As the daughter of an immigrant, I’ve been in possession of a passport since before I could crawl. Traveling is not just in my blood but it also fuels my spirit. Seeing the world is my preferred way to feel inspired, recenter myself, renew my connection with the earth beneath my feet and share experiences with my beloved companion.
I’m not wearing rose colored glasses and am fully aware that travel is not always easy, financially attainable or even enjoyable. Even after experiencing an aborted take off in Beijing, China and seeing the contents of my busted suitcase circling the carousel at Paris Charles de Gaul Airport (both true stories), I still love to travel. I’ve found there’s an opportunity to let survival skills shine and return home with a good story to tell.
Last year, my husband Josh and I had the wild idea of setting a goal to travel once a month. Traveling once a month is an ambitious goal but being as we currently don’t have children (though we would like to start a family soon), we couldn’t think of a better time to catch a case of wanderlust.
My curated 2023 travel bucket list includes US National Parks, pristine beaches and previously visited destinations.
Photo by Ama by Aisha in collaboration with Hotel Zaza Dallas
January
Snowshoeing and skiing in Breckenridge, Colorado
Antiquing in Round Top, Texas
February
Visiting friends and family in Oakland, California
Fishing and hiking in Garner State Park in Uvalde County, Texas
March
Photographing and hiking Saguaro National Park
Exploring The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
April
Fishing off the Gulf Coast / Corpus Christi, Texas
May
Jazz Fest in New Orleans, Louisiana
Wedding in St Louis, Missouri
June
Hiking Yellowstone National Park
July
Sunning in the South of France & Amalfi Coast
August
Walking the beaches of Cape Cod, Massachusetts
September
Catching a cab to grab of slice of pizza in New York City, New York
October
Photographing and hiking the Utah National Parks
November
Thanksgiving with family in Pennsylvania
December
Whale watching and celebrating the Holidays in Maui, Hawaii
Now that the intention to travel has been put out into the universe, the next step is creating the budget to make this list a reality.
Dear readers if you have been to any of these places and have recommendations, please send them my way! I hope that reading my 2023 travel bucket list was a dreamy delight and above all inspires you to curate your own. Bon voyage!