My Current Travel Bucket List

Each of us have dreams of travel, but sometimes the hardest part is picking where to go. I have been to my fair share of beautiful places during my college and high school years, but there are still plenty of places that I aspire to go. Hopefully my list of my top choices of countries to travel to next will be able to inspire your own list of travel aspirations!

3. Estonia

Estonia, the small Baltic country located just above Latvia in Eastern Europe, takes my number three spot. While not a typical touristy location, Estonia still has a lot of great sights and beauties to offer, and studying abroad would be quaint and relaxing with a total country population of between 1 and 1.5 million residents. The capital, Tallinn, has entrancing architecture, but make sure to take time out for the museums and the Orthodox Cathedral in the city! Overall, Estonia is a very forward-thinking and clean country. In fact, in 2013 the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked Estonia as number one in air quality in the world! Additionally, there are castles scattered across the country, so make sure to take a countrywide tour of what all Estonia has to offer!
Photo Credit: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/estonia


2. Peru

Peru, located on the western coast of South America, is a country of many wonders. While Machu Picchu is the obvious tourist stop (and still a must-see), Peru still has much, much more to offer its visitors. First, I find it important to mention their cuisine, especially one dish by the name of chaufa. Chaufa is a rice dish served with meats, vegetables, eggs, and differing sauces. I myself have never been to Peru, but I have had chaufa on many different occasions. This is a must-try dish from Peru, especially if you are a fan of rice. After trying it, chaufa now ranks as one of my favorite foods of all times. Another important spot to visit is the capital of Lima. With museums and city parks galore, Lima would keep you busy for days! Plus, who wouldn't want to see llamas and alpacas??
Photo Credit: https://walkingtree.org/country/peru/


1. Czech Republic

The Czech Republic takes the top spot for a number of reasons. This country has lots of sights and experiences to offer, such as the Sedlec Ossuary, a chapel in the country where the interior is completely made of bones! There is also the Houska Castle, which believers of the supernatural think it may be one of the entrances to Hell due to a seemingly never-ending pit within the fortress of the castle. Aside from the creepy sites, there are many other castles in the country to visit, and they likely would not be haunted either! The capital city of Prague is a beautiful and modern Central European city with breathtaking sites and architecture. If you are a fan of partying, fear not, for Prague and the Czech Republic as a whole will provide you with what you need. In fact, did you know that the Czech Republic drinks the most beer each year per capita? Finally, I personally desire to go to a smaller Czech city by the name of Tabor. This is where my family lived in the late 1800s before they emigrated to the United States. Even now, you can still find people in the Czech Republic with my surname, but there is a slight variation in the spelling.
Photo Credit: https://www.ciee.org/teach/czech-republic/


Honorable Mentions: 

 Cuba 

Photo Credit: http://www.lamacchiatravel.com/destinations/north-america/caribbean/cuba


New Zealand

Photo Credit: https://www.cfasociety.org/newzealand/Pages/default.aspx


Where do you want to go next? Do you agree with my list? Comment below and say your list of top 3 places to visit!

-Steph