Want some ideas for your next adventure? Scroll through some possibilities! 

New Zealand

Don't let the 14-hour plane ride from Los Angeles scare you away from New Zealand. Although it's a fully developed first-world country, NZ can still make you feel like you are in the most remote corner of the earth. Maybe that's because you kind of are, but WOW it is just one of the most amazing places this planet has to offer. From snow-capped, glacier filled mountains, to lush, green, forests, to black sand beaches, this country has it all.  Drop your fast-paced, city slicker business life at the airport, and get ready for a rugged adventure. This trip is off-the-beaten-path at it's finest, leave your phones in your hotel, and let the country speak for itself. Make sure to go for plenty of time- it's not the kind of trip you can do in 9 or 10 days. You can't really go wrong with anything in NZ, but be sure to add these to your list: wander through Queenstown, you'll never want to leave! Hop on board a 6-seater propeller plane and fly over Milford sound, indulge in as many green-lipped mussels as possible, and trek the Abel Tasman National Park. The trek through the Abel Tasman was probably the single greatest day I have ever lived through. Check out my NZ to-do list and read more about my trip here!

Norway

I never thought I would find myself sailing through the Norwegian fjords, but I can't express how glad I am to have gotten the opportunity. It is truly one of the most un-touched, un-spoiled, absolutely magnificent places I have ever been. "What's a fjord" you may ask? Well don't worry, I've got you covered. Unlike anything in the US, a fjord is an over-deepened valley caused by a retreating glacier, usually narrow in width and steep-sided. It extends well below sea level and is naturally filled with seawater. Regardless of whether your vast knowledge of high school geology kicked in or not, fjords are a MUST see in your lifetime- especially in Norway. Also a must see when in Norway- Eidfjord. You can either get there by boat or by car, and if you sail in, you sail for about an hour inland from the North Sea, winding and weaving through the fjord as you go. And at the end of the staggeringly perfect fjord, sits the tiny town of Øvre Eidfjord- I'm talking like population of 921 according to Wikipedia. Yes, you read that right. It's not exactly the kind of town you could get lost in (because it's so small ha!), but boy is it pretty. To read more about my trip to Norway, click here! 

Tuscany

I studied the Italian language for 10 years throughout school, picked up a minor in Italian in college, wrote a 15 page thesis on the preservation of Italian antiquities in Italian, could be a professional pizza taster, and there's not much I love more than a cold glass of vino bianco, pasta con pomodoro, and a view of the Tuscan countryside. The epitome of getting lost in a good way, Tuscany is a hilly, green, romantic region in Italy filled with the most amazing wine, food, towns, and corners of the earth you only dream existed. Book a room at any one of the local Tuscan agriturismi, (working farms with extra rooms you can stay in. You'll eat off the land, learn what life is like as an Italian, and re-discover yourself, all for a very affordable price!) rent a car when you fly into Rome, and drive your way through the hill towns. Don't even use your GPS until it's time to go back to your agriturismo for the evening. Head to Siena to see the piazza where the palio horse races are hosted in July and August, wind your way through the steep cobblestone streets of Cortona to find a relic of a tunic from St. Francis of Assisi, climb the medieval tower in the triangular Piazza della Cisterna in San Giminano, go wine tasting in Montepulciano, climb the leaning tower in Pisa, walk the walls of the old city of Lucca, and stroll through Greve in Chianti with a glass of Chianti and count all of your blessings. Also a Tuscan must-do, take a train to Florence for a day or two. Go to the Uffizi museum, the Galleria Dell'Accademia (to see the statue of David, among others), have a pizza margherita at Yellow Bar, and climb to the top of the duomo. For more on Tuscany, the hill towns, and all the vino, click here!

Barcelona

I have a very special place in my heart for this small city with a big heart, and tons of flair. I traveled to Barcelona to take a 5-week study abroad class in photography when I was in college, and absolutely fell head over heels. As the home of Antoni Gaudí and Salvador Dalí, I was expecting Barca to be funky and full of character, but I never imagined it would combine tradition and history with funk and fun in such a seamless way. In the Gothic quarter (El Barrio Gótico), you'll find a medieval cathedral, narrow, winding streets, Catalan flags flying from every balcony, and some of the trendier artisan shops and bars. In a neighboring district, El Born, you'll find the coziest, most unassuming yet life changing tapas place- Cal Pep. Pep, the chef, is front and center as he throws together delicious dishes- complex in their flavor and texture. Find your way to the newer part of the city and wander down La Manzana de la Discordia, or ‘the street of discord.’ Buildings of all different styles, designed by multiple architects, from different periods of time line the extra wide sidewalks, making the architecture seem choppy and discordant, hence the name of the street. Gaudi’s unfinished project: La Sagrada Familia should be high on your list. It is , cathedral that Gaudi never got to see complete. In fact, it’s still under construction today- and it’s finish date isn’t until 2026, and it was started in 1882. When you go to La Sagrada Familia, take ample time to walk around the outside of the cathedral and see each facade before going in, then pay the 6 euros to take an elevator to the top of one of the towers to take in the view.  Also Barcelona must do's : hop in a cable car to go up to Montjuic, and join the elder Catalan's for their Sunday dance called La Sardana  in front of La Catedral. To learn more about Catalan tradition and what to do in Barcelona, click here! 

Greece

I have to say, Greece has quite the special place in my heart. My grandfather was born in Athens, and we can trace his family's history back to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Start your trip in Athens, the birthplace of democracy, where you can hike up to the Acropolis and see the Parthenon. Dedicated to the goddess Athena and built in the mid-5th century B.C., the temple stands proud and tall today. Stroll through the remains of the Agora- the ancient marketplace that was once filled with the hustle and bustle of people making, selling, and trading different goods and services. Shop your way through the Plaka, stopping only for some souvlaki me pita- the best and most underrated Greek street food, and spend hours at the National Archaeological Museum- which is home to the mask of Agamemnon, among other incredible historical artifacts. In my opinion, the best parts of Greece are the places most people don't go. Rent a car, drive to Delphi, a very famous archaeological site once home to a legendary oracle in the temple of Apollo, and spend the afternoon in the tiny town of Itéa by the sea. Spend a night or two in Olympia and see where the Olympics were born- you can still run across the original track! Stop in the town of Kalamata, home of the olive, for lunch, on your way to the Mani peninsula- one of the most untouched, spectacular places on this planet. Go to Corinth to stand where the corinthians once stood when St. Paul preached, escape the beaten path in the tiny town of Nafplio, and walk the ruins of Mycenae. Then spend a week on any one of the 227 inhabited islands, swimming in the sea, soaking up the sun, and enjoying the freshest and most delicious food robust in their flavor, with no preservatives. Meet some locals, and listen to their stories. If ever you see a little old Greek man sitting on the side of the road selling oregano, capers, olives, olive oil, and maybe some fruit, stop to talk to him, buy some dried oregano and a jar of olives, and when you eat them at home, remember how blue his eyes were, and how kind his touch was. In the evenings, have a cold glass of retsina (a bold Greek white wine with notes of lime, apple, and pine), enjoy a horiatiko salad (the Greek 'peasant' salad- full of vine-ripened tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, fresh dill, creamy feta, olives, olive oil, and red wine vinegar), and some spanakopita (spinach and feta delicately wrapped in phyllo dough and baked). Live life the Mediterranean way- enjoy the simplest pleasures life gives you, and celebrate everything good.