BIG NEWS! My site is getting an extreme makeover, and I’m writing a FREE e-book for you! To get all of that accomplished, I’ll be taking a little breather from posting new material here. But don’t worry! I’ll be posting some of my greatest blog material to Facebook and keeping everyone up-to-date on my progress via Instagram, so be sure to follow me on both platforms for a few behind the scenes fun and sneak peeks of the new things to come!

But for now, all of us are over quarantine. We’re all totally over COVID-19. We’re ready for dreaming! I’ve been dreaming a lot lately, so here’s my bucket list of places I want to go ASAP. You always want what you can’t have, you know! Where do you want to go after quarantine?

Lana’i, Hawaii

This is #1 on my list because it’s the one I’m most disappointed about cancelling. We were supposed to spend our sixth wedding anniversary visiting our sixth Hawaiian island.

Why I Want to Visit

Y’all, it’s Hawaii! I always want to be in Hawaii. It’s the only Hawaiian island we haven’t vistied yet that accepts visitors (there are eight “main” Hawaiian islands, but Ni’ihau and Kaho’olawe do not accept visitors), and I’m itching to get there. At one point the whole island was a pineapple plantation, and now it’s a unique destination with few visitors and only two hotels on the whole island! I want to do all the hiking, enjoy all the good weather, admire all the beaches, and do it all with my wonderful, adventurous husband!

Giraffe Manor, Kenya

This place has been on my “to go” list for years now. Even though we didn’t have plans to go in the near future, now that I can’t go, I want to go! This bed and breakfast is located in Nairobi in the middle of 140 acres of forest, this is one of the most unique hotel experiences in the world because giraffes join you for breakfast! The giraffes come out morning and evening hoping for a snack from guests, and they spend the rest of the day and night in their forest sanctuary.

Why I Want to Visit

Because I want to eat breakfast with giraffes! I think it would be an amazing expereince and invaluable blogging material. Not to mention the amazing photos I could get! Also, I’ve never been to Kenya. The only African country I’ve visited is Morocco, and I’d like to get more about the continent on the blog for others who want to visit. I’d love to learn about the history, local culture, and experience this part of Africa with the world’s tallest mammals! The manor looks absolutely beautiful, the breakfast looks delicious, and they do afternoon tea here as well, which I love!

The Holy Land

It seems like there’s never a “good” time to visit the controversial Holy Land, but I want to and have wanted to since I was a little girl. Palestine and Israel both have claim on the land, but its history and geography are important for Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike.

Why I Want to Visit

I want to see the historic places and walk in the footsteps of Biblical people. I think it would make my faith seem more “real” to me. Just like when I moved to D.C. and walked around Old Town Alexandria where George Washington walked, I want that same feeling about Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Moses, Abraham, everyone. I think the whole Bible would “come to life” for me in a whole new way if I could visit.

France, Monaco, and the Riviera

I know that’s kind of broad, but I want to see and experience all of it! From Mont St. Michel to the Eiffel Tower to authentic brie cheese and croissants, France has everything a traveler wants. It’s romantic, it’s historic, and that accent! I don’t gamble, but I’m sure there are other things to see and do in Monaco, and I’m always up for a day at the beach, so the Riviera has to be on my list, too!

Why I want to Visit

Steve lived in France for two years before we met, and I visited Paris once before, but I have embarrassingly little information about this popular European country on the blog, and I have absolutely nothing about Monaco on the blog! France has so much history and culture to see and experience. Monaco is adorable, and the Grace Kelly tie-in is right up my classic movie-loving alley. The Riviera is supposed to be beautiful, but I can’t know for sure unless I go! I could also go for some authentic French pastries, if I’m honest!

Bermuda

This place has fascinated me since I first heard about “The Bermuda Triangle” years ago! Bermuda is about 650 miles from the nearest land at Cape Hatteras, NC, and while it’s technically self-governing, it’s part of the United Kingdom. I’m ready to dust off my passport for a Bermudian getaway!

Why I Want to Visit

Pink sand beaches! Turquoise waters! Island life! Beauty! History! Mystery! Why wouldn’t I want to visit? Early American history is one of my favorite things in the world, and there’s a little-known bit of it on Bermuda. The Sea Venture, which was one of the first of three English ships bound for the New World, got blown off course in a hurricane and crash-landed on Bermuda. No one from the Sea Venture died, and actually, they were better off here, since the people on the other two ships made it to Jamestown and most of them starved that first year. I want to see where it happened!

The Baltics

This is one of my favorite places we’ve ever visited, and I have wanted to go back since the moment we left. The Baltics are fascinating. The Baltics is three countries, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, in northern Europe, on the Baltic Sea. They’re beautiful, historic, and one of the most underrated destinations in the world! The people are friendly, the cities are clean, transportation is easy, they’re on the Euro, and when you’re there, it’s like you stepped right into the past in the best possible way.

Why I Want to Visit

Okay, I’ve already been here, but I was recently updating some of my older blog posts, which totally rekindled my desire to return! These three countries are incredible. I want to go back to explore so much more, and get some incredible material for the blog! I need to go back for a hot-air balloon ride over Trakai in Lithuania, visit the Northern Fort ruins in Latvia, and visit more medieval castles in Estonia!

The Balkans

Not to be confused with the Baltics! The Balkans are the countries in southern Europe on the Balkan peninsula. They are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. Both the Baltics and the Balkans were behind the iron curtain for decades, just on opposite ends of Europe!

Why I Want to Visit

Because I’ve never been! What I have seen of Eastern Europe (the Baltics, Poland, Slovakia, and Czech Republic) left an impression on me. Those places are beautiful, the people are determined and kind, and from what I’ve seen of the Balkans in pictures and read in books, I think they will also be memorable and worthwhile places to visit! I’d love to get some material on them for the blog, but mostly I want to just explore this place that was once forbidden to the West!

French Polynesia

Here again, I’m basically aching for the island life! I’ve wanted to visit French Polynesia forever it seems, but a few years ago that became a more realistic dream when United started flying there from San Francisco! As you might imagine, however, tickets are expensive, and upgrades are hard to come by, even for frequent fliers like us! These tiny, stunning islands in the fabled South Pacific are definitely on my bucket list.

Why I Want to Visit

It’s beautiful! And exotic. And far away from COVID captivity here at home. I want to see what the similarities and differences are to other Polynesian islands like Hawaii, Easter Island, and New Zealand. I want to see that iconic peak on Bora Bora. I want to try the food! I’d also love to add posts and photos of these islands to my blog, but most of all I want to explore these islands with my sweet and fun husband. Sounds like paradise to me!

This list could definitely go on and on, but now it’s your turn! Where do you want to go once the world opens back up again?

And for the ultimate inspiration, check out all my travel lists on my Travel Tips Page!

Love this post? Pin it for later!