by Alyssa Ramos
Sometimes my head is so far in the wanderlust clouds that all I can think about is where I’m going to travel to next, and forget to appreciate all of the places I’ve already been to! There have been places (and moments) I’ve loved…and some serious travel fails that I’ve learned from.
So in honor and in gratitude of the opportunities I’ve had to travel, here are my 10 favorite travel throwbacks! I hope they inspire you to get up, save up, an go travel the world!
1. Cliff Diving in Corfu, Greece
I loved this mostly because the hostel we stayed at was so laid back that they thought offering a booze cruise that takes you cliff diving is a good idea. Corfu is a beautiful Greek Island that is notorious for backpackers, so if you ever travel there, definitely stay at the Pink Palace!
2. Gondola Tipping in Venice, Italy
Of course we had to choose the gondola with the cutest gondolier, and of course he got distracted and T-boned another gondola on the canal and almost made a group of tourists from China with lots of cameras tip over…
3. Seeing the Place I Got an A in in College, Galapagos Islands
When I was studying biology in College, I definitely didn’t think that I’d ever get to travel to the place we learned about in Evolution class. You can imagine how annoying I was whenever I saw a finch.
4. Roaming Around Rome
Clever headline, I know. I really did think it was fascinating to see the holding cells below the stage of the colosseum in Rome. Sure, it’s touristy, but if you get the chance to travel to Rome, it’s definitely worth seeing.
5. Steins at Hofbräuhaus in Munich, Germany
Did you know that there is a two stein limit at the Hofbräuhaus in Munich? Or that chanting will get you kicked out? Let’s just say we got kicked out a few times, and I still have my stein.
6. Nice is Nice, The French Riviera
For us poor college kids, this was a nice little faux-fancy stop on our Eurotrip. The only downside was that the beach had rocks instead of sand…
7. Moulin Rouge in Paris
I didn’t know the Moulin Rouge actually existed, so you can imagine my excitement when I got to see one of my favorite movies in real like in Paris! I also didn’t know the Eiffel Tower lit up at night so that was also exciting to see.
8. Disobeying the Signs in the Krabi Jungle, Thailand
I like to push my limits when I travel, so of course when I saw a sign that said “Do Not Go In the Crystal Lagoon – There’s Quicksand”, I obviously felt compelled to do it anyway. It was only slightly terrifying but definitely worth the pics!
9. Getting Lost in Amsterdam
Yes, we took the mushrooms they sell to tourists in Amsterdam. And yes, we wandered around the bending buildings aimlessly until we realized we had no idea where we were. That was fun. Until we ended up in the Red Light District…
10.Causing Problems in Prague
So many things went wrong in Prague. We walked around the outskirts at night trying to find a cab. Couldn’t find one so tried to take the train. Couldn’t read the language so kept looking for a cab. Finally found one and it didn’t take euros. Finally got to the four story nightclub and almost got killed by the terrifying bouncer, and so on, and so forth.
11.Beautiful Barcelona
Probably my favorite place that I traveled to in Europe was Barcelona. The beach town, the happy people, the sunny weather, the cultural sites…just don’t attempt trying the absinthe…especially the night before your flight home.
12.Volunteering in Muizenberg, South Africa
Volunteering with the primary school kids in Muizenberg, South Africa was probably one of the most touching, and inspiring times of my life. They were all so loving and happy, even if they had nothing. I also made friends from around the globe and got to stay in a charming little beach town that not many people know about.
13. Walking with Lions in Wilderness, South Africa
My mother almost had a heart attack when I sent her a picture of me next to these lions. But I thought they were quite cute and cuddly looking!
14. Discovering my Roots in Cuba
This was only a month ago but still one of the most memorable travel experiences I’ve ever had. I followed my grandmother’s hidden journal that I found after she died, to the tiny town in Cuba called Santiago de las Vegas where she grew up, and even got to meet some of my relatives that still live there! (Story coming soon in Geo Chic magazine).
15. Seeing a Wonder of the World in Panama
Ok so this was only a few days ago, but it was my first Wonder of the World that I’ve seen and Panama was a neat place to travel to, so I included it anyway! I got to take a canal tour on a speedboat to some jungle islands, where I saw monkeys, weird birds, and a terrifying crocodile!
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