My Favorite Places I Have Visited

I have been privileged to travel many places in my life and here are some of my favorites. I have included specific cites and whole countries within this list. There is no ranking (that would be so hard) of the places, but they top the rest. If you are looking for suggestions on where to travel, you can maybe use this list to narrow down your choices.

New Zealand

I spent two fantastic weeks in this beautiful country in 2018, and I can not wait till the day I get to go back. There is so much to do and see in this there and I just scraped the surface. I was able to make it to both the south and north island while there, and there are things I like about each island. The South Island was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, and if you want to visit for nature and adventure, the south is ideal. The north also has nature and adventure, but I enjoyed my time in the cities while there, and the North island has more of them. I wish I had more than two weeks there because there is so much to do and see. I went during a shoulder season, but it was great and cheeper. Everyone was so nice and there is so many different nationalities from all over. I love NZ!

Rome, Italy

I don’t know if I can name a place that has history, great food, scenery, and culture that I adore more than the Italians. Roman architecture is some of my favorite, and how can you ignore the marvelous art culture throughout the country. I am also sure I have had the best meal of my life while in that city. My visit there has had a lasting effect on my life and it will always hold a special place in my heart. This was also one of the first cities outside of the USA I had traveled too. In a way, my trip here led me to my eventual choice of study at University years later.

London, England

How can I put into words my love for this city? I have been there a couple times. I hate to leave every time and I start planning my next trip there immediately. I even tried to get a job there, but visas are hard to come by sometimes. Growing up, London was probably the city I wanted to visit the most. I had read many stories about the kings and queens of the past and was anxious to see where many great events happened. To this day I would call myself an anglophile. I mean if you couldn’t tell that from my love of Shakespeare and from that my favorite author is Jane Austen. London also has a great mixture of old and new that it can appeal to many. Plus, most of the museums are FREE. You get to see all this fantastic artwork at no cost. It blows my mind every time I think about it. It is also so easy to get around and the great parks.

Paris, France

They don’t call it the city of love for nothing. My first visit to this city was a gift for my birthday because it was cheaper than going to New York. Lucky me! Between the food and the museums, I think it was almost ideal. While there, we visited a family friend who was living there for a couple years and I was thoroughly jealous. I still own a painting we bought from an artist on the Seine. I have briefly been back since and there are still many things I haven’t seen there, so another trip there will be necessary in the future. I have yet to see Versailles right outside the city and many more museums and monuments. 

Japan

I got to travel around this country in 2009 with a group and loved every minute of it. It was my first time visiting a place very culturally different from what I grew up with, and I loved it. I haven’t been back to the far east since, but I plan on going back sometime and I can not wait. The Asian cultures are so interesting and different from the western cultures that they are great fun to learn about. Also, their unique and magnificent architecture. You don’t get to see marvelous Buddhist temples everywhere. I was able to go to many locations including Kyoto, Hiroshima, Mt. Fuji, and Tokyo. Tokyo was great fun and there were so many people! I have fond memories from every place I visited there. I hope to go back one day and see even more. The people were so friendly and loved when you knew even the most basic Japanese words. The food was good, but sometimes I had no idea what I was eating and it was fantastic.