Explorer

For day one on this adventure in perspective I decided to focus on the places I've been lucky enough to explore. Since about 60 percent of my bucket list items involve some kind of travel, this is the area where I have often felt the most behind. Sometimes the nine countries I have visited seem like a woefully small amount for someone who was voted "Most Likely to Travel the World" by her senior class.

Nevertheless, I have been incredibly blessed to explore some of the finest cities and landscapes this earth has ever seen, not the least of which are my stomping grounds on the Northwest coast of Canada... Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii have a rare, rugged beauty and I am proud to call them home. How many kids get to grow up in a place where this is what playing in the backyard looked like:

That being said, here is my list of 25 of the most incredible places I have been in my life so far (in no particular order):

1. France

From the bustling streets of Paris to the patriotic sands of Juno to the pink granite coast of Brittany and beyond,  my 10 months in France were full of travel and exploration.

2. Utah

3. Frankfurt, Germany

4. London, England

5. Bruges, Belgium

Also known as the Venice of the North

6. Mexico

I went to Peurto Vallarta with my family when I was 11 and ten years later I got to climb the Teotihuacan pyramids outside Mexico City.

7. Panama

8. Honduras

9. Peru

High in the Andes, in the cobbled streets of Cuzco or on the red sand beaches of Lima, I loved it all.

10. San Francisco, California

11. Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee

12. The Oregon Coast

13. Atlanta, Georgia

14. Kansas City, Missouri

15. Seattle, Washington

16. Four Corners, USA

Ever been four places at once?

17. Washington, DC

For the past two months I have worked just a couple blocks north of this, perhaps the most iconic house in the entire United States of America.

18. Denver, Colorado

19. Liberty Jail and Carthage Jail

For those who don't know, these two jails are church historical sites where the prophet Joseph Smith was imprisoned at different times. The building seen here in Carthage, Illinois, is where Smith was martyred.

20. Moab/Delicate Arch

21. Zion National Park

I loved the view from the top of Angel's Landing... but I wouldn't recommend making the hike in the middle of the day when it's 104 degrees outside.

22. Ding and Dang Slot Canyons

This hiking and scrambling adventure was one of the most physically and mentally challenging things I've ever done, and it was amazing.

23. Mont St. Michel

The old abbey-cum-medieval city was one of my favorite things about France.

24. Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings

So much mystery!

25. Las Vegas, Nevada

The more I put on the list, the more I realized there was still to add, like one of my absolute favorite cities, Quebec City. As I counted, I realized I've been to 16 U.S. States, including driving through Idaho and Montana more times than I care to count, and I have traveled for all sorts of reasons. It was awesome to reflect on those trips, and the people I went with or met along the way. Really, my travel experiences have been rich. The only downside of this little exercise is that I think I can feel the bottoms of my feet beginning to itch. I guess there really is no cure once you're bit by the travel bug...