I love traveling and exploring new places, that’s no surprise. I’ve had some amazing experiences and some not so great ones. As I get ready to go to London & Amsterdam next month I’ve been thinking about some of my favorite destinations, and what I’ve learned from them. Keep on reading to see why these places made it on the list.
Losing our luggage before Costa Rica
When my now-husband and I went to Costa Rica in 2015 we took a connecting flight. Our luggage made it from Dallas to Fort Lauderdale, but not to San Jose. Although our luggage was lost and we lost an entire day due to a missed connection the next day was so much fun. I learned to be flexible and how to pack accordingly. Our first day there we each had a bathing suit, a pair of shorts, and a t-shirt my husband had in his backpack. We decided to make the most with what we had and went out and explored.
The next morning we explored the Manuel Antonio National Park and had a blast. I loved seeing the monkeys walking around and even wagging their tail on my leg. Getting there was rough, but it ended up being one of my favorite memories. We fell in love with Costa Rica, the culture, biodiversity, food, and people.
Studying Abroad in Spain
I did a summer abroad in Spain and fell in love with the country. We got to visit Madrid, Toledo, Alarcon, Altea, Calpe, and of course Valencia where I did my studies. This was the first time I ever traveled alone and I gained so much independence from it. I learned a lot about the culture and their art and got to see a different side of “traveling” although I was there to study we did a lot of things outside the classroom and got to meet some amazing people.
I celebrated “Dia de San Juan” a celebration that is meant to welcome summer and get rid of the old. We built a bonfire, got to bond, and at midnight we got to jump the 7 waves in the ocean. This night was such a fun experience of bonding and learning something new. I fell in love with Spain after this trip, and I hope to one day be able to share Spain with my husband.
Exploring Paris with my Husband
I loved Paris, I had heard mixed reviews from everyone, some people loved it and some hated it. We fell in the loved category, I went in 2019 for my husband and my anniversary. We stayed in the cutest boutique hotel with an amazing story (Hotel Da Vinci) and were sadly not there long enough. Again our luggage took a detour to Amsterdam, but we didn’t let that get in our way. My favorite thing was the whole trip in itself, yes our luggage didn’t make it until the second day and we almost missed a flight. However, our trip was amazing.
We got to see so much and do so much, I loved visiting all the museums and getting lost in the city. As cheesy as it is and sounds Paris truly is the city of love. We went in March if I can make any recommendation is that you should visit Paris then. The wait was not long for any of the attractions and we got to experience the best of it. Yes, it is cold in March, but everything is still so beautiful!
Experiencing Sonoma & Exploring San Francisco
We decided to go to San Francisco with some friends on a whim. My husband and I had some Southwest vouchers that were going to expire soon and we found some affordable tickets to San Francisco. Honestly, we were not expecting much from it and it was not a place that had been on our radar. Boy were we surprised, there was so much to do and so much to see in such little time. We went to Sonoma and got to explore and do a tasting at Buena Vista Winery that was amazing I loved learning about different wines & tasting them. I was even named the “Sheriff of Buena Vista”.
People had told us Alcatraz was overrated, but we really enjoyed it. We like history so we liked learning about Alcatraz, there was an eerie feeling all around, but the view of the bay was beautiful. The only thing besides traffic that we did not enjoy was the cable cars. I wish someone had told us those were overrated, was it cool to see yes, would I recommend riding one? No, there is so much to do and see that riding a cable car is a waste. Another favorite in the area was Muir woods, wow was all I could say. Our planet is amazing, and it’s great to see all the amazing things it has, Muir woods is a definite must-see.
There are so many more amazing places I’ve seen & I’ve learned a lot from each one I’ve visited. As my list of countries & states I visit keeps on growing I plan on creating more blog posts and sharing with you all. If you’re curious about how I afford to travel or find cheap flights check out this post!
Until next time!
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