traveling through

One of the things I miss about LAK (life after kids) is our ability to pick up and take a trip. For the weekend, camping, to Europe or Florida- really, any trip, without some serious prior planning and saving.
So, in my efforts to remember goals for my future LWGK (life with grownup kids) scenario, here's a list of top ten places not to miss (again, in some cases.)These are in no particular order cause I just couldn't imagine picking one over the other!

1. Liechtenstein This would be kind of like visiting three in one since it's tiny and sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria. I fell in love with the look of this place on last year's season of The Amazing Race.

2. Malawi Did you imagine a massive fresh water lake in the middle of Africa? Why did I imagine it'd all be dry and brown? This is another Amazing Race destination and I have to say it looks like a blast to explore thanks to the cultures, food and transportation.

3. Vancouver, British Columbia This is actually multipurpose. See, my best buddy Kerry is getting hitched about two hours east of Vancouver in about a year. Can't wait to be there for that! We're planning on making a vaca out of it by taking a week or two before or after the Big Day to explore the area. I'd love to be able to fit a bit of the bays and coves West of Vancouver into that trip, but even if it's the pretty valleys and mountains (a la Banff ish) we'd be good with that too. Heck, even if it's a justice of the peace in a crummy brown little office, I wouldn't miss the chance to be there in support- but the fact that it's given us a reason to visit number three on my list is super duper:)

4. Norway/Denmark This is thanks to a former gig I had at a church with a Norwegian organist. I know, sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. But anyways, he convinced me through many venues that we had to see his homeland before we sign off and it's on my list. While it's renown for the cool boat-like church architecture, fjords, ponies and furniture design, I've heard the seafood is pretty good too.

5. Ireland OR Wales When I was in between sophomore and junior year at Auburn, Galon took the summer to go play soccer with kids in Wales. He said it was beautiful and serene all at once and I'm fascinated with the history, ruins and language there. And really, once you're that close, how hard could it be to jet across a channel to the green wonderland that is Ireland? I'm not sure if that's where Brigadoon took place or it was Scotland, but either way I'm romanced by the idea of a visit to these British (?) Isles.

6. Talkeetna, Alaska OR Roslyn, Washington, mainly due to it's apparent likeness to the town of Roslyn from Northern Exposure and a hint of my childhood hometown in Ontario.

7. Portland, Oregon Tons of stuff to do with kids, lots to see and eat and plenty of weird, rain forest like outdoor adventuring. And it'd be good to visit some old friends (we've been friends a while, we're not necessarily old...ish...) who call Portland home now.

8. Auburn, Alabama The home of my Alma mater, where winters never get too cold, old neighborhoods are a welcome spot for joggers and the girls always seem to be tan. Actually, I'd love to get back here before the two trees on Toomers Corner actually die but I don't imagine I will.

9. Virgin Gorda, the British Virgin Islands As a family, my parents and brother and I visited these islands a couple times and had a blast. Our favorite things were visiting the Baths, the beer drinking donkey at The Last Resort and flying by tiny airplane into the local airports (they'd give you flower necklaces not to be confused with leis upon arrival!)

10. Longlac, Ontario has no fancy urls or images on google. But trust me when I say, especially in mid-summer or mid-winter, it's worth a swerve off the beaten path. Located in isolated northern Ontario, it's mainly accessible (or was) by a graveled mill road which weaves past glacier lakes and abandoned mill sites. My memories are staying in a "mill house" that smelled like woodsmoke and had really warm baseboard heaters.

So that's my list. Not in a nutshell by any stretch but at least saved here in case I get hit by a bus and my sweet daughters want to know someday the places that their mother was struck with wanderlust for.
Hoping you have some travel plans of your own- no better way to see the world than in person!