White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
2016 was a never ending road trip! I started the year off exploring Nicaragua. I did a crazy 4,100-mile cross country road-trip from Texas to North Carolina via Arizona/New Mexico. During the summer, I drove the ring road around Iceland and stopped in NYC and Boston to visit friends on my way home. I finally got to see a concert at Red Rocks in Denver. I loved New Mexico so much I drove the 11-hours to Albuquerque in October for the hot air balloon festival. 2016 was not as quite crazy as last year in South America but still a good travel year. And, it’s nothing compared to what’s in store for 2017.
I wanted to wrap up the year with a recap of the five most popular posts from 2016!
1.The REAL Cost of Travel
The greatest paradox in life is the relationship with time and money. An abundance of one leads to a shortage of the other. To prove that travel is NOT outrageously expensive, I tracked every single dollar and peso I spent on my seven-month Latin America trip. I spent hours making graphs and breaking down every single detail from postage to laundry. Check out the detailed breakdown here!
Antelope Canyon was one of the highlights of my summer road trip! For more on how to photograph the canyon, check out this post.
2. Finding the Time to Travel
Time is the second biggest obstacle keeping people from traveling. Based on my own experience and other travelers I have interviewed, I identify four main ways to work more travel into your schedule. Whether you want to carve out two weeks to road trip to Yellowstone or a year to explore Asia, here are a few ways to find the time to travel!
Americans under 30 can easily get one-year Working Holiday visas in Australia and New Zealand!
3. A Guide to Working Abroad
I’ve spend years researching all the ways and opportunities to work abroad. I’ve taken advantage of many – I taught English in Thailand and lived in Australia for a year on a work visa. I also managed summer photo trips for high school students in Asia. I’ve met tons of people working abroad and picked their brains about the best ways to do it.
I’ve complied my research into a simple guide about a variety of options for working abroad including links and resources. Check out the guide here: A Guide to Working Abroad
Skógafoss waterfall in Iceland is known for the rainbows created by the mist!
4. Iceland
Iceland is probably already on your bucket list. If not, then my Iceland series will move it to the top of the list! It’s by far the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. In my three-part series, I provide:
- Where to go in Iceland: A Photo Guide to Must-see Locations
- Real Cost of Iceland: A detailed breakdown of the cost of my trip and budget tips to help you plan your trip!
- Interview with an Iceland Expert: I interview an Alabama native who has lived in Iceland for the last three years about travel tips and advice.
Kerala, India
5. The Myth about Travel & Luck
“You’re so lucky you get to travel.”
“I live vicariously through you!”
Last January, I wrote a short personal essay about HOW I travel as much as I do. The goal of this blog is to be completely transparent about all aspects of my travels. This is one of my most personal posts. Let me let you in on a little secret – it has nothing to do with luck. Check out The Myth about Travel & Luck!
Clockwise from top left: Merrilee Davis, the traveling granny; Couchsurfing expert Nishant Prasad and his fiancé Isabelle St-Germain; McGuinness family of four who sold their house to travel for a year; and Kaleena Quarles taught English in Korea for two years to fund her RTW trip.
6. Travel Tuesday Interview Series
The best part of traveling will always be the people. I started a Travel Tuesday Interview series on TravelLikeAnna to share the inspiring stories of all the amazing people I’ve met on the road including the Traveling Granny in Colombia—a 68-year-old woman from Vancouver who has been traveling solo for years. At a hostel in Surce, Bolivia, I met a British family of four who sold their house to travel for a year. From Peace Corps volunteers to English teachers in Korea to a couple who quit their jobs to travel for a year to expert couchsurfers, I’ve met people who made travel and adventure their top priority. They have both challenged and inspired me. I hope they inspire you as well!
After all, courage is contagious.
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COMING UP:
Fushimi Inari Shrine near Kyoto, Japan
Japan & More
I’ll be kicking 2017 off with a travel guide for Japan along with sharing a few personal stories from my own adventures! Next week, I head to the Florida Keys for a road trip so feel free to follow along on Instagram!
