Reminiscing Travel: My Favorite Travel Experiences
Over the course of the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about travel. I often catch myself daydreaming over beautiful destinations, pinning new places to my travel bucket list, scrolling through personal travel photos on my iPhone, and reminiscing cherished travel memories from my all-time favorite trips.
Truth is, traveling is one of my favorite things to do. For those of you who know me, you know I’m the type of person who can’t stay still — still makes me feel stuck and stuck makes me feel anxious. I have a naturally adventurous personality and a go-go-go kind of wandering spirit; nothing gives me more of a rush than exploring a new destination and adding the experience to my archive of precious travel memories.
For people like me, it’s hard to imagine a world without travel. Travel opens the door to new worlds and ways of life that differ from the status quo. Travel provides the foundation for learning about history, culture, and diversity. Travel boosts happiness, refreshes the body and mind, helps manage stress and anxiety, and provides the fuel needed to recharge the soul and reset focus on the things in life that are most important. Travel is inspiring.
In today’s blog post, I’m talking all about travel, sharing five of my favorite travel experiences from past trips I’ve taken. Especially in these times of quarantine where life is paused and travel plans are on hold, I’ve been relying heavily on past travel memories to help get me through until the time comes for my next adventure, wherever it may lead me.
5. The Outer Banks of North Carolina (OBX)
Off the coast of North Carolina, you’ll find a beautiful 200-mile stretch of barrier islands known collectively as the Outer Banks of North Carolina (OBX for short). After living in North Carolina for five years, I (finally) visited OBX for the first time in May 2019. I road tripped from East-Central North Carolina to OBX with my mom, dad, and aunt and we stayed over an extended weekend to explore all we could squeeze into our short trip. There were so many things I loved about OBX, some of my favorites including:
The quiet, pristine beachfronts
The wild horses roaming the Corolla oceanfront (and casually walking alongside beach goers and hummers filled with tourists)
The lighthouses scattered up and down the coast (hello iconic Cape Hatteras Light Station)
The scenic byway carving a narrow two-lane roadway in what little land exists between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound
The quaint little towns famous for all things from donuts to sand dunes to the Wright Brothers
If you’re looking for an exciting beach experience with a variety of things to see and places to visit, OBX is the right place for you. There’s something magical about this coastal beauty — it’s such a gem of a place, one I can’t wait to get back to.
4. The Grand Canyon
On Christmas Day 2013, my family and I drove from Las Vegas (where we were vacationing) to Grand Canyon National Park in Northern Arizona. The Grand Canyon marked my first experience at a national park, an experience that quickly became the source inspiration for my desire to add other national parks to my travel bucket list. Upon my first look over the edge of the Canyon rim, I was immediately awestruck by the massive size and geographical beauty that stretched hundreds of miles as far as the eyes could see.
Though our trip was limited to a few hours in the later part of the day, the pure sight of the Canyon alone was beautiful enough to leave a permanent mark on my memory. When millions of years of geological events form something as spectacular as the Grand Canyon, it’s a pretty amazing site to see. We were lucky enough to watch the sunset on a very clear, beautiful afternoon; for a sunset lover like myself, it doesn’t get much better than that.
3. New York City
I’ve traveled to New York City two times, the first with my family in March 2016 and the second last Thanksgiving on a Mother-Daughter trip with my mom. Packed with an eclectic mix of people and culture, beeping cars stuck in traffic, sky high buildings towering over busy streets, and an endless list of must see attractions, restaurants, and coffee shops, New York City is a dot on the map that every traveler should visit at least once. The city has a magical, electric, fast-paced energy that is unmatched by any other city in the United States.
New York City is iconic, famous for bucket list-worthy places like the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Central Park, Time’s Square, Brooklyn Bridge, Broadway, and more. Places like Ground Zero and the 911 Museum are humbling spots within the city, a reminder of heartbreak and tragedy from the moment the world stopped turning — definitely sad to visit, but also an important part of New York City and US history. With every visit to New York City, I catch myself falling more and more in love with it. I look forward to every chance I get to visit the Big Apple — the bright lights, the attitude, the hustle, the diversity, and the togetherness always inspires me to be who I want to be, love who I want to love, and live my life the way I want to live it. If you’ve never visited New York City, find the right opportunity and go!
2. Yellowstone National Park
There is so much to be said about America’s first national park. Stretching 3,500 miles through Wyoming and parts of Idaho and Montana, Yellowstone National Park is home to many spectacular views, including Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, Lamar Valley, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, and Yellowstone Lake. With unique geographic and geothermic features unmatched by anything else in the world, Yellowstone National Park is a must see adventure.
In August 2018, my family and I road tripped to Yellowstone National Park and spent four full days exploring all we could in this beautiful park. I’ve never seen anything quite like Yellowstone; sitting on top of a dormant volcano, the park consists of geysers, colorful hot springs, mudpots, massive waterfalls, and more. Visiting Yellowstone National Park is like stepping into a whole new world. It’s a place I’d visit again in a heartbeat.
1. The Great Wall of China
Wrapping up and down the mountains of the Chinese countryside, the Great Wall of China is one of the most remarkable structures in the whole world. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of the massive 13,000 mile Great Wall, but to be honest, there is no picture that adequately does its beauty justice; it’s one of those places you have to see and experience with your own two eyes to really appreciate and comprehend.
I was lucky to visit the Great Wall of China while on a month-long college internship program in the summer of 2014. Let me tell you, hiking the Great Wall of China was the opportunity of a lifetime. If you get the opportunity to visit China and hike it yourself, do not let the moment pass you by. Visiting the Great Wall of China was definitely a life moment for me, one that I reflect on quite often.
The allure of travel — there’s nothing quite like it. Near to home, miles across the country, or an ocean away, there are so many places to see and explore in this big, beautiful world. While a picture may be worth a thousand words, there’s something special about seeing and experiencing the beauty of the world through your own eyes. Life is too short to stay in one place anyways.
What are some of your favorite travel memories?
Enjoy!
JB