It’s a beautiful thing when you have complete control of your life and you don’t have to commute to work and report to an office every day. In fact, I’ve been living this location-independent life for so long now that I forget how fortunate I am.
I can never take this gift of motion and freedom for granted. The ability to choose where I want to go and what I want to do is a beautiful thing, which I realize most people don’t have. As I look out at a mostly empty calendar for 2016, my heart flutters with the possibilities of travel destinations. Even after 9 years and 65 countries, there are still so many travel ideas floating in my head, things I want to do, and places I want to go that I can’t fit them all into a year.
How I Choose Travel Destinations
In order to not get paralyzed by the infinite choices of this big, beautiful globe, I narrow down my options. My process of how I choose where to go and what to do is very disjointed – it’s a combination of work and pure desire – and often it’s hard to find balance with that.
If I go somewhere for work, you can bet it’s somewhere I want to go as I don’t write about places I’m not interested in. If I’m going somewhere for pleasure, I normally start with a general area – like Mexico — and general time of year – this winter. I start building ideas from there. I research things I like to do, contact tour companies, and see what starts to pan out. I consider about 4 or 5 of these ‘general area’ ideas and start to think about how I can connect them. Some go on the back burner due to location and money, but some keep coming up as priorities in my mind.
The hard part is keeping in mind that I have little commitments like family or conferences that I need to ensure I get to during the year; those take precedence and I often put those on the calendar first and then build around them. This year I already have a July family birthday celebration in Colorado, a March conference in LA, a May conference in Minneapolis, and a training workshop in Philly in June. I’m also supposed to have another Niece Project in the works this year – but that schedule is up to my niece.
However, to tap into my initial travel ideas or choose travel destinations, I tend to utilize a bunch of different inspirations. For 2016, these are the places I’ve put on my travel destinations wish list so far and how they got there.
Sometimes I choose where to travel to because it’s remote and a place where few people go or know about
TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA
Typically Australia and New Zealand are on everyone’s travel wish list, however I’ve had my eye on the island of Tasmania, which is actually nestled between the two popular countries. Tasmania is a part of Australia, but very few people in the Northern hemisphere know of it or could place it on a map; which is exactly why it excites me. Plus, Tasmania is a haven for one of my favorite things in the world – hiking. There are endless multi-day hiking trips that will test your ability and bring you closer to nature; and I’d like to do every one of them!
Photo by David Bettany | Western Arthurs Traverse, 2002
2016 Outlook: This is a bit of a long shot for 2016, however if I find myself in the southern hemisphere, I’ll make sure I get there this time! My hiking boots are ready to take on Tasmania!
Sometimes I choose where to travel to based on a picture I’ve seen that I must go see in person and shoot it myself
MADAGASCAR
I have a love of photographing trees, and I’ve had my eye on the baobab trees found in Madagascar for quite some time now. The baobab trees there are up to 800 years old, 100 feet tall, and 36 feet in diameter! Every time I see photos of these giants it reminds me I desperately want to get there to shoot my own photos.
Photo by Talia Friedman for National Geographic
2016 Outlook: This is a bit of a long shot for 2016, but if I find myself near Africa this year I’ll try to fit it in. I’m also still hoping that one of my remaining nieces will choose Madagascar as their Niece Project destination, as it’s been discussed in the past; however I have no control over the final decision!
Sometimes I choose where to travel to because it’s on the way to something else
MEXICO CITY
I’m not sure why, but I’ve always pushed Mexico to the back of the line when looking to mark off places I’ve never been before. However, this winter is all about Mexico for me, and I can hardly wait. I’ll be heading to this cute tiny home near Oaxaca to explore, hang out with friends, and write. But to get to Oaxaca, I must fly through Mexico City, and I’ve heard so many good things about Mexico City, I’ve finally decided to stop and check it out. It’s known for its amazing food scene and I intend to eat my way through the city on my way to Oaxaca! If anyone has any Mexico City tips, send them my way!
Mexico City at night – Image by Pete Heck
2016 Outlook: This is happening barring issues with airfare. I head to Mexico in mid-January.
Sometimes I choose where to travel to because I have friends there
ITALY’S AMALFI COAST
Nine years ago I took a cooking class in Italy and met a fellow American student, Tina. I left Italy to keep traveling and Tina stayed – and boy did she stay. She now lives in Campania and is a food writer. I can hardly stand to look at her Facebook updates as they make me so hungry! Tina and I have remained friends and more than once she has invited me out to spend some time at her home in Campania and eat her food. Of course I want to make this happen, and so does my stomach!
Image by Tina Ciccia
2016 Outlook: If I make it to Europe, I’ll make a stop in Italy for sure, even if it’s just for a few days to eat!
Sometimes I choose where to travel to for pure adventure
ALBANIA
This is a little known Mediterranean country that has it all in the world of adventure: rafting, cycling, canyoning, hiking, paragliding, sailing, and kayaking. I’ve never been to this part of the world before and it’s about time I see the Balkans. I’ve been hearing about it as an adventure destination for a few years now and want to go check it out myself as an alternative to more expensive places in Europe for adventure.
Image by Rob Hogeslag
2016 Outlook: I’m waiting to hear back about an opportunity to go to Albania and Macedonia in May. If it comes through – I’m there. I suppose I have a 50% chance it will happen – fingers crossed!
Sometimes I choose where to travel to because I’m curious about the culture and people there
REYKJAVIK
Any city that has a former mayor who dresses in drag, sauces that go with every type of food, naked hot springs, and 80% of the population believing in elves is a city I want to visit! I’m always fascinated with cultures that live at the extremes, and Reykjavik is the perfect extreme culture to explore! However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t admit that the best part of going to Reykjavik is that it’s the gateway to Iceland. Ever since I saw the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty I’ve had an Iceland road trip on my list. Last year I transited through Reykjavik and it was painful for me to not stay and explore. This year that needs to change!
Image via Rough Guides
2016 Outlook: I give this a 50% chance. I really want to go, but have to figure out how/where it fits into the year’s schedule. Luckily with Iceland Air, stopovers from Europe are easy to plan.
Sometimes I choose where to travel to because it’s therapeutic
LONG DISTANCE HIKING – SPAIN OR PORTUGAL
The last couple of years on the road have had their challenges, and I realize more than ever that taking time for myself is necessary for me to recharge. One of my favorite ways to do that is to walk – really long distances. 2016 is the time for me to take on some more long distance walking; my mind and body needs it. I am trying to decide between two different hikes, and right now I’m not sure which one will win out. I’ll either do the full 136 mile Camino de Ronda in Costa Brava Spain or I’ll do another leg of the Camino de Santiago through Portugal (380 miles).
Time to think…
2016 Outlook: I’m pretty confident I will make this happen. It’s something I’ve needed to do for a while now. Walking is great therapy and it’s a perfect pace for photography!
Sometimes I choose where to travel to because I want to learn something
SURFING IN MEXICO
I’m happiest when I’m experiencing and learning new things. For the last 3 years I’ve been taking one-day surfing lessons all over the world. Since I’ll be in Mexico this winter, I decided I should finally try to attend a week long surf camp and get serious about this new sport that I sort of love.
I have a long ways to go before I surf like this…but I have to start somewhere!
2016 Outlook: I’m 50% sure this will happen. I have an extra 2 weeks in Mexico and looking for a surf camp that I can attend!
Sometimes I choose where to travel to because I have unfinished business there
ALASKA, USA
I fell in love with Alaska last August; and I don’t fall in love easily. I spent three weeks in the state exploring, photographing it, and meeting some amazing people. Many times when I go to a place, I leave it with a list of things I want to go back and do. With Alaska, I left with a big list: bear watching, volcano hiking, snowmobiling, dog sledding, and multi day hikes in Wrangel St. Elias National Park. Yes, Alaska is the coolest state in the US.
Ross Glacier – I want more time here!
2016 Outlook: There’s a conference in Alaska this September that I have my eye on. If I decide to go to the conference, then you can be sure I’ll go early and start to do some of those remaining things on my list. Right now there’s a 60% chance that I’ll head back there!
Sometimes I choose where to travel to because work takes me there
CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP
I’ll be speaking at and attending a Women’s Travel Conference in LA this March. I’m looking forward to spending extra time to see friends in LA, but this also gives me the opportunity to do something I’ve always wanted to do – a road trip up the coast of California. I love road trips, and I’ve explored very little of the southern California coast so this year it’s going to happen! Who wants to come with me?
Highway 1 California
2016 Outlook: The outlook is good for this, just trying to wrap up details for a trip in the second half of March!
And sometimes I listen to experts to get travel ideas
Every year, Rough Guides authors and editors travel all over the world in pursuit of the best destinations and experiences. After much discussion, they’ve put together their annual list of places that you need to place at the top of your travel wish list. These are Rough Guides’ best countries, cities, and regions to visit in 2016 – and you’ll find many of them on my personal travel list above! Great minds think alike!
I may not get to all of these places this year, in fact I’m sure this list may change substantially as things come up, but this is how it all starts and how my travel ideas originate.
Now it’s your turn, how do you decide where to travel to or take vacations?
Please share in the comments below!
Disclosure:
This post was sponsored by Rough Guides, however all opinions here are my own.
It’s a beautiful thing when you have complete control of your life and you don’t have to commute to work and report to an office every day. In fact, I’ve been living this location-independent life for so long now that I forget how fortunate I am.
I can never take this gift of motion and freedom for granted. The ability to choose where I want to go and what I want to do is a beautiful thing, which I realize most people don’t have. As I look out at a mostly empty calendar for 2016, my heart flutters with the possibilities of travel destinations. Even after 9 years and 65 countries, there are still so many travel ideas floating in my head, things I want to do, and places I want to go that I can’t fit them all into a year.
By [email protected] January 14, 2016 - 9:21 am
Well, I’m kind of a nerd about picking my travel and sometimes it happens by accident. My honeymoon later this year will be in Chile. My number one pick of all time is Thailand. So, I wrote a list out for Chile, Thailand, and Peru (because Macchu Picchu). I wrote out pros and cons and Chile won even though Thailand is my number one; I took it off, because I didn’t want to have to lose days in travel and time change for my honeymoon. Any other vacation, I wouldn’t care.
We are going to the Indy 500 this year for my birthday. This was by accident. Last year, I planned to run the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in NOLA, which was on my fiancé’s birthday. So, he responded with well I’m picking the place we go for your birthday. We didn’t go to NOLA after all, but we did get our tickets to Indy 500. And now, it turned into a roadtrip (maybe) to see Louisville, Kentucky, which I’ve always wanted to see. Thankfully, I really like watching fast cars race.
And because we are going hiking in Patagonia, we will pick places throughout the year that have hiking involved so we can practice.
My friend is getting her PhD in linguistics, with a focus on Madagascar. She goes there for months at a time and may be back in May or June. I can put you in touch with her. She did lots of hiking and knows places to go and see. Plus, she’s fluent in Malagasy.
By Sherry January 15, 2016 - 2:04 pm
I’m so jealous you are going to the Indy500! Did you know that it’s the 100th anniversary this year? I went last year and even though I’m not a car racing fan it was a dream come true for me. Can’t wait to hear what you think of it! Thanks for the info/help on Madagascar. Not sure if I’ll get there this year or not – but hoping to. If so I’d love to be introduced to her!
By Tricia Irish January 14, 2016 - 9:53 am
I know it’s no secret, but may I suggest that you put Chile on your travel hit list in the future? We were there over Christmas and the Atacama Desert was a mind blower! (See my FB page for a few pix.) The Lake District is beautiful too. Serene with Volcanoes. And Santiago is modern and hip and very like NYC. With Acancongua looming over it! Pretty amazing country and I didn’t even see the HUGE coast!
By Sherry January 15, 2016 - 2:03 pm
I’ve actually been to Chile before – but only in Patagonia. So yes – I need to get back there and explore more!
By Wynne January 14, 2016 - 10:36 am
Reykjavik has long been on my list and I love how Icelandair makes it so economically feasible to have a long stop-over there. It’s certainly more cost-effective than planning it as a solo destination!
And you know how I feel about Italy, so the Amalfi Coast ALWAYS gets my vote. Alaska is also on my list.
If you can, try to drive southbound along the CA coast – you’ll be on the outside of the highway and see the coastline much better. It’s a gorgeous drive, one I took when I lived in Southern CA. You’ll get some stunning shots, for sure!
By Sherry January 15, 2016 - 2:02 pm
Good advice on the driving direction! Thanks Wynne!
By Claudia January 14, 2016 - 1:13 pm
Mmmm. I have plenty of tips for Mexico in general and for Mexico City too. Not sure you will need a place to stay, in that case give us a shout. I love Café el Popular which is right behind Zocalo. The food is ok, but what I enjoy the most is the atmosphere – mostly locals and a few tourists, and it is open all day. I have a secret place to recommend in Oaxaca that does the very best tlayudas. Are you interested? 😉
Since you are hitting Italy, I’d like to recommend that you visit Sardinia. You won’d be disappointed and I would help you design your itinerary! PLEASE come visit Sardinia!
By Sherry January 15, 2016 - 2:00 pm
Thanks for all of the advice – I”m such a newbie to Mexico! My flight plans did already change and now I’m not going thru Mexico City – however I still may make a trip up there. I would love the info on tlayudas in Oaxaca…and honestly I don’t even know what a tlayuda is! 🙂
Ok – if I make it to Italy – I’d love to make it to Sardinia – it’s an area I”ve never been too which that alone is enough to get me there!
By Bridget January 14, 2016 - 2:53 pm
Thanks for sharing your list. I am trying to figure out what I’m doing this year :). I love Alaska, too. One of my favorite places. So beautiful and so much adventure. It felt truly wild. Definitely on my list to get back there at some point. Hope you have a great time in Mexico!
By Sherry January 15, 2016 - 1:58 pm
I”ll be writing much more about Alaska in the next few months – I absolutely fell in love with it there. I hope you make it there one day as it’s a real treat. And if you do go – be sure to not just do the cruise itinerary – get off the beaten path and go see the far flung places and meet the communities there!
By Rebecca January 14, 2016 - 10:24 pm
One of the weirdest things of my six months of travel through Europe this year was how often we ended up in places we didn’t intend to go to. My sister and I had felt no need to return to Rome, but we ended up passing through like 3 or 4 times. Felt the same way about Florence but had to go in for the day to find an English speaking notary. We still very much enjoyed those places, but we’d been there and wanted to spend more time in new places.
Ended up going to Pisa to see the tower because the trains are so freaking cheap and it was only about an hour or so from where we were staying, but it wasn’t on our list originally. Spent a couple of different days in Bristol, again because of proximity and needing to take care of business that required a decent sized city. Liked it so much that I went back with my family when they joined me later.
But that’s the thing about travel, right? You gotta stay adaptable. My sister and I decided before we even left that we were so lucky to be able to make this trip that we would not get upset at the snafus which inevitably occur when traveling a complex itinerary. And we pretty much stuck to it.
Since I’ve been back, my main priority has been figuring out what I’ll be doing when I get to go back. And that will be much less traveling, more living like a local in one place for weeks at a time and making little side trips between the big moves. I. Cannot. Freaking. Wait.
By Sherry January 15, 2016 - 1:57 pm
I think all travelers start out with these large lists of places to go – they treat it like a vacation on steroids – and then we all realize that it’s actually nicer to not have everything planned, go with the flow, and certainly travel slower! Sounds like you are on the right track! Best of luck on making your next big trip happen!
By Jared January 16, 2016 - 1:57 pm
Looks like an awesome 2016 for you Sherry!
I have also heard great things about Albania. Spring should be a good time as snow will be melting, which means warmer temps and also great river rafting, if you’re into that. Tasmania is beautiful (or so I’ve heard – the only spot in Australia I haven’t been to). If you make it back to CA for your road trip, let me know when you’re in SF!
-Jared
By Leigh | Campfires & Concierges January 18, 2016 - 4:00 pm
What a great list! I have also been wanting to check out Mexico City – almost did, but chose Panama City for my last weekend getaway!
As a full-time cubicle dweller, I get 4 weeks PTO a year and I have a bucket list a mile long (which keeps growing thanks to lists like these!) so I try to pick 1-2 bigger trips from the list for each year and then fill in the other trips with hiking/camping/road trips with my dog. It helps the budget to alternate. Next up – Thailand/Cambodia in March!
By Tricia @ The Adventure List January 29, 2016 - 10:25 am
Is the conference in Alaska travel related? If so, I’d love to check it out since I’ll be there too. Feel free to email me if you’d prefer. [email protected]
By Sherry January 29, 2016 - 12:04 pm
yes it is! It’s the ATWS – Adventure Travel World Summit put on by the ATTA (Adventure Trade and Travel Association). However it’s a b2b conference mainly and media have to apply to go. Here’s the link – http://www.adventuretravel.biz/events/summit/alaska-2016/ – and then go to the “Media” section. I’ll see you in Irvine though – correct?
By Mary B February 10, 2016 - 1:03 pm
When I spent 3 months in Georgia, Armenia, Turkey and Iran last year, a lot of people asked “why there?”… and I didn’t really have a great answer! A lot of my trips revolve around going to visit friends (Dubai, which I would never have chosen otherwise but enjoyed), or doing some specific adventure (climbing Kilimanjaro). But sometimes you just read about a place and it sticks with you – and then the season is right and the price is right, and the trip starts to take form. That happened with Georgia, and the rest of the trip came out of looking at a map and saying hmmm where else can I go while I’m there?
That said, now that I’m back everyone is asking me what’s next on my travel list, and I have no idea! There are always lots of places that sound interesting (Portugal, Nepal, Vietnam, Alaska), but none that have me totally set on going there yet. I’ll just have to wait and see! Your plans have definitely added a few options to my own list!
By Sherry February 11, 2016 - 10:05 am
It is a complex process isn’t it?! I see it as a spark and then sometimes it grows into a fire because the wind is blowing the right way or there’s been a drought, or something…but it’s very hard to predict! Thanks for sharing your process with me!
By Andre Arriaza March 2, 2016 - 4:19 pm
I realize that the ¨how¨ changes over the years. Back in 2002 I was starting a life as an aid worker and I did choose plenty of funky destinations, including Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Chechnya for professional purposes, and relaxing ones for holidays such as Thailand and India.
I ended up enjoying a lot urban adventures, especially those when I was a solo traveler ¨on my way to¨ for which I had the chance to explore urban spaces in capitals of Jordan, Singapore, Malasya, Cameroon and many other countries. Those experiences where intimate and personal, and I really appreciate them as a time for myself that gave me a lot knowledge about who i am, and the rest of the world.
These days I leave it up to a brainstorming process which includes my wife and daughter and lots of catalan or chilean wine (i am chileno!). I really like it that way and we are planning to go to Isla Magdalena to see penguins in the chilean Patagonia, visit the Eiffel tower in Paris and take surf lessons in Senegal where some friends are moving this year (they are yet not informed about this ahahahaha)
By Sherry March 5, 2016 - 5:45 pm
It’s great that you involve your family and do it as a group effort! Thanks for sharing your methods!
By Nir Ravid May 17, 2019 - 3:45 am
Have you any experience of self driving tour in Iceland?? Please share your views.
By Sherry May 18, 2019 - 12:47 am
No, I’ve only been to Iceland once and it wasn’t a self drive. 🙁