And for me, as always, that means travel—hopefully lots of it!
I’m still firming up my 2016 travel plans, but I’m excited to be able to share at least the broad strokes of what I hope to see and do this year. Here’s my travel plan/wishlist, so far….
The Places I’ll Go in 2016
The Big Trips
Guatemala: My first trip is one I’ve already shared on this blog: I’m going to Guatemala next month! It’ll be my first visit to the country, and I’ll be spending most of my time around the stunning-looking Late Atitlan, with a brief stopover to check out Antigua as well. I can’t wait!
Central Europe and the Balkans: I lived in Europe for two years, and every time I’m there, I realize how much I miss it and how much I need to go back for an extended period to see new places and revisit old ones. So this summer, I’m planning a European vacation. The main focus of my trip will be Slovenia, which I’ve wanted to visit for as long as I can recall, as well as a quick pop into next-door-neighbor Croatia to see Zagreb and the Plitvice waterfalls. I’m also planning to spend a few days in London to see my family there and get reacquainted with one of my favorite cities, where I was lucky enough to live for a year during graduate school. But of course, once you’re in Europe it’s incredibly tempting to tack more onto your visit, since everything is so close (relative to America anyway) and Easyjet can hop you around the continent for next to nothing. So I’m seriously considering extending my trip a few days and taking in another city in a new country: Riga? Estonia? Belgrade? Suggestions welcome!
Bali: This is the really big trip I’ve been dreaming about for ages and am determined to make happen this year. I have a milestone birthday coming up in December, which I firmly believe calls for an epic voyage. So I’m going to spend a week or so in Bali, chilling out on beaches, exploring green rice paddies, taking yoga classes, getting endless massages, and eating all the food. Sounds like a perfect transition into the next phase of my life!
The Smaller Adventures
New Orleans: Recently I was catching up with a friend who lives in another part of the country and we were tossing around ideas for a girlfriends’ getaway. My idea—New Orleans! I’ve wanted to visit for ages, it’s a fairly quick flight and can be done in a weekend (the highlights at least), and I’ve heard nothing but good things from everyone who’s been there about how magical the city is. Great food and jazz around every corner; how can we go wrong?
Portland, Oregon: Another city that’s been on my US list for quite a while. My best friend and I have a tradition of meeting up every year for a reunion weekend, either at my place in DC or hers in Connecticut. She really loves Portland and has spent loads of time there, so I suggested we shake things up and move our weekend plans out to the West Coast this fall. Not sure if it will happen this year or not, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Going Home: While my home now is the DC area, I’ve made plans already to visit my parents in Florida several times this year, and also want to do a trip back to Connecticut to see old friends I haven’t caught up with in person in way too long. Time for an Amtrak road trip!
The Possibilities
This will hopefully be the year I finally fulfill one of my personal and professional goals: international work travel. I don’t know anything for sure yet, but there is a pretty good chance I’ll get to visit some fairly exotic destinations for my job this year—including potentially East Africa. If so, I’ll definitely make sure to tack on a few vacation days to be able to take in a part of the world I’ve never been to and have long wanted to experience. More to come on this as things develop, but I’m excited by the idea of exploring some completely new-to-me corners of the planet.
Been to any of these places? Suggestions to offer? What exciting places will you go in 2016?
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