These days one of the few envious things about public school teaching is the summer vacation. It’s a hard job. I won’t get on my soapbox about the reasons why. I’m sure you’ve heard them, and besides, that’s what teacher happy hours are for. Amen.
In 8 years of teaching, I have taken off two summers- one to finish my masters degree and the other to spend the summer au pairing in Italy. Italy was last year. Call it my 30th birthday to myself or more dramatically my 30th birthday life crisis.
Usually, I work summer school because otherwise I’d be bored, and the extra income doesn’t hurt. Still, I am fortunate to have a month off to travel where my heart desires once summer school ends.
Which leads to the question- WHERE DO I GO? Yes, It’s in all caps because I AM SHOUTING. HELP ME. Picture a look of exasperation on my face. Shoulders tense. I know, I could have much worse problems in my life. Thank goodness.
Think About Specific Things You Like
Here’s a fun fact about me. I LOVE penguins. I love the way they waddle. How they always look clean. How the babies are so furry. There are only so many places you can see penguins in the wild. I don’t have Antarctica money yet, so my options are the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina (although the last three are pretty close to Antarctica money).
I have my sights set on South Africa. Boulders Beach near Cape Town has some prime penguin watching real estate.
I am traveling to South Africa this summer. That’s not a question. Cape Town for penguins and Kruger Park near Johannesburg for safaris, here I come.
Should You Revisit Old Places?
Now for the hard part- I have about a week or so to travel somewhere before South Africa. Do I want to travel to a place I absolutely fell in love or go somewhere new? I always had this notion that I wouldn’t go back to a place because there are too many spots to see in the world. But after visiting Barcelona, I can’t stop thinking about the magical city. Everything was just so perfect- the people, the mix of city and beach vibe, the weather, the architecture. I spent four great days there. It just didn’t feel like enough. I even ran out of time and didn’t get to all the activities on my itinerary. I could definitely spend more time there pretending to be a local.
Is New Always Better?
Or do I go somewhere new? I have never been to Amsterdam. The idea of Amsterdam manifested because prices on flights from New York City are super reasonable. So why not go there? All the cool kids want to go.
Only a two-hour train ride from Amsterdam is Brussels, Belgium. There’s another city I haven’t been to before. So again, why not? I don’t know anything about Brussels, but random internet images are such a good salesman.
So let’s be real. Is it too much to go to all of them? How do you decide where to go and what to put aside for another time?
What are your thoughts? Would you revisit a place you loved or go somewhere new? What are your bucket list places and why? Share in the comments!
Why not extend your time in Africa and visit Namibia beforehand? That’s what I would do, as you can do a long weekend in Europe at other times
Oh Namibia! That’s something to think about and research! Thanks 🙂
We definitely loved to see the penguins at Boulders Beach. But both Galapagos and Antarctica on our our travel wish list too. We do sometimes return to places. It lets us dig in deep to really see a spot. Barcelona is always worth a second look. Often we decide where to go next by what type of vacation we are looking for. Last year we did a lot of adventure and site seeing trips. So this year we are adding in more relaxing vacations.
I think while I have all this energy, I will stick with adventure! Plus, I can relax on the beach in Barcelona… 😉
Extend your time in Africa. Take your time, travel slow. Time off from work is not long enough to spend on getting to a place so focus on being there. Plus take advantage and use every vacation to travel. There’s a whole world out there and it doesn’t need to be expensive. Miss teaching in the holidays, why not volunteer overseas. That’s an amazing experience:)
True, getting from place to place can be a downside when you want to see so many places. I did extend my Africa trip by 4 days. Now I just have to think about if that’s enough! And ooooo, volunteering. I will have to look into that!
You have a list of many great places! I think South Africa would be amazing if you have the budget. Argentina is also on my list of places I really want to see, but I’m still saving!
Choosing is so difficult! I am planning a trip to Europe this summer and will visit some new places (Ghent, Belgium) and some again (Normdany and Paris) because I love them. A mix is fine, I think. So if you love Barcelona, that may be the best choice for you! South Africa will bring you new adventures!
Come to Thailand! Last year I attended a trip to Nan to support a project by TAT called Me, Myself and Thailand aimed at solo female travel. Always great when someone else has done the leg work! Lots to see and do in Thailand and never a dull moment! Having said that the carpet of Flowers in Brussels Grand Place is very special too…
Great new blog btw, happy to meet you through Problogger where I started as well!
Wren x