Friday, May 24, 2013

Why stop at London?

40 DAYS TO GO!!


I love to travel all over the place. I don't care where I go, I just want to go somewhere. The following is my top four countries on my travel bucket list. The list extends much farther than four. I did countries, not actually sites because otherwise I would have Machu Picchu or the Great Wall of China on the list when I don't really want to see the country as much as I want to see the sites in the country.

This is just my overall "I want to go to these countries" list.

4. Ireland

There is a bit of a story behind why I want to see Ireland.

When my family moved to our current house, the previous owners left tons of VHS tapes and books in the study (a librayish room.)

One of the movies was called The Secret of Roan Inish. It's based on an (according to Wikipedia) Irish (where the film is set,) Scottish, and Icelandic folklore about "selkies," or seals that can turn into humans. A young girl moved to her grandparents near where the "selkies" live.

The film was shot in Ireland and ever since, I've wanted to visit there. It wasn't a particularly good movie, in fact, it was really creepy... but it was all just so beautiful.

Not from the movie, just a pretty picture.
I also read an autobiography called Angela's Ashes while in high school. It was set mostly in Ireland too. Not a happy book in the slightest, but I enjoyed it.

I was hoping I would get to go to Ireland while I'm in the UK, but it won't happen. One of my friends was considering going over the summer (not with the program, just to Ireland,) but decided against it. Had he gone, it wouldn't have made any sense to not visit him in Ireland.


3. South Africa

I'm really not sure why I want to go to South Africa. I once had a teacher go and she said there were penguins, but I don't think that's the main reason I want to visit.

See?
It's just one of those places I want to go. I want to do a safari and see Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.

Freshman year, and nearly every year after, I watched a movie called A World Apart that was about apartheid in South Africa and I think that's when I decided I'd like to go there.

2. Australia

Why wouldn't someone want to go to Australia? I like koalas and kangaroos. I like opera. I desperately want to learn how to scuba dive, though I burst my eardrum once so am unsure if I can still learn. I want to see the Great Barrier Reef.

I could also snorkel. That might be more likely.

I want to go to P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way Sydney. See the Australian outback. See a ton of the world's most poisonous critters!

Besides, Nemo lives there!

1. Italy

Why do I want to go to Italy? Well, if you know my last name, you might could tell. I am 1/4 Italian and have always wanted to visit there. I don't think any of my family have been there, but I could be wrong.

I can't find a good enough picture to post, so I'll go with this one. 
My great-grandfather went through Ellis Island to come here and from what I remember, got kicked out of school because he couldn't speak English.
My great-grandmother wasn't born when she came through Ellis Island. I don't know how to eloquently put that into words. I guess I'll go with her mother was still pregnant with her?

I can actually say "Do you want to go fishing?" in Italian. I can't write it, but ask me to say it next time you see me.

If I asked my grandpa, he could tell me where in Italy he's from, and I have asked before. He also says that his grandpa was a head honcho in one of the Italian mafias.

I'm also fascinated by Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius, there was a Doctor Who episode called "The Fires of Pompeii," in fact. Plus there was a Doctor Who episode about Venice called "Vampires of Venice." Also I've always wanted to see the Vatican.

Bonus: Route 66

I didn't plan on posting any American places on the list, because it's not that crazy to think that someday I'll get to see the places here, but Route 66 is not something I'd do normally. I'll see the Grand Canyon someday. I've been to NYC. I been to Disney World. I've not seen Route 66.


I want to get in a car and drive the entire road, from Chicago to LA. The hard part is getting to Chicago first, but I'll figure it out someday!

The good part is that I've already seen some of the sites on the road, like Cadillac Ranch and a few others, so I could just zoom past them.

Bonus Part 2: Simple Sites

This is just a list of the sites I want to see. I don't want to see the whole country, though I would still gladly visit and spend a ton of time there if I could.

Jesus Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro
Great Wall of China
Machu Picchu in Peru
The Sphinx and Pyramids
Petra in Jordan
Chichen Itza in Mexico (the only spot I'll likely see)
St Petersburg
Tiananmen Square

10 points if you know what this is from. It's only my favorite girly animated movie IN THE WORLD. I specify "girly" because otherwise Hercules might take the least, so I make sure to say favorite "girly" or favorite "manly" animated movie.

Can I just travel for a living? I want to get paid to see these places.

Or maybe I'll take a 107 day world cruise that stops in nearly every port city on the planet.

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