Here is my ultimate travel list of 7 destinations that everyone should visit in their lifetime.
- Connect with family – Visit where your parents were born and raised. Learn how they grew up, listen to childhood stories, and get to know the experiences that shaped your parents lives. Look at the photos from their childhood and visit those locations to see how they have changed. Ask questions about achievements, struggles, silly stories, and the mundane daily tasks. Find the storyteller in your family, and just listen.
- Research your ancestors and stroll through your homeland, as far back as you can discover. Learn your history and culture. Try the food. What is the national activity or sport? What traditions have carried over into your family? Watch for all of the faces that look like you. Find gravestones and landmarks with your family names (maternal and past generations). Walk through the living history of your ancestors past.
- Seek out Adventure! Try something that gets your heart pounding. Adventure can be found in your backyard, just start somewhere.
- Push beyond your comfort zone – Travel alone, visit a big city, stretch your physical limits, go beyond your usual activities. Now is the time to try something new, that scares you, just a little.
- Visit Poverty and a place of hardship – Volunteer and contribute to improve an impoverished area or situation. Provide assistance after a natural disaster. Helping others and seeing how little some people live with will remind you how much you really have, and leave a better appreciation of how good your life is. Make the world a better place, by starting in your hometown and make this part of your life style.
- Take a mini Luxury Vacation – Save up for an opulent getaway and indulge in a wildly extravagant trip. This will teach you the value of saving, waiting, and anticipation. Reward your discipline and discover the abundance available in exchange for hard work. Find the activity and location that will motivate you to set higher goals for achievement. Learn what your definition of “Success” looks like.
- Find your Peace – Where is your Happy Place? Different for everybody, and never marked with an X on the map, your place of peace is the journey of discovering who you are. And for that precious moment, you will know, it is exactly where you are meant to be at the exact moment. Once you find it, finding your peace is easier each time.
I love this. The more I travel and the older I get, I find myself wanting to connect with family and friends who are in other parts of the world — it’s important that we make these connections and relationships stronger — plus we also get to check out where they’re living!
I wasn’t sure what to expect when reading the title of this post but pleasantly surprised! Unforgettable experiences for sure.
This is a cute little post. This is also about things which we forget to do as grownups. However I am not sure if I would do all the seven points.
Awww this was so lovely to read!! I’m so lucky I know lots about my family, but this post has definitely reminded me about the parts I still need to find out! And also, to travel alone – it’s definitely my next trip for doing something outside of my comfort zone. Thanks for sharing 🙂
This is a great idea for a post. I love number 2, and would love to return to County Kerry and County Cork where my Uncle has successfully traced my family tree on Dad’s side of the family. I also think exposing yourself to hardship and volunteering to help others are a great way to grow and understand the world better.
Appreciate the advice. Will give it a try.
Nice one and great suggestions!! Time to reflect and plan 🙂
Unique take on a bucket list! How many have you been able to do so far?
I have experienced all 7 destinations on my list! There are more places for #2, and #7 is a never ending journey.
Very unique. Great post! 🙂
Interesting article. I actually never really thought about travelling that way. Sometimes we forget too much were we come from and our ancestors. I also agree with visiting poverty, it makes a person humble about things in life 🙂
#2 Research your ancestors and stroll through your homeland, is a big one for us.
This is a really neat article. I never really thought of visiting places in order to teach yourself a lesson but I think this would be really good for when I have kids to teach them the value of travel and how much you can learn during your travels. Great job!
I guess 6 out of 7 isn’t bad (missing #6) 🙂
Thanks for sharing – so totally different to most bucket list posts!
Katie
http://whatskatiedoing.blogspot.co.uk/
“Watch for all of the faces that look like you.” – OMG, this gave me chills!
I can trace my family back to the 1500s and the north-eastern corner of Germany. I am now imagining going there and walking around and seeing who has my nose, who has my eyes, etc. That would be an indescribable feeling.
I like it when folks come together and share ideas.
Great blog, continue the good work!
Great suggestions! I am so curious to visit County Cork in Ireland because that is where my father’s family comes from. I think it would be an amazing experience and way to connect with my family’s past.
How cool – my father’s family also originate from County Kerry and County Cork!!