The Girl With The Lists

Yeah, that’s me.  I’m a list maker. I haven’t gone so far as to buy one of those ‘list journals,’ but as you can probably tell by now, I’m a big fan of putting my thoughts in numerical order.  Today is no exception.

I was asked by a reader this week to give a summary of my travels thus far.  And everyone knows, of all the lists there are, summaries are the best.  So here are my travel summary lists, just for you Jenni!

Top Adventures (Things That Require Tickets):

1. Stargazing in Chile, complete with tour guide and telescope views.
2. Zip lining in Switzerland.
3. Touring the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey.

   

   The Hagia Sophia 

4. Touring a tuna port in The Philippines.
5. Cooking class in Thailand.

   

   Cooking class in Chaing Mai, Thailand.

6. Free walking tours.  You just pay a tip at the end.  I’ve done them in Chile, Quebec, and several countries in Europe and have enjoyed them every time.

Top Foods:

1. Every meal in Quebec, including the pastries, eggs, poutine, chocolate dipped ice cream, and french onion soup.  Literally every meal was a win!

   

   Maison Christian Faure in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

2. New York City.  The variety is overwhelmingly delicious.  I wrote about it here. 
3. Vietnamese egg sandwiches.  I don’t have a picture, but imagine soy sauce and carrots and something green with eggs on a french baguette.  Such an interesting mix!
4. Fresh shrimp tapas in Spain.  Delicious, but also the first time I’ve met shrimp with so many eyes.  It was a food adventure!

   

   Tapas in Seville, Spain.

Favorite Memories 

1. Drinking tea in the Patagonias.

   

   Tea as the sun sets in Coyhaique, Chile.

2. Running to a sunset in Italy.
3. Waking up to a full window sunrise in Santiago, Chile.

   

   Santiago, Chile sunrise.

4. Funny conversations with our waiter in Istanbul.
5. Left side driving in Ireland.
6. Hanging out in the park on Sunday afternoons in Guatemala and making friends with the little vendor girls.  They entertained us and we entertained them.  Plus, we all got to practice our Spanish!

   

   Mayan girls selling scarves and hair ties in Antigua, Guatemala.

7. Hiking.  I’m not a very outdoorsy person (aka, I have minimal survival skills and tolerance of bugs) and yet somehow I find myself hiking when I travel and loving it.  The Alps in Europe, the Patagonias in Chile, a volcano in Guatemala, the Sierra Nevadas in California, and paths between coastal villages in Italy each added variety to my travels, a sense of accomplishment for the day, and unanticipated beauty.

   

   Hiking views in Yosemite, California.

Biggest Regrets

1. Traveling Europe during peak tourist season.  Tourists are my least favorite kind of crowd.

   

   Crowded Spanish Steps in Rome, Italy.

2. Not zip-lining in Thailand.
3. Not snorkeling in Honduras.
4. Booking tickets too late in Europe and missing out on a few places.
5. Wearing flip flops while hiking in Italy.

   

   Dirty feet on steep steps in Cinque Terre, Italy. 

Countries I’ve Visited:

1. Honduras
2. Guatemala
3. Thailand
4. Vietnam
5. The Philippines
6. Cambodia
7. Turkey
8. Ireland
9. Northern Ireland
10. Canada
11. Chile
12. Czech Republic
13. Austria
14. Germany
15. Switzerland
16. Italy
17. Spain

US Cities I’ve Visited:

1. Chicago
2. San Diego
3. Phoenix
4. New York City
5. Philadelphia
6. Boston
7. Pittsburg
8. Washington D.C.
9. Miami
10. San Francisco
11. Seattle
12. Portland
13. Cincinnati

Next Countries on My Wish List:

1. Morocco- to experience the beauty and culture.
2. Cuba- to experience the preserved culture while it lasts.
3. Norway- because those fjords look beautiful!
4. Singapore/Hong Kong or any ginormous city in Asia- just because I wonder if I’d ever feel like there is such a thing as a city that is too big.
5. Namibia or somewhere in southern Africa- I had a classmate once from Namibia and it always sounded interesting to me.
6. Peru- for Machu Picchu views and the potato variety, and because traveling in Spanish-speaking countries is extra fun for me because I speak Spanish.

Now it’s your turn!  Leave a comment and let me know:

1. Your favorite adventure.
2. Favorite food you can’t get at home.
3. Favorite travel memory.
4. A travel regret.
5. How many countries and/or states you’ve visited.  You can list them if you want.
6. Next place on your list.

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