After years of dealing with many COVID-19 lockdowns, mask mandates and limited airline travel, it’s only natural to want to get out of your city and see the world! There are so many beautiful countries out there, it can be difficult to narrow it down. I hope that this article inspires you to grab a pen and paper and jot down some bucket-list travel ideas.

Japan 

Tokyo is a must-see city in Japan. There’s so much to see and do! Such as the Tokyo Skytree (tallest tower in the world), Sensoji Temple (Tokyo’s oldest temple), cherry blossom trees (if you go in the spring),  Takeshita Street (shopping heaven with lots of places to stop in to eat and lots of photo spots too). There’s so much more to see in just this one city that you almost need a whole week to explore it. Other places to go in Japan other than Tokyo include: Hiroshima, Kyoto and Matsumoto. The food in Japan is reason enough to go for me! There’s sushi, udon, ramen, miso soup, tempura, teppanyaki, sashimi and so much more. 

South America

Anywhere in South America interests me, but I’m specifically fascinated by Argentina. This is because of the Patagonia mountains. Here you can see lakes, mountains, caves, glaciers,  lagoons and much more. There’s also plenty of wildlife — moreso than people in this region. The Patagonia mountains are the perfect place for an outdoor adventurer! Also, the food is heavenly. Some examples include empanadas,  alfajores and chipas. 

Iceland 

I definitely want to go at a time where the Northern Lights are visible. This is a once in a lifetime experience that would be so cool to see in real life. Other things to see in Iceland include: the Blue Lagoon, black sand beaches, whales, ice caves and its main city, Reykjavik. There’s also lots of hiking opportunities that have beautiful nature scenes such as green hills and waterfalls. The traditional food in Iceland is much more unique. There are a lot of lamb and cod dishes. Some of the most traditional include fermented shark, sheep’s head and the Icelandic hot dog that contains lamb meat. So, not ideal for vegetarians, but there’s always dessert! One of Iceland’s most famous desserts is kleina, which is a sweet fried dough that has been around for more than two centuries. 

I hope that my ideas from my bucket list inspire you to either add them to your own or just to start researching where you want to go one day. Life’s too short to stay in your comfort zone. It’s such a great feeling to do something other than your normal routine and be able to explore a place that is brand new to you.