Here’s the thing about all travel bucket lists: Writing the list is not enough.
A plan without a deadline is just a dream.
What are you waiting for?
Travel Bucket Lists: 30 Before 30
Fly On An Airplane
I’ve noticed that a lot of bucket lists tend to leave off actually taking a flight as a goal, but as many wise men have said, the travel itself is just as important as the destination.
If you’ve never been on a plane, or only once as a child, make sure to go back and see what you’re missing- book the flight.
P.S. If you think money is stopping you from flying, think again.
Travel Solo
There are few things as liberating and exciting as traveling alone.
Solo Travel feels like one of the last few forms of freedom, especially if you don’t have a strict itinerary to maintain.
It’s also great because you can do everything at your own pace, even if what you want to do is just to stay another day in a small town doing nothing.
Plan a Roadtrip
Ah, road trips.
Quite possibly the best way to see the continental US, geared only towards the most freely wandering souls. There’s just something about the open road.
Don’t forget- planning a road trip doesn’t have to be intimidating or time-consuming and absolutely anyone can do it.
Overcome A Fear
Try doing something that scares you– whether it’s heights, flying, or the deep ocean (all of which can be scary in their own right).
When you step out of your comfort zone, you grow as a person, and many who conquer fears during their travels find that it builds confidence in their daily life.
Go To A Music Festival
Festivals like Austin City Limits and Bonnaroo are on many people’s bucket lists and make for the perfect excuse to travel.
If you’ve never been to a music festival, I encourage you to experience that beautiful sense of collective celebration!
Go Camping
If you’re anything like me, you try and spend as little time as possible being absorbed in your phone, laptop, tablet, etc,
There are amazing campsites all over the world, even luxury tents for rent, and I can promise they offer an experience worth keeping.
Visit A World Heritage Site
There are over 1,100 UNESCO World Heritage Sites dotted across the globe. From The Everglades in Florida to the famous Great Wall of China, the UNESCO World Heritage sites are considered to be the best places to visit across the entire planet.
Visit A Country Without Knowing The Language
The humility of taking in a new place with fresh eyes can give you an understanding that can’t be gained any other way.
As Americans, we take for granted that nearly every other nation has some form of experience with English.
Visiting somewhere that will not cater to you can be daunting, eye-opening, and even teach you to pay closer attention to your non-verbal body language and surroundings.
Explore Local
Didn’t expect ‘stay home’ to be on a 30 before 30 list?
Well, technically, it’s not.
Instead of visiting your usual spots on the weekend, try to explore your city like a tourist.
With a simple search like “Best tourist attractions in (your city),” you could be off on an adventure through familiar streets into entirely unfamiliar experiences.
Go On A Cruise
Traveling by sea is quite possibly the most unique traveling experience ever!
How else can you cross off 7 countries and still sleep in the same bed?
Move Away From Your Hometown (Even Temporarily!)
Even the most free-spirited among us have their favorite places and faces. Leaving all that you know behind will teach you true independence, a new way of living, and the experience of being totally free.
Moving away will make you appreciate what makes home so great.
Take A Beach Vacation
Did you know that Puerto Rico, a hot spot on many peoples’ travel bucket lists, is part of the US and doesn’t require a passport to visit?
California, Florida, the Virgin Islands– there are dozens of kickass beaches around the edges of the US!
Living your best life can be as simple as a long swim on a hot day. Pack your beach bag and hit the coast.
Book Your Dream Trip
Many people are of the opinion that “life is short.”
While it is true that the years start coming and they don’t stop coming, there is another simple truth: Life is long.
So long, in fact, that you don’t want to spend all of it on “someday” and “maybe when.”
Whether it’s going to the great wonders of the world or seeing the Grand Canyon, everyone should plan and execute at least one of their dream trips.
Why wait to travel when tomorrow is promised to no one, and you can put check marks on your biggest bucket lists today?
Take A Best Friends Trip
A girl’s trip, a BFF trip, or even just reuniting the crew and going on an adventure together can bring a new level of friendship and build lifelong memories.
Adult scheduling is hard, but taking the trip you always wanted with the people you love is worth the time and effort.
Just make sure you know how to travel with other people first!
Visit A Big City
Another simple goal that many people neglect: visiting a big city
If you already live in or regularly visit a big city, choose a vastly different city and go there. For example, New Yorkers could visit Los Angeles, or Portlanders could spend some time in Dallas.
There’s something special about seeing the apex of human evolution on display, all our many centuries of mathematics and development going into the creation of towers that scrape the sky.
Visit A Desert
There is nothing in the world like a desert sky.
Filled with unique wildlife and dramatic, art-inspiring landscapes, a desert visit is worth the travel for anyone who can take the heat (pun intended).
Sleep In A Ridiculously Fancy Hotel
Even if it’s only for one night, treat yourself to a higher level of comfort by investing in the experience of a truly great high-end hotel.
Money may be fleeting, but the memory of the experience will stay forever, and everyone deserves to be a king or queen for a day.
Stay In An Exotic House Share
Instead of staying in another hotel for your next vacation, stay somewhere unique! While it’s true Airbnb has gotten expensive over the years, plenty of other sites like Booking.com have the SAME properties listed for less.
You can spend the night in cabins, boats, tiny houses, and all manner of cool and interesting abodes across the country, often for cheaper than a mid-level hotel stay.
Visit A Different Country
Even if it borders your home country, a visit to somewhere new and a fancy stamp on your passport is nothing to sneeze at. Looking at photos online is nothing like actually being next to a waterfall or massive geological formation.
Try Foreign Food You Don’t Have Access To At Home
Fun fact: The majority of foreign food prepared in the U.S. has been customized and recalibrated for our taste buds, often leaving out many necessary and traditional ingredients from the land it was born in.
Take the time to try out the original and local foods wherever you go.
Go Skiing!
You don’t need to be good at skiing or even ski at all to go on a skiing vacation!
There’s nothing wrong with taking lessons and learning a new skill or even just soaking in the atmosphere.
Who could turn down a quiet evening by the fire with hot chocolate and snowy mountains outside?
Bonus points for a snowy road trip!
Eat Your Heart Out
If you’re a food lover like myself, spend some time researching a country’s food scene.
Whether it’s a specific regionally famous food like deep-dish pizza in Chicago or a famous spot like Hell’s Kitchen in Vegas, choose something that’s going to make your time there an unforgettable experience!
Food Tourism isn’t about trying something completely new. It’s about trying food you already love in its home country/area.
Eat Somewhere Fancy And Foreign (Alone)
The keyword here is fancy. Reading an unfamiliar menu in a new place, with no chance of returning to the same old #6 combo, will definitely take you out of your comfort zone (even if you don’t love what you ordered)!
Travel With Your Parents
My road trip through New Mexico with my mom was one of the most significant trips of my life, and I deeply regret not getting to take a trip with my dad before he passed.
If you didn’t get to travel much as a kid, offer to plan a family trip as an adult, where each of you can enjoy it equally.
Stay In A Hostel
If you stay in hotels all the time, you may find this experience challenging.
Staying in a hostel is a completely different experience than a hotel, where you are guaranteed to meet a community of cool and interesting fellow travelers and save money on accommodation. Don’t knock it before you try it: check out your options.
Take A Spontaneous Trip
Book a last-minute plane ticket, show up in a new city, and just go from there.
Feeling unprepared is a different perspective of travel, and it often can reveal new layers of ingenuity in people. Definitely a choice for the more daring traveler, the spontaneous trip can be just as fulfilling as the most well planned and thought out vacation.
Pay A Visit To Someone You Know
There are lots of reasons to travel, but one of my favorites is to visit friends in other states or even other countries. It makes them feel special and strengthens your bond while also helping you to put a few more miles on your soul.
See Some Stars (Real Ones!)
Take the time to see the night sky without all of the light pollution, and with the biggest unobstructed view you can get. Borrow inspiration from the same constellations that inspired all the greatest minds of humanity, including Galileo and Da Vinci.
Buy Art Abroad
You know that super unique piece of locally made art that you see but don’t buy when traveling? The one that has no practical use or doesn’t fit the theme of your home design?
Buy it.
Take a chance on keeping more than a memory or photo of your travels, and take something tangible you can proudly display that says
“I did this. I went there. I lived life.”
Take A Risk
Consider what a “risk” is to you and put yourself up to the challenge.
For some people, a risk might be bungee jumping, and for others, it may be moving to a new city or making new friends. You’ll know it’s a risk for you if you feel afraid and apprehensive about it, even if you’re not entirely sure why.
Taking a risk can be equally scary and exhilarating, and you’re guaranteed to grow as a person.
Check-in
Some of the greatest things we can accomplish as humans are just on the other side of fear, waiting for us to try and reach them.
If you only take one thing from any of my travel Bucket Lists, let it be that.
