit on the Red Army Faction in Berlin
  40. Drinking hot chocolate with Australians at the German Christmas markets
  41. Finding grandma’s church in Prague
  42. Painting on the Lennon wall in Prague
  43. Going to a sauna in Helsinki
  44. Trying to find ingredients for mac and cheese in Helsinki
  45. Seeing the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam
  46. Taking a canal tour in Amsterdam
  47. Seeing the Anne Frank House
  48. Touring a sex museum in the red light district of Amsterdam
  49. Visiting Auschwitz
  50. Exploring the main square in Krakow
  51. Seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkling at night
  52. Climbing Notre Dame
  53. Climbing L’Arc de Triomphe
  54. Taking a boat ride down the Seine
  55. Seeing a show at the Moulin Rouge
  56. Walking through the Latin Quarter in Paris
  57. Learning about impressionism at Musée d’Orsay
  58. Seeing Monet’s paintings at Musée de l’Orangerie
  59. Exploring the Louvre
  60. Going into the Catacombs of Paris
  61. Reveling in the stained glass of Sainte Chapelle
  62. Buying something from one of the fancy Parisian department stores
  63. Trying all the cafés and bistros with my parents in Paris
  64. Exploring Versailles and the Hall of Mirrors
  65. Walking through the gardens of Giverny
  66. Having lunch and biking around the town of Giverny
  67. Exploring Chambord and Chenonceau in the Loire Valley
  68. Taking a canal tour of Strasbourg
  69. Biking through the vineyards of Bordeaux
  70. Strolling through the streets of St. Emilion
  71. Sunbathing in the French Riviera
  72. Exploring the architecture in Marseille
  73. Walking through the fairy tale town of Colmar
  74. Trying on fancy dresses at Harrods
  75. Getting cocktails in the Shard
  76. Going on the Harry Potter Studio Tour
  77. Boating in Hyde Park and having a British person jump in our boat
  78. Seeing shows in the West End (Billy Elliot and Les Mis)
  79. Visiting local pubs in London
  80. Spending a gloomy day at the Tower of London
  81. Walking around Stonehenge
  82. Seeing the Magna Carta in Salisbury Cathedral
  83. Walking on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh
  84. Going to the café where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter
  85. Taking a tour of Loch Ness
  86. Trying new cocktails in Inverness
  87. Going to the Dracula Bar in Aberdeen
  88. Seeing Sagrada Familia
  89. Touring the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao
  90. Walking on the beach in San Sebastian
  91. Exploring the streets of Toledo
  92. Wandering through the Alhambra
  93. Touring Gibraltar
  94. Seeing the white washed town of Mijas
  95. Sunbathing on Costa del Sol in Spain
  96. Watching flamenco in Sevilla
  97. Drinking sangria in Barcelona
  98. Eating churros in Madrid
  99. Exploring the ruins of Pompeii
  100. Eating pizza at a family-owned place in Pompeii
  101. Trying the tasting menu in Sorrento and sleeping next to the ocean
  102. Staring up at the Sistine Chapel and the map room in the Vatican
  103. Exploring the Colosseum and the Roman Forum
  104. Tossing a coin in Trevi Fountain
  105. Climbing the Duomo in Florence
  106. Wine tasting at a Tuscan vineyard
  107. Learning how to make pasta in a Tuscan villa
  108. Taking kitschy pictures at the Leaning Tower of Pisa
  109. Climbing hundreds of stairs in Cinque Terre
  110. Drinking limoncello in Cinque Terre
  111. Riding a gondola in Venice
  112. Strolling through the colored houses of Burano
  113. Taking a road trip around the Ring Road in Iceland
  114. Hiking behind the Seljalandsfoss waterfall
  115. Walking on a glacier in Iceland
  116. Snorkeling the Silfra Rift and touching the continental plates
  117. Going to the pub with my Irish colleagues and trying my first Guinness
  118. Taking a whiskey distillery tour and tasting at Jameson
  119. Seeing an Irish comedy show in Dublin
  120. Visiting the famous Trinity College library
  121. Hiking along the cliffs of Howth
  122. Taking a black cab tour in Belfast to see the murals and peace wall
  123. Going to the Titanic Museum in Belfast
  124. Taking a road trip out to Galway and seeing the Cliffs of Moher
  125. Going on a canal tour in Ljubljana
  126. Boating across Lake Bled and trying the famous cream cake
  127. Walking through Diocletian’s Palace in Split
  128. Hiking through the lakes of Plitvice National Park
  129. Walking along the Dubrovnik city walls
  130. Island hopping along the coast of Croatia
  131. Exploring Oia and watching the Santorini sunset over dinner 
  132. Going wine tasting in Santorini
  133. Hiking from Oia to Fira
  134. Taking a sunset cruise in the Santorini caldera 
  135. Visiting the Acropolis in Athens
  136. Exploring the smaller neighborhoods of Athens
  137. Road tripping across Greece and seeing ancient monuments
  138. Hiking to all the monasteries of Meteora
  139. Taking a boat trip along the Bay of Kotor
  140. Climbing to the top of the minaret in Mostar
  141. Swimming in Kravice Waterfalls in Bosnia
  142. Bar hopping in Antwerp
  143. Eating waffles at a street festival in Ghent
  144. Going on a speed tour of Brussels and seeing the statues
  145. Exploring Lisbon and trying their famous custard pastries
  146. Touring Peña Palace in Sintra
  147. Tasting wine, port, olive oil, and honey in Portugal’s Douro Valley

ASIA

  1. Participating in the Shibuya crossing
  2. Singing karaoke in Tokyo
  3. Eating crêpes, window shopping, and holding owls in Harajuku
  4. Exploring the designer stores in Ginza
  5. Taking a gondola ride at Tokyo Disneysea
  6. Trying vegetarian sushi at a conveyor belt restaurant in Tokyo
  7. Walking through the Peace Park at Hiroshima
  8. Feeding bunnies on Okunoshima (even with the typhoon rains)
  9. Watching the sunset on Miyajima
  10. Exploring Himeji Castle
  11. Seeing the statues at Sanjusangen-do in Kyoto
  12. Walking on the nightingale floors at Nijo Castle in Kyoto
  13. Exploring the moss garden of Kyoto
  14. Going through the gates at the Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto
  15. Walking through a bamboo forest in Kyoto
  16. Relaxing at Spa World in Osaka
  17. Riding the bullet train in Japan
  18. Getting lost in the Forbidden City and hutongs of Beijing
  19. Climbing to the top of the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing
  20. Getting close to Siberian Tigers in Harbin
  21. Exploring the Harbin Ice Sculpture Festival
  22. Hiking along the Great Wall of China and learning about Dutch culture
  23. Seeing the Shanghai skyline lit up at night
  24. Finding the secret passageways of the Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai
  25. Exploring the French Concession neighborhood in Shanghai
  26. Seeing the Terracotta Soldiers of Xi’an
  27. Going to Paint & Sip in Chengdu
  28. Seeing the giant pandas in Chengdu
  29. Exploring the neighborhoods of Seoul
  30. Sleeping in a hanok in Seoul
  31. Finding the Harry Potter café in Seoul
  32. Exploring the neighborhoods of Tashkent
  33. Wandering through the ancient streets of Khiva & climbing the minaret
  34. Celebrating my birthday with a party thrown by our Uzbek hotel
  35. Camping at the Gates of Hell and watching the crater burn
  36. Eating a traditional Turkmen dinner under the stars 
  37. Riding the world’s largest indoor Ferris Wheel in Ashgabat
  38. Learning about traditional Turkmen carpets in Ashgabat
  39. Standing next to enormous monuments in Ashgabat
  40. Seeing shards of pottery at ancient Turkmen Silk Road sites

SOUTH AMERICA

  1. Staying in a hobbit house, drinking whiskey & hot chocolate, and playing cards at the Secret Garden Cotopaxi
  2. Horseback riding in Cotopaxi National Park
  3. Hiking up to 16,000 feet on the Cotopaxi volcano
  4. Climbing the basilica for gorgeous views of Quito
  5. Watching pods of dolphins from the boat to Kicker Rock
  6. Seeing giant tortoises in the wild
  7. Snorkeling with giant sea turtles, sea lions, and sharks in the Galápagos
  8. Watching the blue footed booby do its mating dance
  9. Climbing into the Sierra Negra volcano
  10. Relaxing in the hot springs of Papallacta
  11. Standing on the equator and visiting the two dueling monuments

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