Places I Want to Go

1. Ireland
It's just so green there. Plus, they have a coast line. Sheep and goats and other animals graze freely. The countryside looks so beautiful. It feels cozy to me. I've been to Europe, and this would definitely take me back to some of those fond memories. Even if I had to see "another damn castle" (which is another story for another day). Ireland is definitely on the top of my list of places to visit.

2. Scotland
For many of the same reasons as Ireland. But there are also the bagpipes and the very cool and very distinct accent. I could just go and listen to people speak. That would be an expensive trip to hear people speak, no? It's green in Scotland, too, which makes things feel cozy. I don't know why that is though. Maybe because I grew up in a desert?

3. Switzerland (again)
I've been to Switzerland (Bern) and loved it. We stayed in a hotel where all the bedding was down filled. The bed was even down filled. It was heaven! Plus, the Swiss people are very gracious and like visitors. It wasn't like France where they tried to pull the "good" food from the Americans and save it for their other guests. And the cities and streets are clean. They're not rat-infested like the tube in Paris. I have fond memories of Switzerland and really, really want to go back some day. The plan was to retire there, but the American dollar makes that impossible if you're not a millionaire.

4. Hawaii
This is kind of a strange one for me because I'm not a fan of the water. I don't surf or scuba dive or enjoy being in or near the water at all. Beaches are okay, but I'm not a fan of large masses of people, so the main island beaches would be taxing on me. I think the draw to Hawaii is that it's part of America, but it's so different from every other part of the country. I have friends who live in Hawaii, and they live a very laid back, relaxed lifestyle. It would do me good to slow down a bit and soak up the fact that we're living and breathing on this planet every day, you know? I would definitely have to visit a pineapple plantation, and I would want to send home 5,000 pounds of coconut. I've heard the swap meets there are pretty amazing, so that would be fun, too.

5. Alaska
This is another frontier of America that seems so different than all the rest. I'm not really an outdoorsy girl, but I do love to see a bear or a moose or other animals roaming around. (Not close to me, but close enough that I can see them.) Alaska has some of the best fishing in the world. Not that I would fish for it, but I would totally pay someone to catch me some salmon and halibut and have it shipped back to the home front for my enjoyment. We have neighbors who live in Alaska part-time, so occasionally we get to share in their fish goods. The only drawback is knowing that Alaska is freaking cold eight months out of the year, and much of that time it's also dark. I couldn't live there, but a summer visit for a few weeks would be incredible.

6. The Antarctic/Arctic
I just want to see a polar bear and penguins up close in their habitat, okay? And then I want to be on a nice, warm plane back to civilization. No, I do not want to sleep in ice caves.

7. Greece
The draw for Greece are the photos you always see of the white and blue houses lined up on the hillside and not plunging into the sea. It looks so quaint. There's also a lot of history in Greece, so it would be interesting to get in on that kind of tour and really hear it from the locals. The problem with Greece is the food. I've heard both good and bad things about it. I'd probably have to find one or two things I really loved and just stick with those the entire trip. Totally worth it though.

8. Spain
I don't even know what to say about Spain. The people, the culture, the food, the history. It would be so amazing to spend time there and soak in the local atmosphere. In order to make this trip, however, I'd totally have to brush up on the Spanish speaking skills. As in I'd have to learn Spanish all over again to make this trip worthwhile. How cool would it be to speak the language and know exactly what people were talking about without having to use a dictionary?

9. Italy
The food! That's the main draw to Italy. I love Italian food. I like the spices, the flavors, the pastas, and the cheeses. This trip would be at the very top if I could shadow a professional chef for six weeks while I was there and then take another six weeks to explore the countryside. There are so many different flavors in Italy, too. The food in the north is different than the food in the south or east or west. I would definitely need time to explore all of it. Plus, colorful houses. Fun, fun!

10. Puerto Rico
I think this would be the best trip to observe people. The Latin cultures really live it up, and I would love to watch as people lived their lives and found happiness in every day things. There's sand here, too, so I could get the beach experience without having to go in the water. Do they have nude beaches? I might have to re-think that part of the trip.

11. New Zealand
We had a guy from New Zealand who lived in our ward, and I loved to listen to him talk. This is another place of accents that I would love to visit and just listen as people talked. New Zealand also has green and a coastline and history and good food. The problem is the water. I don't like boats, and I tend to get motion sick, so as long as everyone understood we go nowhere on a boat I'd be fine.

12. Australia
For all the same reasons as New Zealand, but I'd also like to see the outback portion of Australia. I want to see a kangaroo up close and in real life. I want to see koalas and elephants. The dust would definitely not do me good, and I'm not willing to camp out anywhere (shower and toilet, yes please!). I'd love to see the whole of this country though.

13. British Columbia
I don't know why, but the western part of Canada really intrigues me. I don't really care about visiting the eastern part of the country, although I'm sure it's very nice. In British Columbia you get to fly to certain areas because you have to cross water. How cool would it be to take one of those planes that lands on water? Could you imagine commuting to work like that every day? Awesome. Probably expensive though.

14. Hungary
I'd have to go with Mom though because she loved Hungary when she visited. It would be fun to have her along for her previous perspective and be able to discover and explore new things with her. Budapest is of special interest here, but Mom would definitely have to be with me.

15. Prague
Same reasons as Hungary, and Mom would also have to travel with me.

16. Jerusalem
If it weren't for all the violence in that region I would be on a plane right now and plant myself in the middle of the Holy Land and not come home for three months or until I'd seen the whole place. It would be incredible to walk the same streets that the Savior walked. Obviously, the streets today look different than they did then, but I bet there's a spirit about them that would be amazing to feel and carry with you. My guess is Mom would have to come on this one, too.

17. Peru
Mom really wants to see Macchu Pichu. I'm game for that. I think there's a lot more to this country though. One of my former bosses lived in Peru for a while, and he invited us to come and stay with them if we could afford a ticket there. I'd love that. We could explore by day, crash at night, and start all over again. This would definitely need to be an extended vacation though.

18. Mexico (again)
We only saw a few little cities in the state of Morelia while we were in Mexico. We stayed in Mexico City at the beginning and end of our trip, but there's not much there I'd be interested in seeing again. I would, however, love to return to the country for other areas (Cancun) and walk on those sandy beaches in the blazing sun. The trouble is a lot of the places are saturated with visitors, so I'd have to go at a time when the rest of the populace was elsewhere. This would probably require a bit of research, and it would definitely need to be an extended vacation.

19. Chile
I want to see where my parents met. My feelings about Chile are very special, and yet I know very little about the place. I want to go and experience the history there. There are different foods and cultures. I'd want to see the European influence and the Spanish influence in the way the cities are built and the homes designed and the neighborhoods developed. This would have to be more than an extended vacation. It would need to be weeks of time, even months, in order to savor it all.

20. Wales
Home of some of my ancestry. I would love to visit Wales and learn more about the history and culture there. It might give some insight as to why I am the way I am. More than anything, I feel a draw to this place because people from there sacrificed so much in order for me to have what I have today. I owe those people a lot. It would be fitting to pay tribute by visiting their land and realizing their circumstances and life experiences.

21. Iceland
For the same reason as Wales. I feel like I can't pronounce any Icelandic name on my family tree, and I want to change that. I don't feel a strong pull to learn the language, but I do want to see where my family members lived and breathed and worked and rallied.

22. Belgium
The architecture is kind of what pulls me toward Belgium. I like how there are streets lined up against the water (like Venice), but that it has a European feel and flair. The country is OLD, so you know there's a ton of history there. I'd love to walk the streets and soak it all in.

23. Philippines
My grandparents served a mission to the Philippines. My grandfather also served in WWII there. I would love to see this country and meet the people. I understand the culture is very distinct, the people are very good and kind and humble, and the environment is amazing. It wouldn't surprise me if Grandpa had mixed feelings about serving his mission in a place where he fought for America's freedom. It had to be kind of bitter sweet. I want to go for myself so that I have fond memories of the place.

24. Sweden and Norway
I combined these two because it's for the same reason: to see where my ancestry came from. A few years ago, my mom was offered a beta DNA test through Ancestry.com. My dad had just passed away, so we were trying to determine where he came from since many of their family records were lost in fires or records just weren't kept. The DNA test came back with an original finding that I was 94% Nordic and 6% Other. Those are some strong Nordic ties. I'd love to get there and feel the countries. There is history there, too, and I'd love to experience it.

25. England (again)
England, like Switzerland, was a great experience. I'm still confused by the whole pound v. American dollar transaction rates, etc., but I would love to go back. We did some of the major touristy things while we were there (watched the changing of the guard, saw Big Ben, etc.), so I'd love to go more into the countryside and visit the nooks and crannies of the country that we missed. This is another place where the accents are killer, so you would probably find me lost in a crowd just listening to people talk. That's why this would have to be another one of those months of vacation places.

There you have it! My top 25 places I want to go. The order shifts around sometimes depending on what I'm feeling drawn to at the moment, so these aren't really in a particular order. Ranking them would be too difficult. They're all great!

Now, I've either got to work on winning the lottery or making millions at work in order to visit them all. Wish me luck!