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My Top 5 Travel Goals

Updated: Oct 20, 2019

This is a list with a twist. It is my Travel Top 5 but it's my Travel Top 5 for the next 5 years. The reason I put a time limit on it was because when you set a goal, at least for me, without a deadline it's easy to get complacent and just say "one day". So I was thinking that by sharing the top 5 items on my Bucket List with you guys it can only bring good stuff. Firstly, it's going to hold me publicly accountable for making sure I go and do all these things in the next 5 years 🤓🤓 secondly, it might help inspire some of your own travel goals and thirdly, at the very least, it might just inspire you to make your own Travel Top 5 list 😊😇💛


So without further ado, let's just jump on into it!



5. Ring in the New Year au Paree - France


Obviously this is predictable as shit if you know me at all 😂😂 but who wouldn't want to ring in the new year in their favourite city? Of course the ultimate life goal is to ring in the new year from the balcony of my penthouse apartment overlooking Notre Dame but you know, baby steps 😜😜 This is definitely the least extravagant and far afield one that I've put on the list but that being said, tell me it wouldn't be an awesome experience!

Low key, really gutted that I can't find any good firework pictures featuring Notre Dame but you can imagine 😍😍


Anywhosies, this one is going to mean a lot to me and I'm super excited for it! It may be small but the size of a dream does not define its value or beauty. I know it's gonna put stars in my eyes and joy in my soul, Paris always does ❤️❤️


I know, for a vegan I'm one cheesy mofo 🤣 🧀🧀



4. See the Northern Lights and stay in a glass igloo in the Arctic Circle - Finland

Okay, I know that you can see the Northern Lights in a number of different locations across the globe and maybe this has something to do with the Fins in my life (what up Assi and Wilma 😘😘) but I really want to go to Finland, they like super have their shit together as a nation and every time I learn something about them I'm like omg yes! Why aren't we doing that? 😂😂 Anyway, you go Finland! Keep up the great work! I wanna come see you 😜❤️ These particular Igloos are in Rovaniemi and cost about €400 p/n (depending on when you book for) which includes a buffet breakfast, Wi-Fi and an Aurora Borealis (that's the fancy schmance name for the Northern Lights 🤓) alarm! How cool is that!? The igloos all have 2 separate beds and even though they are only 20 m² they have some how managed to squeeze in a toilet 🙏🙏 and a TV...basically the 2 essentials 🤣🤣 But they don't have showers coz...space. So basically, more than a couple of nights would be pushing it hygiene wise 🙊 #themoreyouknow


Did I mention the Hotel's chain name is Santa's Hotels!! 😲😲🎅🎅 AND! There's even an optional add on where you can pay €24 for a visit from one of Santa's Helpers! They'll come to your Igloo!! I can't even!

Did I also mention snow!!?!?! Like okay, Arctic Circle kinda implies snow but seriously! This is legit snow! Like METERS DEEP SNOW! REEEEAALL SNOW!! I feel like you you just have to have lived in a place where snow DOESN'T EXIST to appreciate the natural beauty and literal, soul shivering joy that those bits of wet fluff can bring to a person 🥰🥰🌨🌨 ❄️❄️☃️⛄️🎅🎅🎄🎄 So many Brits complain (Brits really like to complain 😂😂) about snow, they're like "Oh, it's so cold", "Oh, it's too slippery!", "Oh, I've lost the childlike wonderment and magic that used to live inside me and now I'm grumpy coz it's hard to drive in." Maybe not that last one 🙊🙊😂😂😂🤣🤣 but like c'mon!!

Now before you say anything, my need to see the northern lights has nothing to do with Brother Bear! Which, if you haven't seen....that's just not okay, get on that pronto. BUT, my point is that, this is one instance where a Disney movie hasn't had a direct influence on my desire to travel! YAYA! I am a real adult! 😊🥰😜


Other hotels have glass igloos too like Kakslauttanen Artic Resort which is in Lapland! THAT'S RIGHT! SANTA'S HOME! 🎅🎅🎅🎅🎄🎄🎄



Staying one night in a small glass Igloo at Kakslauttanen Artic Resort will cost you about €448. This one includes your breakfast and dinner too! AND!


OMG THIS: "We have plenty of wooden sleighs that our guests can use to take their luggage into their rooms when there’s snow on the ground, it’s fun! "


😱😱😱😲😲😮😍😍😍 PLEASE! 🙏🙏🙏


They also have Log Cabins, Traditional Finnish Houses and Log Cabins with a little glass igloo attached to them! One thing I really LOVE about this resort is the endless Christmas/Winter themes that they have, like the sleds for example or the fact that THEY LITERALLY HAVE SANTA'S HOUSE! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!


Now I don't have kids, nor do I ever want any BUT you must have no idea who I am if you think there's not a snowballs chance (see what I did there 😜😜) that I'll be at Santa's house ASAP!

If staying in a Glass Igloo sounds like your jam then check out this super handy review by Borders of Adventure, I found it so helpful!


Even if you decide against the Igloo accom, you can still go to Finland for the lights and just airbnb it or stay in a normal (non-igloo) hotel. I mean just look at it!

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍



So completely amazing. I will be so shook up to finally lay my eyes on these cosmic beauties 🙏🙏🙏🙏🥰🥰🥰🥰



3. Deck Out a Volkswagen Van and Drive from the Bottom of Italy to the Top


To be honest if I can get a hold of one that's already renovated and liveable then I'll probably skip the DIY stage 😜😜 HOWEVER, images like this do make me keen to give it a try and imagine the skills you could learn and what if you need to fix something when you're on the road? It's probably a good idea to deck out the van yourself, I would just want supervision 🤣🤣


I also reeeeeaaaallly want one with a shower ahah so I'll definitely need a legit plumber for that 🚿🚿 😜

There's an awesome vegan girl on Instagram you should all #follow, her insta handle is: wandxrvegan


Anyway she and her boyfriend have the cutest Volkswagen van and travel around in it and if you're considering the van life then definitely check out their joint account: wandxrbus


She's a brand ambassador for wholesome culture which is legit one of my favourite clothing brands ever!! But I'm working on a post about them so more on that later 😜


Anyway, I found this account really inspiring because I had been toying with the idea of renting a van and driving through a country already, I was considering New Zealand but then I thought about Italy because it's so high on my bucket list and I still haven't been. So in the end, Italy won me over 😄 it wasn't that hard really 😂 literally the best food in the world 🍕🍝🍦 and it's also insanely beautiful.


Here are some of the wandxr van life travel pics,



Also, some of the pics that they post surprised me. I didn't realise just how liveable a van could be! Like you can have a little stove top and a mini fridge in those things! And obviously you can still make nutritious meals and work out even if you live in a tiny little space coz I mean look at those abs!


You could make it so cozy with fairy lights and fluffy cushions and obviously a puppy 🐶🐶😂🤣 Ugh it would be perfect.


I've always said I wanted a year to see Italy. It's not really that 365 days is important to me, it's more that I don't want to rush. I just want to have no set amount of time and see where the wind takes me. It might take 6 months or it might take 3 years haha I have no idea I just want to relax and see as much as possible. So here's hoping I get the funds to deck out a van (preferably Volkswagen 😜) find a good travel buddy (accepting applications now 😜😜) and spend an undefined amount of time exploring bella Italia! 🚚🚚 🗺 🗺 😍😍😍

I wanna see Tuscany,


and Verona,

and ESPECIALLY...Civita di Bagnoregio,

😍😍😍 absolute freaking travel goals 👏👏📸📸


2. Explore the Yucatán Peninsula - Mexico

Ahhh Mehico 😍😍😍


Beautiful, vast Mehico ❤️❤️

How big do you think Mexico is? Well......FUN FACT ALERT: if you were to glue the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy AND Germany together that my friends is about the same size as Mexico! 😮😲😲😲🤯🤯🤯🤯


PRACTICALLY ALL OF WESTERN EUROPE! I know! It's huge! SO much room for activities! 😜😜


Specifically for me, I want to visit the Yucatán Peninsula because of its highly concentrated amount of Mayan cites, like...


Chichen Itza,



Accurate representation of how I will be feeling when I'm finally there 😜😂🥰



and Uxmal



😍😍😍😍😍😍


There's literally so many different ones but for the sake of how long this post will be I will stick with these 2 😜 If you are interested though here's a fab website that I recommend if you want to learn more about the ruins you can visit there.


But wait, there's more!! Not only are there amazing Mayan ruins oh no, there's also incredible beaches like this,


As well as Cenotes (pronounced: "Sen-oh-tays") which are sink holes that collapsed into natural springs that the Mayans believed were sacred portals to the spirit world. Sacrifices and offerings were thrown into some of these immense, scattered cave systems that can stretch as far and wide as 100kms! And now...people swim in them?......I know, I'm not entirely sure if that should be allowed but like, it does look cool....I'm undecided how I feel about this 😂😂🤣🤣🤣

At least it is forbidden to swim in the one at Chichen Itza but it has been dived by archaeologists and they found many human remains in there as well as jade, obsidian and gold artefacts but yeah, literal human skeletons 😱😱😮😮 Yeah I know! It's like, why would you want to swim in a watery grave? Actually though? Haha this is what I mean! I just don't know how I feel about it 😂 Not all of them were used for sacrifice and offerings though, some of them were used as domestic wells so maybe those are the ones that people swim in? But then how could they possibly know if a Cenote was used for sacrifice unless they dived every one? I'm not sure haha but, in any case, swimming in a Cenote is an activity you can partake in on the Yucatán Peninsula 😜😜


It's also home to famous Cancun, Tulum AND the capital city of Yucatán is called....

LEGIT!

🤣🤣🤣 Anyway Yucatán is a boss ass destination so definitely number 2 in my Top 5 👌but what could be number 1 🤔🤔🤔


Prepare to be shocked and amazed!

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Me, featuring you:

(a moment of appreciation for my spirit animal: Anna) 😂❤️


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1. Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu -- Peru

HA! You thought it was gonna be Disney World didn't you! Tbf I am shocked Disney World isn't on this list too 😂🤣


But anyway, this has been on my bucket list for YEARS! Machu Picchu, no word of a freaking lie, is my number one travel goal in life. Just look at it!! YES PLEASE 🙏🙏🙏


There are a few ways to get to the incredible, ancient Incan peak, one of them is to take a train or bus through the Andes and the other is to go on a 4 day guided hike through other ruined Incan cities and the rainforest, camping overnight. This option is referred to as "Hiking the Inca Trail" and it's my damn dream!


Lemme show you why....







😍😍😍😍😍😍


Doesn't it just look like the stuff of dreams!? Ugh, I'm coming for you Peru!

And I know what you geography fans are th-incan 😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 "Ooh she doesn't know!" or, "omg she hasn't mentioned it yet...is she okay?"


Oh I know all right, the biggest city near Machu Picchu, the one where the hike starts...

What's its name!?


LEGIT!


So the spelling is different but it's pronounced exactly the same! 😂👏👏


I just have a lot of love and respect for Disney okay 🤣🤣

And there you have it, my travel top 5 for the next 5 years! Feel free to harass me about when I'm going to do them and keep reminding me that I've made this public knowledge, so I have no excuse to put any of this off 😂😂😂 Like I said before, it's important to put a deadline on goals. If you know there's a time pressure then it forces you to work harder and use your time more wisely. Now that I've made this list I can't wait to see what the next 5 years bring! Watch this space!



-- Han Han 😘❤️


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