When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, most of people aim to lose weight, quit smoking, do more exercise … or something else, mostly health-related. Well, I have been a good girl for years now and I am well aware that healthy lifestyle is a journey, not just something you promise to yourself (and usually fail) every year 😉 Instead of making resolutions, I decided to come up with a bucket list of 7 destinations I want to visit and 7 activities I want to do in the next 7 years. As I mentioned in my post about my travel favorites, my goal is not to visit all countries in the world, but it is pretty damn close. And since I am not getting any younger, I need to set my priorities straight – after all, I am limited with resources and time; I have a real job and someone has to pay for my trips. My bucket list will also help me stay motivated, disciplined and focused on my travel goals in the future. And, 7 is a lucky number, right? 😉 So, here it goes:
1. BORA BORA – a group of islands in Tahiti with breathtaking beaches, nature and resorts. Just take a look at the photo above and say nothing else.
What has been keeping me away so far: Well, first of all, it is pretty damn far – it would take me a few days just to travel there and back from Slovenia. Secondly, if I am to travel a few days, I need to spend at least a week there, if not 10 days. I mean, seriously, what would I do there for 10 days? And last but not the least; if I want to enjoy one of the resorts in Bora Bora, I need a sponsor or two. Any collaboration requests, por favor?
2. PHILIPPINES – The country with thousands of islands in the Pacific Ocean. I can’t even begin to describe why… beaches, caves, lakes, whales, mountains… seems like Philippines have it all.
What has been keeping me away so far: Honestly, I don’t know which island to pick – everyone talks about Palawan and Boracay, I was also checking out Cebu and Bohol, and on the other hand I would like to go somewhere “virgin”, with not too many tourists. Got any ideas?
3. TANZANIA OR SOUTH AFRICA – African beauties, known especially for their diverse wildlife. I am crazy about lions and I want to see them in their nature habitat (not only in zoo, like the one above from Singapore).
What has been keeping me away so far: The reason is somehow similar to previous one – I can’t imagine going to safari for more than 5 days, and to travel that far I would need to combine my visit with something else. People usually visit Tanzania together with Zanzibar, but the island somehow doesn’t seem like my cup of tea. Well, I guess I will need to make a compromise… or visit South Africa instead?
4. AUSTRALIA – I believe the land down under, doesn’t need any introduction. Australia is full of natural wonders, gorgeous beaches and sharks, which I am obsessed with. Ok, New Zealand would do fine as well.
What has been keeping me away so far: It is very far and 14 days (which is the most I can afford in my current job position) is not nearly enough to see it all. So I guess I need to either wait for my retirement or a miracle. I prefer the latter.
5. COLOMBIA – You watched Narcos, right? So, Medellin, Colombian landscape and Carribean coastline.
What has been keeping me away so far: My boyfriend is affraid to go there, so I need to convince him it is perfectly safe. Keep your fingers crossed 😉 By the way, the same goes for Panama!
6. SCOTLAND – Northern part of the UK with the language no one understands. Or Ireland as an alternative. Why Scotland? Nature and castles. Getting drunk with locals is also not a bad idea.
What has been keeping me away so far: I’ve got only one word for you here and it is weather.
7. BRAZIL – The land of football, rain forest, carnivals and million miles of beaches. I want to see Rio, the gorgeous beaches of Fernando de Noronha and everything in between.
What has been keeping me away so far: I am kind of saving myself for Brazil until I am ready for it. Which means to have enough time for planning and traveling. Because Brazil is fucking huge.
And when speaking of my bucket list of activities, I will just list them and not bother you with “why and why not” details:
- Swimming with sharks in Belize or Cayman islands
- Hiking the trail to Havasu falls (photo above from NY Times)
- Swimming with pigs in Bahamas
- Swimming with whale sharks (lots of places to do that)
- Cuddling Komodo dragons
- Smelling lavender fields in Provence
- See the Great wall of China and Machu Picchu (I cheated here, I know, but it is my blog and I make the rules 😉 )
Well, I think these 7 + 8 will have to do for the next 7 years, especially since I want to visit some of the countries I’ve been to at least once more. Santa, if you are reading this, you know that Maldives, Seychelles and New York are always a good idea, right? 😉
What is on your bucket list? Got some tips for me about my travel goals? Should I skip anything and switch for something else instead? Scroll down and drop me a line in comments.
