It’s a new year! I hope yours is off to a great start! I’ve had the gears in my brain turning about where I want to go this year, and I’ve got a couple of ideas.

But first I just want to say I’m pretty stoked to have gone to three out of the five destinations from last years list! That feels pretty awesome! We went to France, and while we didn’t spend any time in Paris, we got to explore the Champagne and Brittany regions with some of my good friends which was awesome! We also made it to Croatia, which has been on my bucket list for ages and it did not disappoint. And Slovenia which was more beautiful than I could have imagined! 2018 was a pretty good year of travel.

Anyways onto my ideas for the 2019. A a couple of these places have been on my list for a while, but we just haven’t been able to make them happen yet, I feel like this year is the year for Canada and our National Parks Tour!

Canada

I’ve been wanting to visit Canada for quite a while now. And not so coincidentally it’s going to be our first trip of the year. We are going to be hitting the road for a month long snowboard trip through western Canada. Hitting up places like Whistler, Revelstoke, Banff, and Lake Louise for their beautiful mountain views and awesome snow sports.

National Parks Tour

A national parks tour has also been on my list, although with the current government shut down (as of publishing we are on day 24) this may have to wait till later in the year. The current situation being that most parks are still open but not staffed which has lead to a lot of destruction, pollution, and just a lack of consideration for wildlife and the environment, I won’t get into specifics, I’m sure you’ve seen it on the news.

However, once the government gets its shit together and the parks are in working order I’d love to visit: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Glacier, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, Badlands, Death Valley, and the Grand Canyon. But for now I’ll be holding off from visiting and I hope you will too until things can be restored.

Mexico

Here’s a funny fact, I grew up in San Diego 20 minutes from the border and have never been further down in Mexico than Ensenada, just one hour south, oh oops one time Rob and I went to Yalapa, but other than that… So most of my experience in Mexico has been Rosarito for spring break, which isn’t the most culturally informative or interesting. I’d love to visit Mexico City, Tulum, and the Yucatan Peninsula, to see more of what this awesome country has to offer.

Costa Rica & Nicaragua

I went to Costa Rica when I was in high school and loved it, but a lot has changed in the last 15 years. The country has developed quite a bit, the once quiet little beach towns are now bustling tourist hubs (or so I’ve heard). But I’d like to go back and see the beautiful country again and see what it’s like now for myself.

I’d also like to surf. Rob and I have been talking about doing a surf trip for a while, I’m probably intermediate level having learned as a kid, but he’s still learning and the warm water and good waves in Costa Rica and Nicaragua sound like the perfect place to be beach bums for a while. Nicaragua is just north of Costa Rica and is known for it’s awesome surf as well.

Austin TX

I’ve never been to Texas, well I’ve never left the airport in Texas. But I keep hearing such awesome things about Austin that I think it deserves a visit. It’s got all the things I love, hipsters, good food, good drinks, and good music, what more could I ask for?

After two jaunts to Europe last year I’m not really feeling any transatlantic flights and wanting to stay and explore the Americas a bit. There is so much to see in this part of the world that I haven’t seen yet and I think it’s about time I explored it. So I’ve got my SkyScanner flight alerts set and I’m excited for the new year and all the new travel!

From Canada to Central America I can’t wait to see you!

Where are you going this year? Do you have any big travel plans or bucket list destinations ready to check off?

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