Russia

Monthly Recap: August/September

Okay, so I’m noticing a bit of a pattern here. Despite my best intentions, I only seem to get around to writing these “monthly recap” posts every other month. Well, rather than beat myself up about this, I’m just going to accept and embrace it.

And really, it’s not a bad thing, especially since August and September featured a big, cross-cutting trip to Finland, Estonia, and Russia! So in a way, it makes sense to just recap both months together (at least that’s how it goes in my head…)

So, here it is…

August/September 2018 Monthly Recap

Where I Traveled: Florida; Finland; Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia; Washington, DC.

Best Meal: An easy choice this month—the steak, cheese plate, and chocolate lava cake I had in Tallin at Rataskaevu 16 was mind-blowingly good. I’d go back again in a second!

Best Cultural Experience: Without question, the Hermitage. It’s hard to describe just how powerful an experience visiting this museum was, and even calling it a “museum” seems so inadequate. From the beautiful pastel-green exterior to the gorgeous white and gold staircase to the stunning art tucked inside every majestic room, it’s just a staggering experience. I’m so glad I finally fulfilled my decades-long dream of visiting Russia, and the legendary Hermitage in particular.

Best Read: Hope Never Dies, a book club selection, was my favorite read of the past two months. It’s a thriller in which Joe Biden and Barack Obama team up to fight crime and solve a murder in Uncle Joe’s native Delaware. Just go with it. In this political climate, it’s exactly what we need. I’m currently working my way through The Book Thief; much heavier, but I’m enjoying it as well.

Best of DC: Honestly, just having some time to relax in the city in September was great, as was hanging out at Eastern Market on a beautiful summer Saturday and eating all the free fruit and cheese samples. Sometimes, there’s no place like home!

What’s Next: I just got back from a great trip to California to visit friends (saving that for the October recap!) The rest of the month I’ll be here, volunteering for as many House and Senate campaigns as possible before Election Day on November 6^th. (Vote, vote, vote!) And of course, I’ll be planning some trips for 2019 (never too early….)

How was your September? Any fun upcoming trips planned?

DC, Eastern/Central Europe, Finland, Monthly Recaps, Russia, Scandinavia

Oct

My Favorite Things in Finland, Estonia, and St. Petersburg

Happy autumn! I’m back from my summer adventure to Finland, Estonia, and Russia, and it’s not an exaggeration to say it was one of the best trips of my life. And also that St. Petersburg may well be my new favorite city in the world…but that’s a subject for another blog post!

Our trek through Scandinavia and Russia, while all too brief, really was magical. There were so many incredible experiences that, a few weeks later, it’s hard to look back and sort out and remember all of them. We were on the go a lot and saw quite a bit in just nine days, though I wish we’d had more time and definitely plan to return to Helsinki and St. Petersburg in the future.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a few highlights of the trip—the things that stand out most to me when I look back on my visit.

My Favorite Experiences in Finland, Estonia, and St. Petersburg

Finnish saunas. While I was eager to try the famous saunas in Finland mostly as a cultural experience, I wasn’t sure how much I’d really love them (that whole hot-cold-hot thing sounded a bit dicey). But actually, Finnish saunas turned out to be a highlight of the trip! Sitting and relaxing in a steaming, hot but not too hot steam room, soaking up the dry heat perfumed with various herbs, and then dousing yourself in a freezing cold shower is a pretty great way to get over jet lag and absorb Scandinavian culture right off the bat. And I loved the pools (indoor and outdoor, all different temperatures) that accompanied the sauna experience just as much.
Helsinki. It may seem strange to put an entire city on this list of highlights. But the truth is, I really liked Helsinki and was quite bummed we didn’t have more time to spend here. Our trip only allowed for two half-days in the Finnish capital between our road trip through the gorgeous countryside and our ferry ride over to Tallin. In that brief time, I became enchanted by Helsinki and its stylish vibe: beautiful shops, cafes, and restaurants that I only got a glimpse of, but really want to come back and explore more of in the future. Helsinki feels like a chilled-out city made for relaxation and lingering, and that’s often my favorite kind.

Tallin’s Old Town. Having lived in Prague for a year, I’m kind of a connoisseur of European old towns. I’d heard high praise for Tallin’s, and it didn’t disappoint—rows of pastel houses, winding side streets (far too) easy to get lost in, a beautiful central square with a market and ringed by great restaurants and cafes.
Dinner at Rataskaevu 16 in Tallin. While the Old Town was great, my very favorite memory of Tallin is definitely dinner at this delightful restaurant. We’d heard it was the best in Tallin, and after our meal I would definitely not argue. The cheese board, fillet, and warm molten chocolate cake with ice cream were all outstanding (and very reasonably priced!), and I would go back in a heartbeat to experience it all again. In fact, I’ve been telling friends that this restaurant alone is enough reason to visit Tallin!

Inside the Hermitage.

The Hermitage. I really have no words to describe this place. For years, I dreamed of seeing Russia’s foremost museum, packed with art and wrapped in a coating of pastel green, sitting on a river…it’s a combination that I knew would be magical. But I can’t quite do justice to the building, the architecture, and the art we found tucked inside all the beautifully decorated rooms. I’m actually glad it’s too big to see all of in a single visit, because this is one place I visited that I absolutely know I’ll come back to experience again. It was simply magical.

Have you been to Finland, Estonia, or St. Petersburg? What were your favorite experiences?

Eastern/Central Europe, Finland, Russia, Scandinavia

Sep

Travel Resolutions: 2018 Edition

New year, new me, right? Well, I’m still working on that second part, but happily I am on my way. Within a few months, I hope to be back to full health and able to pick up on globetrotting around the world once again!

Last month I shared some of my tentative travel plans for the next year. In a similar spirit, I’d like to now offer my 2018 travel resolutions—things I want to do, or continue, or get better at, all somehow relating to my life as a traveler. Here goes:

Melissa’s 2018 Travel Resolutions

See more of South America. I have one of those scratch-off world maps hanging on my wall that shows how many parts of the globe you’ve visited. And I must admit, mine has a glaring empty corner so far: South America. I’ve only briefly been to Buenos Aires, which was fantastic but hardly representative of an entire vast, diverse continent. Luckily Argentina is big so my map doesn’t look quite as embarrassing as it might otherwise, but still. I’ve been longing to visit Chile and Brazil for ages, and this year I plan to make it happen and begin to fill in the gaps in my South American experience.
Finally make it to Russia! I was going to do this last year, but life intervened. Well, suck it, life, because this year I am going to Russia and nothing will stand in my way! (Fingers crossed, of course. Yes, I’m always paranoid when I make pronouncements like that…maybe “be more confident” and “worry less” need to go on my general resolution list. Anyway…) I sincerely hope that 2018 is finally the year I set eyes on St. Petersburg and absorb everything this magical-looking city has to offer.
Spend time in England with my family. My mom is from England, so I have a large extended family spread throughout the southern part of the country (and a few who’ve moved to Ireland, France, and Australia!) I love London and try to fit it into any trip to Europe; I was last there in 2016 just before visiting Slovenia and Croatia. But my London trips always last just a few days and I barely have time to reconnect with family and pop into the British Museum before it’s time to leave again. I’m hoping to carve out more time for England and visiting family this year, hopefully outside of London too. I’d love to spend a week in the country, with a few days in London and a few visiting family elsewhere (Bath is most likely, as my aunt, uncle, and cousin all reside there). Not exactly sure if I’ll do a stand-alone trip to the UK or add extra time to another trip, but “more time with family in England” is definitely high on my list this year.
Add on a destination to a work trip. I should be doing some more international work travel this year, so it may be feasible to tack on a quick trip to a nearby country/island. We shall see….but I have quite a few new countries I’d like to seize the opportunity to visit with a few extra vacation days!
Visit a new U.S. city. While my travels are largely international, for the past few years I’ve tried to visit at least one new U.S. city. Seattle in 2015, Portland in 2016, and I guess Philadelphia sort of counted in 2017 as I hadn’t been there in 12 years. This year, New Orleans is on my wish list, but a few other places are calling my name as well….
Look into carbon offsets. I meant to start doing this last year, but since I didn’t fly very much it didn’t end up happening (I guess one positive to my being mostly homebound is that it was a slight boon to our environment?) But this year I definitely plan to explore offsetting the environmental impacts of my long flights, as well as trying to combine trips together when possible to avoid lots of separate plane rides.
Take advantage of NYC work trips to eat all the food. I get to travel to NYC a few times a year for my job. While I like the work part of these trips, I’ve never been enamored of the Big Apple. However, not only do I enjoy seeing friends and family when I go, I must admit that I love the NYC food scene! I don’t believe I’ve ever had a bad meal there (credit goes to those same friends and family who bring me to awesome places to dine). Not only that, but NYC does desserts and sweets very well. I really want to check out City Bakery for its delicious-looking hot chocolate (I’m a connoisseur so my hot chocolate standards are high, but this place does seem amazing). And apparently there’s also a trendy new place that serves edible cookie dough?! Yep, I’m there.
Do a birthday yoga retreat. I’ve been toying with the idea of a yoga retreat in Costa Rica for a while, and I think my birthday next December will be a perfect time to do it. This will give me all year to save and plan, and provide a lovely way to end what will hopefully be a much better year for me than the last. See a new country AND do yoga, swim, and get massages all day long…sounds pretty much like heaven to me.
Figure out how to travel hack better. See number 6—I meant to do this last year but it ended up not mattering much since I traveled so little. Time to get on the ball now. Maybe a new credit card to earn miles and privileges is the way to go? In any case, I need to ensure I’m enrolled in all the appropriate airline miles programs (hangs head in shame…I am the worst-hacking traveler ever, and I know it). Here’s to doing better in 2018!
Keep planning and saving for new adventures in 2019. As much as I hope to travel this year, I want to do just as much, if not more, exploring in 2019! So I want to be sure to steadily save money and keep my eye on my 2019 travel goals, especially as my big 2018 trips should mostly wind down at the end of summer. New Zealand? Bali? Russia and Mongolia? It’s all on the table…stay tuned for more news this time next year. In the meantime, having new adventures on both the intermediate and more distant horizons is always a balm for my soul.

I could probably keep going, but ten resolutions seems like plenty, wouldn’t you say? I like to be ambitious, but best to keep all of these resolves at least somewhat grounded in reality. If I achieve even a fraction of what I’ve put on this list, I think I’ll have a pretty fantastic travel year!

(Oh, and also, I’m going to read more—I finished 18 books last year, which is okay, but I’m hoping to hit 25 this year. Not strictly travel related, but I wanted to toss that in there to help hold myself accountable.)

Here’s to a year of adventures, exploration, and happiness ahead! With as many beaches and European cafes tossed into the mix as possible….

Do you make travel resolutions? What are you hoping to achieve in 2018?

Central America, London, Russia, South America, Travel Musings

Jan

My 2018 Travel Goals

It’s December, which means it’s time for all those ubiquitous “where I’ve been this year/where I’m going next year” posts to appear on myriad travel blogs. I don’t have much to contribute to the former category this year; It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a proper overseas adventure, due to circumstances beyond my control. And as a traveler, not to mention a travel blogger, this has been pretty tough: not the biggest problem I’ve faced this year by any means (good riddance 2017, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out), but still, it’s been hard watching so many of my friends and family effortlessly globetrotting while I’ve been forced to remain in one place for way too long.

So, I don’t have much to say about my 2017 travels since they were more or less non-existent (sorry, Philadelphia, you were fun!). And honestly, I’ve been hesitant to write in much detail about my travel plans for 2018 either, since this past year has taught me that the best-planned adventures can fall by the wayside when life blows up in your face unexpectedly. I’ve been afraid if I share too much about my travel hopes and dreams for next year before they actually happen, I’ll be jinxing them.

However, this is no way to live. I have every expectation of returning to a life of travel in 2018, and while I don’t want to get into too much detail yet as nothing is confirmed, it can’t hurt to share a few tidbits about some places I’m hoping to explore in the new year, so here goes!

Melissa’s 2018 Travel Goals (At Least the Highlights!)

Chile: I’ve been longing to explore Chile for years, and the more I read about this South American country the more overwhelmed I get because it just looks too amazing: I want to see everything and go everywhere! While this won’t be possible in a single trip, I always think it’s a good sign if a destination gives you mad wanderlust and makes you want to explore it top to bottom before you even arrive. I hope to spend at least a few days this year discovering the urban charms of Santiago, walking the hilly streets of Valparaiso, and visiting the beautiful wine country. Vineyards, mountains, oceans, and of course a city full of restaurants, museums and cafes: sounds like a perfect trip to me!
Finland: I feel like Finland was the “it” travel destination for many people in 2016/2017, so I’m a bit late to the party, but nothing will dampen my excitement over exploring Helsinki–which looks like the most magical, cafe- and museum-filled European city imaginable–and hopefully getting out into the countryside a bit to see more of the country. And saunas: there will definitely have to be saunas!
Russia: As readers who’ve been following my blog for a while know, Russia has long been the ultimate dream destination for me. My plans to finally visit this majestic country were thwarted this year, but I believe 2018 will be the year I finally make it happen. Looks like I need to fulfill my promise to my dad to finish slogging through Crime and Punishment before I set foot in St. Petersburg….

This is just a sampling of places I hope to visit in 2018, but it’s definitely a start! Here’s to a happy, healthy year filled with travel adventures, if we so choose, for all of us. Happy new year everyone!

How was your 2017 for travel? Where do you hope to visit in 2018?

Russia, Scandinavia, South America, Travel Musings

Dec

When A Perpetual Voyager Has to Stop Traveling

I still remember the moment two years ago when I came up with the name for my travel blog. I was sitting in yoga class, letting my mind drift a bit in hopes of gaining some inspiration, and thinking about how for me, the whole point of travel and adventure was that it wasn’t a one-off experience but a continuous trend, a state of being. I wasn’t just a traveler, I was a voyager, if you will. An eternal voyager!

I thought the name was perfect. It acknowledged the permanence of my quest to explore as much of the world as I could. But as I reconsidered, “eternal” sounded a bit too serious, or flaky, depending on how you approached it. So instead, I went with “perpetual.” Perpetual voyager. Perpetual motion. Always moving forward, onto the next country, the next adventure, the next dream. That was me.

Until this year.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you may have noticed that I haven’t posted anything here in months. If you know me well, you can probably guess why. This past spring I got hit by a powerful jolt of news I wasn’t expecting, regarding that most precious and important aspect of life that we all too often take for granted: my health. Having always been a robustly healthy person who worked out three times a week, walked 10,000 steps a day just to get to work, squeezed myself into coach seats for twenty-hour flights without a second thought and visited the doctor’s office once a year, it has definitely been a challenging transition and has turned my life upside down in a lot of ways.

Still, in many respects, I am fortunate. Early diagnosis caught my affliction before it went too far, and my long-term prognosis is excellent. I have amazing doctors, a supportive employer, and wonderful family and friends. Even without meaning to, this year of mostly unmitigated awfulness has shown me how fortunate I really am. Despite all that I’ve gone through over the past few months, I’m very, very grateful for that.

If all goes well, I’m hopeful that soon 2017 and all its awfulness will just be a blip on my radar screen. I’ll leave these difficult days in the past, recover physically and mentally, and get back to my real life, the one I’m supposed to be living right now—the one that involves traveling to far-flung places and having magical experiences in new cities and cultures, then coming home to write blog posts and relive the greatest hits on Instagram with a selection of my favorite photos.

But in the meantime, I’m sort of stuck. It’s the way it has to be, for now—weekly medical treatments have kept me pretty tethered to my hometown for the past few months. I haven’t been out of the country since I came home from Slovenia and Croatia a year ago. (In fact, Facebook memories helpfully reminded me today that exactly one year ago I was chasing waterfalls in Plitvice national park in Croatia…how quickly life can turn around!)

Plitvice waterfalls, Croatia

My other travel plans this year all fell by the wayside once I got my diagnosis back in May. (And if I may say so myself, these were some excellent plans). No safari in Kenya with my coworkers after our annual meeting in Nairobi in June. No dream trip to cruise Scandinavia and Russia (the one I’d been longing to make happen for close to a decade). Instead this summer was filled with doctor’s appointments, hospital visits, and a lot of time on my hands to think about the endless list of places I’d rather be.

But, there’s hope on the horizon! By the end of this year I’ll be mostly done with my course of treatment, and by winter I should be able to travel again pretty much without restriction. I already have big, big plans for the first trip I want to take in 2018…but having learned the hard way that life doesn’t always work out the way we expect it to, I want to hold off on sharing details until I actually have plane tickets in hand. Stay tuned….

And in the meantime, I want to get back to blogging. I didn’t post anything for the past few months mostly because it didn’t seem worth it—what was I going to write about? I wasn’t going anywhere interesting or doing anything beyond my work-and-medical appointment routine. But I also think that maybe, my lack of presence on my blog was also a form of denial. I didn’t want to put down in words what I was experiencing any more often than I had to. And while I still don’t want to write about the things that have kept me grounded in reality this year, I do want to begin anticipating the day when I’ll be able to take flight again. Because it’s never too early to get excited about the next adventure on the horizon—in fact, sometimes that’s all that keeps you going.

I also want to use this pause in my travels for another purpose—to reboot my blog a bit. I’ve always seen Perpetual Voyager as a hobby blog, and never wanted to make it into a full-time gig as many travel bloggers aspire to. I love travel blogs, but I already have a job and a career, and I wanted this site to remain something I do just for fun, and for myself—though of course, anyone else who chooses to is welcome to come along for the ride!

But now, I think my unplanned break from blogging has inspired me to re-dedicate myself to my blogging efforts. I want to post more frequently, write about travel in more in-depth and imaginative ways. I want to grow my audience, expand my community of readers. And you know, actually figure out the nuts and bolts of how to make a site look nice. (Looks do count, after all!)

And I do have a few small but exciting adventures coming up over the next few months close to home. I’m thrilled to have booked tickets for a Columbus Day weekend getaway to Philadelphia, a city I’ve visited before but really only scratched the surface of. I want to explore the museums, dig into the history of America’s founding days, and of course, check out the food and café scene in Philly. Only another month to go! And I’ll be sharing my impressions of the city here when I get back.

In late October I’ll be going to New York City for a work trip, which hopefully will include some time to catch up with NYC-based friends and family and try out some new restaurants (as well as make it back to the home of the world’s most magical milkshakes, obviously!)

Then in December I’ll be visiting my family in Florida for Christmas. It’s been months since I’ve seen them, though we talk every day, and I can’t wait to spend some quality in-person time with Mom and Dad, ending a difficult year on a high note.

And then, on to 2018…which, if I have my way, will be filled with nothing short of epic travel adventures.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

When my doctor and I first met to discuss my course of treatment a few months ago, I had many questions, both big and small. But one of the most pressing for me was when I’d be able to travel again. I mentioned my now-cancelled safari in Kenya, and asked if, in a year’s time, I’d be able to travel to such distant places again. I’ll never forget her words: “A year from now, you’ll go back to Kenya…and you can take me with you!”

Those words were such a relief to hear at the time, and even today, they still make me smile and give me hope. Hope that my life as a perpetual voyager will continue, and that I’ll soon be back out in the world I love so fiercely, conquering mountains and chasing waterfalls and living this glorious life to its fullest.

And until then, I’ll keep writing. Thanks for reading.

Africa, Croatia, Kenya, Russia, Slovenia

Sep

How’s That Bucket List Coming? An Update on My Travels

A while back, I wrote a post about my (greatly abbreviated) top ten country bucket list. It was intended to be an exploration of my travel dreams, as well as a way to prioritize the places I most want to see (since I always have more travel dreams than time or money, making a list of my top travel goals makes sense, right? I’m nothing if not organized. Seriously, to an insane degree. It’s rather scary.)

Recently I started thinking about this list and thought it would be fun to check back and see how I’m doing with my list of must-sees: how many have I made a reality, how many are trips-in-progress, and how many remain tantalizing future travel goals? I love accountability, almost as much as I love to cross things off of lists, so here goes:

Melissa’s (Updated) Bucket List

View of a mist-covered mountain outside Nairobi

10) East Africa

Done and done (and soon to be done again!) Last year I visited Kenya and Uganda for a work trip, and I’ll be going back soon to explore more of Kenya (details pending). I can’t wait to revisit this beautiful corner of the world and dig a bit deeper into what it has to offer.

9) Brazil

Still haven’t been, but it remains high on my list, especially after friends have raved about it so much lately. I would love to make this a winter (aka their summer) trip one of these years—maybe in combination with Chile, another place in South America I’m longing to see….

8) Costa Rica

I seriously thought about taking a trip there this spring, but it didn’t quite pan out. I have looked into doing a yoga retreat in Costa Rica and really want to make that happen one day (two bucket list goals achieved on one trip; I love it!)

7) India

I was literally just talking yesterday with a friend who had spent lots of time in India and loved it. It remains high on my list, but I want to visit when I can do an extended tour through the country (both north and south, hopefully) and really get to delve into its magic. This trip may not happen in the foreseeable future, but it will happen!

6) New Zealand

No details yet, but I’m making a determined effort to visit this magical land within the next year (gauntlet thrown down, now I must commit!) Seriously, few places rank higher on my must-see-asap list than NZ, and I’m very hopeful a 2018 trip is in the cards. Stay tuned!

5) Australia

Well, of course you can’t mention New Zealand without bringing up Australia, right? Because they are SO close and both look SO AMAZING, I would really love to do a trip that combines both—if I manage to carve out a month or so in my schedule that would be possible, but otherwise, I’m afraid Oz may have to wait in line behind New Zealand (I guess I should officially bump it down behind NZ on my bucket list, right?) But I’m determined to make it to Australia in the not-too-distant future as well.

4) Vietnam

SO. CLOSE. A few months ago I was booked to go back to Cambodia for a work trip, and I had added on a few vacation days in Hanoi to check out the city and visit Ha Long Bay. Unfortunately, the plug was pulled on my work trip, so Vietnam was postponed as well…for now. I still hope to make it back to Southeast Asia later this year or early next, though it’s not totally within control due to the work factors. But one thing is certain: when I return to Asia, I will get to Vietnam at last.

View of Soca river in Slovenia.

3) Slovenia

Check another one off the list—I finally made my decade-long travel dream come true and visited Slovenia last summer, and ever since I’ve been recommending that everyone drop whatever they’re doing and head over there. What a beautiful and fascinating country!

2) Bali

Oh, Bali…how you tempt and vex me. I was determined to finally make this dream trip a reality for my milestone birthday last December. But, with all the traveling I’d done that year, and the relatively limited vacation time I had to work with, I decided it made more sense to postpone until I had a chance to do it properly, ie spend a few weeks in Indonesia and really get the opportunity to soak up Bali. After all, a 20-hour plane ride is nothing to scoff at, and if you’re going all that way you need to make your time there worthwhile, right? I don’t want to give Bali short shrift when I feel it deserves so much more, so I’m holding off until I can do it right (what a dangerous notion that is, really….) Anyway, I will make Bali happen. For sure. One of these days. Sigh….

`1) Russia/China/Mongolia and the Trans-Siberian Express

Big news here: I’M FINALLY GOING TO RUSSIA!!!

No, not the Trans-Siberian Express (that will happen eventually though!) but St. Petersburg. My friend and I have booked a cruise through Scandinavia (covering Berlin, Tallin, Stockholm, Helsinki and Copenhagen), with a full two-day stop in St. Petersburg. So after two decades of dreaming about it, I’m finally going to Russia in August—just four months away!! Cue massive excitement, guidebook purchases, and earnest efforts to finally make it through Crime and Punishment this time….

So, that’s the status of my bucket list. Two countries checked off, three more in progress, and five dreams waiting to be fulfilled in the future….I guess that’s not terrible, right? Slow and steady wins the race, and even if getting to every corner of the world my heart desires may take longer than I’d like, I have no doubt that in the end, it will be well worth it.

Do you have a bucket list? How are you doing at fulfilling your travel dreams?

Africa, Asia, Bali, Eastern/Central Europe, Kenya, Russia, Slovenia, Travel Musings, Uganda

Apr

Where I’m Going in 2017 (And Why We Should All Go Somewhere New This Year)

Plitvice waterfalls, Croatia

A few weeks ago, a friend posted on Facebook that she had just applied for her first passport. I smiled; it was the first piece of good news I’d read on social media in what seemed like ages. It’s not just the prospect of the new journeys and discoveries that lie ahead of her that excites me. It’s the fact that she, along with many other people, is making the decision to explore the world beyond America’s borders for the first time. And that type of exploration has never been more important.

Our world today is in the midst of a rising tide of xenophobia, bigotry, and sadly, outright hate towards those who are different from us. If we want to avoid getting swept away by this tide, we need to recognize that the source of much of these feelings is actually fear. It’s easy to be afraid of the unknown. For many people who’ve never traveled outside of their country, who’ve never met anyone from another part of the world, who’ve never spent time in a foreign land to learn about a new place, its culture and its history, it can seem that the world is a terrifying place filled with bad people who are all out to get us.

But that’s simply not true. I’ve visited 35 countries and five continents so far (often solo), and I’ve had amazing experiences and met wonderful people in every single one. And I can honestly say in all my wanderings, I’ve never had a moment when I’ve felt truly afraid.

Koh Phi Phi, Thailand

Bigotry thrives on ignorance. Hatred and xenophobia feed off of fear. The way to combat these demons is to throw ourselves out into the world and discover all that is has to offer, and connect with new people we never would meet otherwise whose perspective, values, and life experiences may differ from ours, but who are ultimately like us–just people doing the best they can to live a good life for themselves and their families.

The two most life-changing trips I’ve ever taken both happened last year, in Cambodia and Uganda. In Cambodia, I met people who had suffered enormously from a war my history books had barely even mentioned (and believe me, I’ve read a lot of history). In Uganda, I visited a center where refugees fleeing violence and local people confronting poverty unimaginable to most Americans were receiving food, medical treatment, and above all, hope. It’s hard to see things like this and not look at the world differently afterward. And I believe that, while travel has enormous value simply as a fun adventure and break from day-to-day life, the most rewarding trips are the ones that immerse you, however briefly, in a totally different environment, like the ones I got a chance to see in Cambodia and Uganda. An experience like this is the best antidote I know to hatred, intolerance and fear.

So, let 2017 be your year to travel and explore the world. If you’ve been thinking about getting a passport, or booking a trip somewhere new, or venturing outside your comfort zone in general, now is the perfect time. May 2017 be your Year of Travel!

Of course, it’s always my Year of Travel around here, and so I wanted to share my trip plans for the next few months…they’re still evolving, but I’ve got some great stuff lined up and I’m so excited to hit the road again. Bring it!

Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

Melissa’s 2017 Travel Plans (So Far)

Cambodia and Vietnam: I visited Cambodia last year on a work trip and loved it. This year, work is sending me back again, and I’m taking advantage of the opportunity to add on a few days in Vietnam. I’m hoping to spend a weekend in Hanoi and do a cruise on Ha Long Bay; just enough time to get a taste of this fascinating country. I should be there in late March through early April, and I can’t wait!
East Africa: Another work-related trip to Kenya and Uganda, which I also visited last year. I won’t have much time to do non-work stuff on this trip, but I do hope to get in another breathtaking sunrise walk on the plains to spot some giraffes and other magnificent wildlife, at the very least.
Scandinavia and Russia: I’ve been dying to go to Russia for two decades now, and I’m determined that this is the year it will happen. I’m not sure exactly how this trip will play out though. I’m considering basing myself in Helsinki (which seems to be every travel blogger’s favorite Nordic city lately), exploring a bit of the Finnish countryside, day-tripping to Tallin in Estonia, and then finishing up with a few days in St. Petersburg. Another option is to take a Scandinavia/Russia/Baltics cruise, hitting all of these same cities and also Berlin, Stockholm, and Copenhagen (the only one I’ve been to before). I’m torn between my desire to spend more time on the ground and get to know Finland better and my love of cruises (don’t judge) plus the opportunity to see more places, with less logistical hassle, albeit at a more hurried pace. Not a bad dilemma to have though, right? This will be my big vacation trip of the year, so I want to do it right…details to come as I sort it all out.
Paris: Nothing definite yet but there’s a decent chance I may have a work meeting in Paris again this year, and if so, this time I’m definitely tacking on at least one vacation day. I can never get enough of Paris (and definitely not of Angelina’s hot chocolate!)
New Orleans: My best friend and I traveled to Portland, Oregon together last fall, and we’ve tossed around the idea of doing another fall trip to New Orleans (she’s been before, I haven’t). It’s long been near the top of my list of American cities to visit, and would fulfill one of my travel resolutions to keep exploring my own country, so I hope we can make it happen!

Do you have any exciting travel plans for the new year? Already taken an amazing trip? Share!

Africa, Asia, Cambodia, Kenya, Russia, Travel Musings, Uganda

Feb

Travel Resolutions for 2017

Happy new year! 2017 is upon us, and while I may have mixed feelings about that, there’s no denying that the arrival of a new calendar year is a great opportunity to take stock and set resolutions and intentions for ourselves. I’ve already written down my official new years’ resolutions in my notebook, as I always do on January 1. Hopefully I’ll be as successful with them this year as last year (I kept about six out of nine, not bad…though maybe it means I need to be more ambitious in my goal-setting?) Anyway….on to travel!

Antigua, Guatemala

Travel is always my number one resolution and the first goal I write down in my notebook on new year’s day. It’s my favorite resolution as it’s easy to keep: do more of my favorite thing in the world and continue exploring this magical planet? Yes, I can probably squeeze that in along with “eat healthier” and “save more money.”

I already have a pretty good handle on where I plan to travel this year—I’ll save that for a future post. Today I want to share some of the broader travel-related resolutions I plan to make for the year ahead. So far, here’s what I’ve settled on:

Melissa’s Travel Resolutions for 2017

Seize Opportunities. I like to think that I always seize any travel opportunity that presents itself with both hands, but this year I want to get better about really taking advantage of all the opportunities presented to me and get creative with them where I can. For instance, I have at least two potential overseas work trips coming up where I could plausibly add on a few vacation days to spend more time in places I love, or even pop into an entirely new country for the first time as I’ll be so close. Challenge accepted!

Make My Dream Trip Happen. For years (actually, decades) I’ve been wanting to go to Russia. I studied Russian history and politics as part of my college curriculum and got my graduate degree in international relations with a focus on Russia and Eastern Europe—yet somehow, I’ve still never been to Russia. How ridiculous is that? This year, I’m determined to make it over there as part of a longer trip to the Baltic/Scandinavian region, which I’m also dying to visit. I hereby declare 2017 the year of making my Russia dream come true!

Be More Adventurous. Of course, one can argue that travel is an adventure in itself, but more and more I’ve come to realize that visiting new places also presents unique opportunities to try new things and get out of your comfort zone. I want to do a yoga retreat by the beach, take cooking and language classes in new countries, zipline in Costa Rica, climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia, go skydiving in Queenstown, New Zealand…and I’m sure I can think of more to add to the list. It may not all happen this year, but I at least want to make a start on becoming a more adventurous traveler in 2017.

Get Better at Collecting Points and Miles. I suck at travel hacking. Embarrassing, but true. For one who travels relatively often, I don’t really make much of an effort to collect or redeem points and miles for free flights, upgrades, etc. I’m vowing to improve on this in 2017, especially as one of my 2018 trips is likely to involve a long flight. Which leads me to….

Save for a Big Trip and Begin Planning. I have a big, ambitious trip to a completely new-to-me part of the world that I’ve been thinking about for a while—one that will require more than my usual week or two. I’m not exactly sure when or how this trip will unfold (and it probably won’t be until at least 2018) but I want to start setting aside dedicated savings to fund this big adventure this year, as well as begin delving into the planning process. More details hopefully coming soon….

Finish My Book. And finally—one of the things I’m most proud of in 2016 is that I began writing a book on travel. It’s still a work in progress, but I’ve been writing away and am pretty pleased with it so far. In 2017, I want to finish the writing process and begin looking into publishing to bring my new creation into the world. Wish me luck!

Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

What are your travel goals or resolutions for 2017? Did you keep the ones you made last year?

Russia, Travel Musings

Jan

Why Haven’t I Been to Russia Yet?