I want to do something a little different this week. I’ve been talking a lot about language lately since it’s really easy to talk about when I’m not traveling.
But I have plenty of places I’d love to visit, so I thought I’d talk about them! As an anthropologist, many of them (but not all!) are focused on some of the amazing things humans have done!
As I visit places, and learn about others, I’ll move this list around, probably linking to anything I’ve written about them and adding new places to the list.
In fact, the image above is from one of my former bucket list destinations, which I definitely plan to return to!
I’ll try to be pretty specific. Countries can have a lot of subcultures and regions within them, so I want to talk about specific parts of them, not just the countries as a whole. Like, if I said I want to visit the US (I’m already here!), it’s not specific enough. I could mean LA, I could mean NYC, or the Grand Canyon.
Some of them are pretty popular, but hey, I’m still new to the travel game, and there’s a reason they’re so famous!
Let’s get into it!
Barcelona, Spain
This one is pretty high up on the list. After my trip to Ireland and Scotland, I’d love to visit more European countries.
But there were already plenty of places on the list even before traveling to Ireland and Scotland. Barcelona was one of them, and probably the place I want to visit most!
Like most long-standing cities, it has such a rich history and it shows itself all over the city!
One of the biggest draws to Barcelona, for me, is the works of Antoni Gaudí. His architectural style is so unique, and almost organic-looking. I wish it had caught on, because I think it’s just beautiful!
Barcelona is also a great place for me to practice my Spanish (which I’ve been learning or practicing for about 8 years now). It’ll be a bit different than the western hemisphere dialects I’m used to, but that makes it even more useful!
It’s always a little disappointing to hear that Gaudí didn’t even get to see his masterwork, La Sagrada Familia (the image to the left), completed. It’s been under construction for over a century at this point, and still isn’t done!
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
Like Barcelona and the works of Gaudí, this one has been on my list for a long time, ever since my high school history teacher showed us pictures of it.
Resting on top of a hill that overlooks the misty valleys of Bavaria, Germany, Neuschwanstein Castle looks like a fairytale castle. (And that was the intention behind its design!)
If nothing else, I want to visit it just to see it in person and witness the views from its walls. If the views from Scotland’s Stirling Castle were anything to go by, then I just know it’ll be amazing!
Also, if you hadn’t noticed, a lot of these destinations so far are for architecture. It wasn’t something I ever expected to get so into, but the sheer size of some of these, and the majesty of their creation, just can’t be denied.
Of course, as someone with a great appreciation for humanity, many of my dream destinations emphasize the amazing things humans are capable of!
Machu Picchu and Moray, Peru
Among the amazing feats of humanity are the constructions of Mesoamerican societies like the Inca, Maya, and Aztecs.
I’ve already visited Tikal and Caracol (and even helped to excavate a separate ruin that’s still buried!), but there are still so many amazing structures out there, waiting to be found and explored.
Tikal and Caracol are Mayan ruins, both located in Belize. Machu Picchu and Moray are more modern Incan ruins. (Though the Mayan society that built Tikal and Caracol only collapsed about 1000 years ago, which is still fairly recent.)
Machu Picchu is a well-known site, and a popular one for tourists to visit in Peru. Located high up in the mountains, it’s easy to see why it’s so popular: incredible brickwork that survives earthquakes, stunning views, and rich history.
Moray Ruins
While the Moray Ruins aren’t as well-known, they are another great example of what humans are capable of.
See, it looks a lot like an amphitheater, with the stair-steps encircling a flat, central area. But archaeologists have discovered what it actually was: a site for experimental agriculture.
Each of those stair-steps simulates a different microclimate that allowed Incan researchers to test which conditions worked best for growing a certain crop.
If you look for the people on the left side of that image, you’ll see how big it really is! This site is also high up in the mountains like Machu Picchu.
Redwood National Park, California
Moving on from feats of humanity, I’d like to delve into some stunning feats of nature instead!
I love trees. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, given that I grew up in North Idaho, so full of lush forests that they’re everywhere you look!
But I want to see the biggest trees. The ones that tower so high into the sky that you can barely even see the top; taller than space shuttles, the Big Ben, and the Statue of Liberty.
You already know what I’m talking about because of the header. It’s Redwood National Park! I want to visit any and all national parks, but this one has got to be the highest on the list for now.
Living in North Idaho has given me a deep appreciation for nature and the outdoors. So if I can camp among the biggest trees the world has to offer, I’ll jump at the opportunity!
Grand Canyon, USA
This is one that will certainly be taken off of this list soon. I’m going there next year (2026)!
My mom used to go on trips to the Grand Canyon all the time as a kid, camping along the river as she rafted down it with family.
She tells us stories all the time about her amazing experiences there, and how it can change your whole view of the world.
There’s a reason it’s called “Grand”.
And to make things even cooler, it’s a dark sky park, meaning you can see everything in the night sky like you never could in a city! I’ve always wanted to visit one, and came very close when we went to Bryce Canyon, but unfortunately, we were staying somewhere nearby and were not in the park overnight.
Warsaw, Poland
I want to go to Poland. Honestly, I don’t really care where, but Warsaw would probably be my choice if I could only pick one city.
This choice is mainly for heritage reasons: my mom’s side of the family has heavy Polish heritage, only leaving Poland about 2 or 3 generations ago.
My mom and grandma visited Warsaw and Krakow about 6-7 years ago, and she speaks fondly of it. There’s so much history (good and bad) in Poland, and knowing that I have ancestry there makes it all the more inviting!
I love getting in touch with my cultural heritage by visiting such places. I started with Ireland and Scotland, and I want to continue it with others. (Germany is on that list, too!)
Conclusion: A World of Adventure
Any list I make of places I want to visit will be incomplete.
I originally wanted to mention Japan; I’ve wanted to go there since I was nine. I also could’ve brought up Indonesia, as learning about the language for several posts gave me a deeper appreciation for the area and its many languages.
I’d love to go to Norway, too, because it’s another part of my cultural heritage/ ancestry.
And, really, I want to go anywhere I can. There are so many amazing things to see in this world, both natural and artificial, and it pains me to know that it’s not possible to visit every inch of the Earth in a single lifetime.
But I can try.
I decided to limit this post to places more specific than an entire country. Once I’ve done more research into a country and made a more specific travel plan, they might show up here.
I’ll leave this with a quote from one of my favorite bands, Lord Huron, from their song Ends of the Earth:
“What good is living the life you’ve been given if all you do is stand in one place?”
(All images except the header are from Wikimedia Commons)
