2016 Travel Goals

I know this is a bit late, although 2016 got off to a busy start for me with both work and travel. I have been working hard on getting my new website, www.justonemoretrip.com, up and running from scratch, and I have been making big decisions regarding my career in these first couple of weeks of the new year. So now that I am finally getting my life together a bit more, here are some of my travel goals for 2016:

• Australia. It is finally time for me to hit my 6th continent after traveling to the other populated 5 contents several times over the past three years. Don't worry, Antarctica is also on my list, but probably not for this year. I really want to visit Melbourne more than anything, although a trip to the Sydney Opera House is definitely going to happen. I still have to find the right plane tickets and dates for this trip, but this is my number one travel priority this year.
• Petra. I am not sure if I can make this happen, but I really want to finally visit Petra in Jordan this year. It is one of the last new wonders of the world that I have yet to see.
• Cuba. This trip would be a stretch, but it would be a dream to visit Havana and even the rest of Cuba before American tourists are allowed to go (currently American visitors are allowed, but only under 10 specific categories, and tourists are not one of them). I want to see Cuba and get a feel for the culture as it is now, before all the old vintage cars and things are replaced with newer imports from the U.S. The only thing stopping me from getting a visa now is that my Spanish isn't fluent, and I would have to go with someone who can speak it well enough to understand the Cuban accent. This is one place I would not go solo.
• Eastern Europe. With all the deals to Central and South America last year, I didn't end up having enough time to do a mini backpacking trip through Budapest, Vienna, Croatia, and Prague like I had wanted to, although I did get to spend one day in Prague. I still want to take at least 10 days and go some time this fall.
• Chicago. I still have not been to Chicago!!! Luckily, I have plans to drive to Wisconsin with Elvera next month under the condition that she take me to Chicago once we get there. February is not the ideal time of year to go, but I just can't wait! :)
• Montreal. And probably Quebec City. A little piece of Europe in North America. This is pretty high up on my list. I have never been disappointed by Canada.
• Victoria. I have been wanting to take the ferry over to Victoria from Seattle for a while now. I hope I can make this happen some time this year. I think I could make a fun weekend trip out of it. Victoria is supposed to be absolutely gorgeous, and I'd love to see the gardens and do some hiking out that way. Maybe I could even see some whales!
• Celine Dion in Las Vegas. I love Las Vegas, and as many times as I have been there, I have never seen Celine Dion in concert!!! My very first album was The Reason on cassette tape that I bought in Thailand, and I listened to it every night in order to fall asleep when I was a kid afraid of the Night Marchers (Hawaiian ghost stories are no joke people!). I can't wait to finally see her live!
• Havasupai. I had reservations last year, but Tianqi had to go and get married on the same weekend that I had reservations for. I will try again this year, and so far it looks like I will be able to bring quite a large group of lovely ladies from my favorite Facebook group, Girls LOVE Travel! It will be a blast! Now let's just pray I get enough reservations when I call and call and call in on February 1st.
• Travel Blog. My final and most important travel goal is to blog more regularly, even if it's a small post here and there, and to set up and maintain my new website properly. This will be a big feat for me as I just barely started my web tech/development education in 2015. Actually, that is something I am extremely proud of, even though my skills are at a bare minimum so far. I randomly found this awesome group called Girl Develop It and started going to their meetings and learning how to code and about computers and stuff. I was even in a video (watch it here) about it! Now that I've finally found the perfect blog name, I hope I can transfer those skills I have learned into real life.

2015 was an EPIC travel year for me, and I know I won't be able to travel nearly as much this year. But I hope I can make these things happen! I'm so excited!! :)

2015 Travel Goals

It is finally here! My travel blog is at last a reality. This is where I hope to keep you up to date on all my travel experiences, trip planning, and tips in addition to any deals I find and all my thoughts on travel policy issues. To start things off, here are ten travel goals I have for the new year:

1. Visit Dubai. Because I am a city planner, I have studied Dubai throughout my entire planning education. It's history and the progression of its urban development fascinates me, and it has been at the top of my places to see list for a while now. Thanks to the Etihad Airways Mistake Fare on Christmas morning, this dream will become a reality at the end of April.
2. Swim in Jellyfish Lake. Ever since I saw an IMAX movie on Jellyfish Lake at the Polynesian Cultural Center on a field trip when I was 8 or 9 years old, I have longed to swim in the fabled lake for myself. Because of a dear college friend living in Saipan, I will get the chance to finally make the journey to Palau for this once-in-a-lifetime experience this March.
3. Go to the Taj Mahal. While I have never had a strong interest in visiting India, I have wanted to see the Taj Mahal for myself ever since reading about the Mughal Empire in the Royal Diaries book series in grade school. Because of the Etihad mistake fare, I will have my chance to visit in September.
4. See the Northern Lights. I have not been fortunate enough to see the Aurora Borealis in person yet, even though I did visit Iceland last spring. I am hoping to find a way to see them some time this year.
5. Backpack through Europe. While I don't get enough vacation time to truly do a proper backpacking trip, I would like to take a week or so this year to backpack through Croatia (Plitvice Lakes, Dubrovnik, and Zagreb at the very least), Hungary (mostly Budapest), and the Czech Republic (Prague, Cesky Krumlov, and anywhere else I have time to see). This trip will depend on how much vacation time I can save up by early fall.
6. Go on a safari. I have to mention the fact that I got a great deal on tickets from Salt Lake City to Johannesburg, and I am trying to work out a cheap safari in Kruger National Park. It's really difficult to book an experience like this on a budget, so we will see what I end up getting. This trip is coming up in February, and I'll also stop in Cape Town with a possible side trip to Victoria Falls. I'm crossing my fingers that this one works out!
7. Eat a deep dish pizza in Chicago. Chicago is one of the only major U.S. cities that I have not had the pleasure of exploring yet. This city is dear to me because of the Columbian Exposition, the 1893 World's Fair, which is one of the single most important events that has defined our nation's architecture. Chicago brought us the first skyscraper along with the advent of the Ferris Wheel as America's response to the Eiffel Tower. In addition to all this history, Chicago has some wonderful food that I am dying to try. I must find a way to visit!
8. Jump off a cliff in Havasupai. Havasupai is another domestic destination that I am determined to visit this year. Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls look like heaven on earth, and this will definitely be my big outdoorsy trip of the year. Now I just need to convince some friends to drive down with me.
9. Hike to The Wave. I will definitely attempt to hike to The Wave at the Utah-Colorado border this year. As time passes by, this destination is only growing in popularity. With only 20 permits given for this hike per day, I can only hope that I will get one when I drive down to enter the lottery some time in the next several months.
10. Go home to Hawaii. I am originally from Hawaii, and I have never been to Kauai. I try to go home at least once a year, so I'd love the chance to visit Kauai and possibly hike the Kalalau Trail before the end of the year. I also hope to run the Honolulu Marathon in December, but we will see if I can train enough for that.

If anyone has any suggestions on places I should add to this list or things I should do in my travels this year, feel free to add them to the comments! I am so excited for all the adventures 2015 has in store. Happy New Year everyone!