Can you believe that 2015 is coming to an end? I certainly can’t. This year literally flew by. It seems as if it were last week that I was living and working in Florence and traveling around Europe. It seems as if it were yesterday that I was hanging out in Florida over the summer…. And now I live in Thailand and its been a whirlwind. I only have three months left of teaching! And then its off to start the most epic backpacking trip ever that will get me home at the end of August. I have so many places that could fall into my top travel destinations of 2015. But only five can!!
I’m definitely looking forward to the adventures that 2016 (it took me three tries to type that out) brings, but for now, I will take some time out to reflect on my travels over the past year. Here is a look at my five favorite trips I took this past year…
Sahara Desert, Morocco
I was a bit indifferent towards Marrakech, but camping in the Sahara Desert was probably the most incredible thing I’ve done so far in my life. There is truly nothing like it. Our trip to Morocco was a bit of a mess, but my experience in the desert was perfect. We took a sunset and sunrise camel ride to and from the campsite in the nomad Berber village. We dined on couscous and delicious vegetable tajine. We sat around a campfire singing traditional Berber songs and we climbed to the top of a very high sand dune to stare at what is still the best view of the stars I’ve ever had.
Croatia
Croatia had been at the top of my bucket list for an extremely long time. As a long time fan of Game of Thrones I had to make it to Split. I was lucky enough to go twice! I’m definitely not done with Croatia yet as my trips there were just a taste that have left me wanting to see more! From walking around the ancient city and pretending I was Khaleesi, to island hopping, to visiting the beautiful Krka National Park, I had the best time and I need to go back soon!
Phu Chi Fa, Thailand
I haven’t blogged about my trip to Phu Chi Fa yet, but stay tuned as there will be one next week! The mountain sits in Northern Thailand in the province of Chiang Rai. The summit is actually in Laos! The sunset over the clouds was absolutely stunning. I have never seen anything like it and being able to experience it with my travel PIC, Rachel, and all of our new friends from teaching was perfect. We actually drove motorbikes to the mountain town which was an awesome bonding experience as the ride was quite treacherous!
Orlando, Florida – The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Yes, this is an amusement park. Yes, it was super close to where I lived this past summer, but my trip to Universal Studios to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was everything I dreamed it would be (and more!). Seriously though, being able to spend time with my Mom was awesome as I was away for most of the year and was leaving again shortly after our road trip to Orlando. If you know me well, you know that I have an undying love for Harry Potter. I’ve read all of the books several times and have watched the movies hundreds of times. My Mom and I even had a movie marathon before we headed to the park to make sure we wouldn’t miss any small details in both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade!
Florence, Italy
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning my home away from home. Florence stole a piece of my heart and I don’t want it to ever give it back to me. I fell in love with the beautiful Italian city and living there was a dream. Between the wonderful people and the gorgeous streets and delicious food, I will forever be obsessed with this magical place. Hopefully 2016 brings me back for a visit!
