My 2017 Travel Wishlist

Hey World,

When I think back to 2016, I am flabbergasted by the amount of places and adventures BG & I were able to squeeze into a single year!

I also forgot to add Zambia on this list in November!

We've already decided that 2017 will be more deliberate with our spending (read: we want to save more money), but that doesn't mean I don't have my sights on a few fun trips I hope to try and sprinkle through the calendar year. We are very lucky in that we are given more vacation than we would receive with most US jobs, which helps make all of this possible!

All of that to say, here's my realistic travel wish list for 2017:

#1. Going gorilla trekking in Rwanda: This is so high on my East African bucket list that if it was any higher, it'd fall off. I'm waiting for a long-time friend to plan her trip and come visit so we can tick this off together, but it's looking like sometime in late fall may be the time!

#2. See the pyramids of Egypt: Egypt Air actually has a direct flight from Dar es Salaam to Cairo. The only issue is the flight to Dar es Salaam from where I live basically doubles the cost! This could be a fun trip to take around our one-year wedding anniversary (and gives us a reason to splurge a bit), and my dad is thinking about joining us for some near-Nile adventures! 

#3. See the Aye-Ayes: If you know me IRL, you probably also know I had a weird childhood obsession with a strange endangered animal called the aye-aye. Well, past self - prepare to have your mind BLOWN. After speaking to some colleagues who have gone recently, Madagascar has a lot of great adventures to offer (and many many lemurs!!!) and it's just a mini-ocean away. I've convinced BG the time to go is now.*

#4: Americana: If you received a Christmas card from us, you probably saw this referenced. While we have literally 0% of it planned and I may have to get 1-4 wisdom teeth removed the week before, I have every intention of this being the best family vacation ever. Think: RV camper, states with no ocean access, national parks, rest stop breaks every 30 minutes, and tumbleweeds. Alright, I don't know if the Grand Canyon has tumbleweeds, but there's only one way to find out! 

 I am really excited to re-frame travel this year as being based on experiences rather than stamps, and trying to include more deliberate trips with a focus on family & friends.  While these plans would slow down the number of new countries to just two for this year, I have faith that perhaps another sneaky trip could be tacked in there (Switzerland, please!!!!).

xoxo,

M

*By "now" I really mean Easter, but close enough to start a countdown clock!