RauviTravels: My 2018 travel goal of flying all over the world monthly
I really think 2018 is and will always be the year I travel the most. For the whole 12 months, I never skipped a month going places may it be just somewhere in the United States or someplace elsewhere in the world. This year, I definitely checked so many things off my bucket list. And it was awesome! It was very exciting to visit some of the most beautiful and romantic travel destinations in the world. Furthermore, I just didn’t get to visit these places, I get to do a lot of fun adventures and stuff. I will always love the crazy and not-so-crazy adventures I have done in the last 12 months. Additionally, I appreciate the opportunity of meeting tons of wonderful people from all over the world throughout my journey. So, here is the breakdown on how I spent each month of 2018 traveling all over the globe. Since I have been to LOTS of places all over the world this 2018, I will have this blog in two installments. This first part of my 2018 travel blog will cover the places I visited from January to June.
My Monthly Travels: January to June 2018
January 2018
Inarguably, watching the epic ball drop at Times Square New York is almost on everyone’s bucket list. And obviously, it was on mine too. I watch it on TV each year and always wondered how does it feel to be actually there. Let me tell you, I was not looking forward being packed in sardines but I was definitely excited to do the countdown and witness the ball drop. I can’t begin to tell you how amazing my experience was and definitely the best way to welcome 2018.
New Year’s Eve in Times Square New York
February 2018
Awww, the month of love….. it was a little bit of a struggle to find the most romantic travel destination to go spend the Heart’s Day. But in the end, I opted for an adrenaline-packed travel adventure in Costa Rica. I’m so glad I chose Costa Rica; it was not just romantic, it was a trip full of so much fun and adventure.
Valentine’s Day in Costa Rica
March 2018
March 2018 Spring break in Austin, Texas and Turner Falls, Oklahoma
Spring break, YAY! And since my children are off school, I took them on a quick get-away in Austin, Texas. Our first stop, taking my them to commit their first ever crime, vandalism. Thankfully, it is ‘legal’ to vandalize and spray-paint the walls of Hope Outdoor Gallery. As a matter, it is considered a form of art.
Our second stop is hiking at the beautiful Mount Bonnell. This place provides a spectacular view of Austin, Colorado River and its neighboring cities and hills.
My kids love the water so there is no way they will miss the fun at Lady Bird Lake. We ended our day having fun kayaking and canoeing at the lake. And trust me, it was too difficult to pull them kids out of the water. LOL.
Our last stop is a rainy and wet, yet beautiful hike up on hills to get a good view of the Pennybacker Bridge, Lake Austin and Colorado River. Furthermore, it’s a good location if you want see a beautiful sunset.
Turner Falls Hike
My 3rd time to visit Turner Falls in Oklahoma but it’s too beautiful it always feels like my first time.
April 2018
Known as one of the seven new wonders of the modern world in 2007, Chichen Itza has always been a place waiting to be checked off my bucket list. I have always been fascinated about Mayan civilization and ruins and I promised myself to visit them one day. And that finally came. In addition, I also went to visit the ruins of Tulum which is perhaps one of the most beautiful ruins I’ve ever laid eyes on. Another thing we did in Mexico which I truly appreciated was cenote-chasing. Mexico has tons and some of the most beautiful sinkholes in the world. I think another place in Mexico not to miss is Isla Mujeres. And lastly, we headed to Cancun and party.
Pictures of Chichen Itza
The Ruins of TulumLocated a little over an hour from Cancun is another beautiful ruins called Tulum. In Yucatan Maya language, Tulum means “wall”. It is believed that at one point in time, the site may have been called ZAMA, which means A City of Dawn partly because it faces the sunrise. Tulum proudly stands on a hill facing the east side of the Caribbean Sea. During its time of grandeur, Tulum serves as a seaport trading mostly jade and turquoise. Pictures taken at the ruins of Tulum
May 2018
Four years ago, I was so fortunate to spend my 32nd birthday in two of the most beautiful cities in the world, London and Paris. And I have to stay that I fell in love with Europe. It’s so romantic, classic and majestic. Thus I told myself that I will spend another birthday in Europe come high hell or waters. And I did. And again, it’s one of my most amazing birthday celebrations ever! It’s my birth month so YAY Europe! My 9-day birthday celebration in Europe started in Lisbon, Portugal, then flying to Greece visiting the city of Athens and the island of Santorini. Next on my birthday itinerary is a visit to the cities of Rome, Vatican and Naples. After 2 days of devouring the beauty of Italy, we then fly to Barcelona, Spain. Although almost a day was wasted due to a trip to Barcelona Police Station after my stuffs were stolen, we were still determined to move along and follow our itinerary. From Barcelona, we drove to Girona, Spain. Not a fan of the Games of Thrones but it was fun trailing its shooting locations in Girona. From there, we drove and cross the international border to this charming city of Perpignan, south of France. Lastly, we drove at least 4-6 hours (due to multiple stops for picture-taking), to Andorra La Vella, Andora, a small country sandwiched between France and Spain. So that’s how I spent my 36th birthday in Europe.
June 2018
Perhaps the most unique and eerie country I’ve been is Iceland. I feel like I’m in Mars; it is so beautiful it is almost un-Earthly. Additionally, I checked off my bucket list of living in a camper van for days. It was so much fun.
To begin with, I have to say that it’s so weird to sleep and wake up to the same ‘bright’ sight. Unfortunately, there is no amount of Tylenol and Motrin PM that could put me down to sleep on a ‘bright’ night in Iceland. Consequently, I wasn’t able to go to sleep until 4:00 in the morning on my first night in Iceland. With that being said, it was a late day for me as I woke up 10:00 in the morning.
After walking up to this beautiful sight, who would want to leave? Our loyal Snail van, however, is ready to hit the road again.
There is NO FEE to walk along the trail to Solheimajokull. It is not advisable to climb the glacier without proper gears and expertise. Parking is free and there is a bathroom on-site.
Tours to trek up the glacier are available for a small fee. I would love to do hours-long exciting Solheimajokull glacier hike someday. Sometime soon, I would like to climb on that greenish-blue colored glacier. But for now, a walk to the sinking glacier is way more than enough for me. By the way, even from a far, it was beautiful!
I always love white sand beaches and think they are the prettiest in the world. However, Iceland’s Black Sand Beach makes me think otherwise. Reynisfjara is a well-known black sand beach located in the south coastal area of Iceland. Undoubtedly, this beautiful black sand beach is one of the most famous stop-offs in southern Iceland. It is definitely a must-see tourist attraction. So far, I have to say that Iceland’s Reynisfjara is the most beautiful black sand beach I have ever seen in my life.
These are the basalt columns at the foot of the Reynisfjell. The seemingly picture perfect hexagonal-shaped columns look almost unreal. It’s so amazing to see such beautiful creation. And if that is not beautiful enough, take few more step and you will arrive to yet another magnificent view. Again, it looks so unreal and outwardly.
