Travel is a funny thing because it is so relative. For many, heading west of the Mississippi is a huge adventure, and I know dozens of people whose goal is to visit the far-flung state of Hawaii.
Then, there are those international adventure seekers who are constantly trotting the globe, searching for new cultures and dynamic thrills. You know the type: their passport is in tatters with stamp upon stamp littering every page. They’ve seen the stuff of dreams and for most, it has only fueled the fire for future expeditions.
As for me? I think I fall somewhere in the middle. I do love exploring my own backyard and I think the US has some of the absolute best gems for outdoor adventure. However, I’ve spent 32 years wandering this continent and I’m always itching to go overseas and see what other parts of the world have to offer. In fact, my domestic side has taken a serious hit in the name of travel. Wall art has gone unpurchased and landscaping in our front yard may wait til another season…but we had a spectacular time in Bali!
Photo By Will Rochfort
But how do you decide where to go?
Will and I have begun to tiptoe around this topic as we tentatively start talking wedding plans. Truthfully, I don’t really care what my reception tables look like or what style of shoes my bridesmaids wear; I just want an exciting honeymoon!
I always have a “top ten” list of places I want to visit and Will is the same. In fact, my very-outdated Life List: Goals tab focuses on a few of them. However, some of them have rotated and other adventures have bumped their way to the top of the list. Which ones are taking the front seat in my mind?
Snowman Trek in Bhutan
The Kingdom of Bhutan is supposed to be absolutely beautiful, and I highly regard any leader who rates his country’s prosperity based on how happy his people are. More so, I am completely and utterly stoked on the Snowman Trek! For those unaware, the Snowman Trek is a ~30 day excursion that begins in the west of Bhutan, skirts the Bhutan-Tibet border while crossing 11 passes above 15,000 feet, and finishes in the center of the country. Trekkers average 15km per day while gazing at 7,000 meter peaks.
Could there be anything better?!
Tour de Africa
Kilimanjaro has long been at the top of my list, and one of my goals is to summit the peak before the glacier completely melts away {which is likely going to happen sooner rather than later!} Located in Tanzania, this 19,000+ foot beast has always captivated me.
However, others parts of Africa mesmerize me and I am dying to explore the continent. Save for Egypt, I’ve never been to Africa, and I really feel like the “Dark Continent” is a hub for adventure. Will went to South Africa in 2010 for the World Cup and his photos of diving with the Great White sharks are epically fascinating. Sign me up!
And have you seen Zimbabwe?! I want so badly to visit the Mana Pools National Park just so I can see the elephants and lions and monkeys and hyenas in their home. I once had a friend who do a week-long trek in Uganda to track some mountain gorillas, and the stories left me breathless. How can you not want to do and see ALL THE THINGS?!
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Never fear- I’ll be back with more Jordanian tales of adventure, but thought I’d give y’all a break on my stories for a day! What about you? If you could go absolutely anywhere in the world to do anything, what would you do and where??!