The A to Z List of Places I'd Like to Visit

A   Australia.  I’m curious about the land down under.  The home of vegemite sandwiches, kangaroos, and koalas you can hug like teddy bears.  What would it be like to explore a continent while experiencing a completely opposite season than at home?

B   Bali.  Elizabeth Gilbert found love amid blue waters and the kindness of people who became like family.  For me, my son has been cared for by two amazing, gentle women (cousins) who hail from Indonesia, and I would like to visit their homeland.

C   Cape Canaveral.  The center of manned space flight.  The place humans first tried to escape the boundaries of Earth.  The place from where men left our planet to walk on another celestial body.  I want to see it, breathe it, marvel at it.

D   Denmark.  A country where commuting via bicycle is the norm not the exception.  And a country whose residents are deemed among the happiest in the world (according to a 2010 World Gallup Poll).  I’d like to find out why.

E   Egypt.  The land of Moses, the pyramids, and the land my dad has always wanted to see.  He’s intrigued by Egyptian art, and a bit of that has rubbed off on me.  

F   Four Corners.  One spot in the United States where it’s possible for a multi-tasker like myself to stand in four states at once (Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah).

G   Greece.  I’ll be honest - it’s the movies that have really gotten me intrigued about traveling to Greece.  I’m thinking of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and “My Life in Ruins.”  Academically, I also appreciate that Greece is the foundation of many elements of our society - democracy, astronomy, and philosophy.

H   Hiroshima.  Some want to visit for the history.  I want to visit for Aya, my pen pal of 18 years (as I type that I can’t believe that number is true.)  We’ve met several times, but always because she crossed the big, blue ocean.  I want to visit her home, see her country.  

I   Iowa.  Specifically, Madison County, Iowa.  The place made popular by the love affair written by Robert James Waller and played out on the screen by Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood.  

J   Jamaica.  It’s the place where Stella got her groove back (thank you, Terry McMillan).  Endless turquoise waters, coves and cliffs, an island paradise.  

K   Kauai.  I’ve read that Kauai is the “Grand Canyon of Hawaii.”  Really, who needs more of a reason than that?

L   Lake Tahoe.  Mountains that touch the sky.  Cotton ball clouds, water the color of a Jolly Rancher candy.  Natural beauty.  Peace.

M   Maine.  The eastern-most part of the United States.  Literally, I’d be able to go from one extreme (Southern California) to the other.

N   New York.  I’d be the typical tourist.  I want to see the Statue of Liberty, from the inside out.  I want to go to the top of the Empire State Building and think about romance and destiny.  I want to see if the streets are really as crowded as they appear on the movies.  I want to feel the energy.

O   Okay, Oklahoma.  Truthfully, Oklahoma doesn’t call to me like Paris does.  However, it’s a part of our 50 states, and I’m a curious person and would like to see this state for myself.  What better city to stop in then Okay, Oklahoma?  The writer in me loves the play with words and letters - Okay, OK.

P   Paris.  Our first time there was 6 years ago.  And once just wasn’t enough.  I didn’t make it into Notre Dame.  Didn’t get to the top of the Eiffel Tower (only the second level, due to wind).  Didn’t spend enough time wandering the streets.  Didn’t spend enough time eating bread and cheese and chocolate in small, corner parks.  

Q   Queenstown, New Zealand.  Reading about Queenstown online, it sounds like the type of place where you can do everything - bungee jump, enjoy a massage, go for a family bike ride.  Eat well, enjoy your surroundings, learn about history, and be exposed to a different country, a different time zone, a different culture.

R   Rome.  But if I can be greedy, why limit myself to one Italian city?  After all, there’s Florence, Tuscany, and Venice.  There’s gelato and sunflowers, architecture and history.  There’s pizza and pasta.  There’s art and gondolas.  

S   Sedona.  “The red rock country.”  I’ve been told that Sedona is magnificent - I’d like to see for myself.

T   Tahiti.  It’s one of those places that doesn’t look real.  The water looks too clean and clear, the beaches too white, the vegetation too green.  

U   United Kingdom. (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) Honestly, these countries offer the convenience of being populated by people who speak English.  And, Scotland is the home of my dad’s favorite pastime and the birthplace of my maiden name.  

V   Versailles.  On our trip to Paris, we didn’t stray from the city.  Next time in France, I would like to venture out and explore Versailles.  I don’t think I can properly fathom the opulence, the extravagance, the mirrors, and the gardens until I’m there.

W   Washington D.C.  I want to see the center of our country’s government.  Want to see where Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech and Forrest Gump ran through the reflecting pool to reunite with Jenny.  I want to see the Smithsonian and the cherry blossoms.

X   Xenia, Ohio.  Disclaimer - I never knew of this city until researching this blog.  But now, I’m intrigued.  I do wish to visit the 50 states, and when stopping through Ohio, what better city than one that prides itself as being the “City of Hospitality.”  A city with such numerous bike paths that it has been named as one of “America’s 10 Fittest Cities for Women” by Health Magazine.

Y   Yosemite.  I want to marvel at a place that is timeless and yet constantly changing.  A place that depicts the seasons in a way I’ve never seen before.  A place that makes me feel small and yet blessed to be a part of it all.

Z   Zurich, Switzerland.  Looking at pictures online, Zurich looks like the quintessential European city -  majestic mountains, charming architecture, rich history.