Laura

All of Them

What countries do you want to visit?

This feels kinda like a bit of a lame and boring prompt, not because I donā€™t absolutely love travel and exploring new places but because I havenā€™t been able to for a bit (hopefully changing soon!) and my answer isnā€™t exactly exciting or detailed.

Our passport is blue, but whateverā€¦maybe Iā€™ll become a dual citizen of Ireland or something, finally! šŸ¤£

Iā€™d like to visit pretty much all the countries.

Duh!

But especially Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Poland (Iā€™m packing my bags, MarvellousNightmare!), Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Scotlandā€¦and Iā€™m sure Iā€™m leaving many out. (Thereā€™s an entire other side of the world Iā€™d love to visit, these countries mentioned are just at the forefront, probably cause they are technically ā€œclosestā€ I guess.)

Argentina is a 9 hour nonstop flight from Miami. And because I want to see and experience Patagonia so badly, that would be a wholeā€¦2 weeks to a month that us Americans have to absolutely finagle and fight for in some ways to get because all the focus here is on work, work, work. Work your ass to deathā€¦and what do we have to show for it?

Patagonia would be an absolute dream come true

Ah hemā€¦anyways, I digress.

A lot of the destinations Iā€™d like to travel to now require planning, they arenā€™t exactly just a get up and go type of trip, especially since some of the things Iā€™d wanna do are more rugged and dangerousā€¦not something to be taken lightly on a whim.

Speaking from experience.

Letā€™s face it, youā€™re not going to be sitting around drinking ambrosia with the gods and goddesses atop Mount Olympus anytime soon

Iā€™ve had a trip planned at least twice to Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Israel and had to cancel more times than Iā€™d like to count. Iā€™ve said that if Iā€™m ever going back to Europe, Greece better be on the itinerary.

Iā€™ve been to Ireland x2, Canada, Mexico, most all of the Caribbean islands (anything in close proximity to Florida, ok?!)

I feel like Iā€™m leaving somewhere out, and I probably amā€¦oh, well.

Give me a trail to hike like this, and I wonā€™t care where I am!

But thereā€™s also a ton of places here in the US Iā€™d love to visit too, some repeats, and some for the first time.

Hereā€™s to travel dreams coming true!

Now, whoā€™s with me?

Well, I guess I had more to say than I thought I did. Happy Tuesday! Tacos, anyone? šŸŒ®

125 comments

    • Haha, and yet, I feel like thereā€™s so many places I still havenā€™t gone!

      Israel is definitely one, and any place with a vast history, really – but yes, same reason here this last trip got canceled. Such a bummer! Hereā€™s to hoping we get to go, someday!

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    • Haha at the risk of sounding like a typical American šŸ˜‚ Iā€™m half-Irish by ancestral descent, and yes there is such a vast, vast history there in so many aspects, there are so many peaceful spiritual places, ancient grounds and ruins, historical sites, natural beauty and forests and hiking trails, the food is good and fresh, and itā€™s got mountains and even beaches. And haunted stuff too, which I love lol. šŸ˜† What was your trip like? Where did you go? Thereā€™s still so many counties I never got a chance to go to, especially in Northern Ireland, but Iā€™d also go back to the Republic in a heartbeat.

      I went to Dublin of course, I went to the Wicklow Mountains, the Dingle Peninsula, Kerry county, Clare county, Killarney National forest, Connemara National Park, the Cliffs of Moher (obviously) many different beaches which I guess is weird for a Floridian but it was awesome. I know Iā€™m forgetting somewhere, hah. Coffee hasnā€™t settled in yet šŸ˜†

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      • It sounds like you had an incredible trip – one deeply connected by your heritage!

        The first time I went, it was to sing with an alumni vocal jazz ensemble in exchange with a choir near Dublin. One of the best parts of the trip is that we all did homestays, and my particular location was in a neighboring town away from everyone else. So, I had to get up every morning and walk to a nearby train station that would get me to where the rest of the group was meeting. It truly felt like I lived in Ireland for a week! Beyond doing some of the touristy stuff, I remember we spent a morning singing for tips on Grafton St – and we made enough to pay for our supper that night!

        My second trip we returned as part of a tour with a couple youth choirs. I was the piano accompanist for one of them. It felt good going back because I sort of knew my way around already. It was on this trip where we saw a few more of the traditional Irish locations – giants causeway, cliffs of moher, Northern Ireland, etc. it rained on our giants causeway trip so I remember just running down to see it and then running straight back. Such wonderful adventures!

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      • Wow!! That sounds truly awesome. Thanks for sharing. Itā€™s amazing because music is your chosen profession and youā€™ve gotten to travel and enjoy an amazing place (and multiple places it seems, as well!) based all on your own talent which is a lot more than what some people can say. Very inspiring! Thatā€™s so cool you got to stay pretty much away from the touristy stuff and felt like someone who actually lived there. I really would love to own a piece of land there or retire if I could. Itā€™s definitely a peaceful feeling place to me. šŸ˜Š

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      • Itā€™s such a beautiful place. A couple of my friends live over in Scotland and it was one of their best decisions ever. Constantly surrounded by perfection. Iā€™ve been lucky to travel as much as I have – all because of music!

        I hope you can live that dream and get over to Ireland again someday.

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      • Have you been to Scotland?! I want to go there so bad. Iā€™ll be hitting you up for suggestions if you have! šŸ˜† Iā€™m sure it was an amazing decision, Iā€™m envious but I can totally get it!
        Music has certainly opened many doors for you – absolutely amazing!

        And thank you šŸ˜Š me too!

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      • Well, thatā€™s certainly quite a bit of places! I so want to go to Japan too, and I didnā€™t even get a chance to list that! And thatā€™s awesome too, you have a place to stay! So cool. I would go ASAP if I knew someone over there! šŸ˜†

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      • My friends are cool. I bet theyā€™d let you stay with them šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚

        Japan was my absolute favorite trip! It was actually something I had won through my job – so I took my dad with me and now heā€™s hooked on traveling. I love their history – and just all the references to anime-ish stuff.

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      • Ok! I gotta ask, were you born with some kinda special good luck something or other?! You have the coolest freakin job in the world, you live in the mountains, (!!!!) you do music for a living, AND you won a trip to Japan?!
        I always say I wanna be a spoiled cat in my next life, but I think in my next life Iā€™d like to reincarnate to whatever special good luck dust it is you have floating around you! šŸ˜‚šŸ¤£

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      • lol I admit I feel very very fortunate but I also worked pretty hard to be allowed to do the things that Iā€™ve been able to do. The Japan trip was probably the most random and luckiest thing thatā€™s ever happened to me – but it was still through my work and I have a feeling it wasnā€™t as random as I think. Canā€™t say for sure though.

        Iā€™d say you have a pretty cool life too with what youā€™ve experienced. You visited Ireland twice, you have an incredible talent for writing, you help people through healthcare, and you live in Florida! Sounds awesome to me.

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      • Haha. šŸ˜† Oh man, Iā€™m sorry if I came off as ungrateful, I donā€™t doubt at all youā€™ve worked extremely hard – I know you have to, to be successful in music! šŸ˜Š My sisterā€™s ex is also quite highly successful in music, but I guess in a different manner – he runs his own recording studio and I know itā€™s not easy at all. You have a lot of cool experiences which makes you different from the average person so thatā€™s why itā€™s so quite interesting and unique to me! Yes, I am indeed very blessed, and Iā€™m not always happy with my job lately so I guess thatā€™s why, but I canā€™t say Iā€™m not super happy in other aspects.
        And thatā€™s so nice!! ā˜ŗļø Thank you, my writing isā€¦just another thing to me, but I do hope to be successful in it, so I guess I have to stop looking at it that way lol. Thank you so very much, again šŸ˜Š

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      • Oof yeah the recording studio business is a totally different world. I have my own little studio at home to do demo work and even those can be giant projects. We have a full recording studio at the school where I teach so I try to get my groups in there every year to make some music. I couldnā€™t do it full time, thatā€™s for sure!

        Have you ever tried submitting your writing somewhere other than WordPress? Other blogs? Other publications? Self publication? Via YouTube or podcast audio format?? Whatā€™s the next step in writing goals for you?

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      • You know, I donā€™t know where to submit my writingā€¦Iā€™ve often wondered this, I assumed I would just self-publish one dayā€¦but now youā€™ve got me wondering if maybe I should look up places to try doing so. Podcast, yeah that would be something Iā€™d like to do, and YouTube most definitely has been something Iā€™ve wanted to do for years. I gotta look into it. With how much I work sometimes, itā€™s hard to know where to place energy where it will be successful, but gotta start somewhere, right?
        Thatā€™s so awesome you have your own recording studio! Totally awesome šŸ˜Ž

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      • Definitely start small. I know there are several places on medium that are deviated to publishing poetry. And there are a multitude of contests that can be found scattered around the internet. Iā€™ve also seen some grants out there that are dedicated to arts enrichment and poetry is strongly tied to that. Keep digging – youā€™ll find something that works for you!

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      • Thank you for this šŸ˜Š Iā€™ll definitely start checking around. I havenā€™t really looked into to be honest, I always thought Iā€™d do self-publishing. But who knows, maybe thereā€™s hope? šŸ˜†
        Iā€™m off the next few days so after I get my sleep straightened out, Iā€™m gonna take a look.
        Thanks again!

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      • šŸ˜… ah! Maybe Iā€™ll write a little about it. Most of my blog is just dedicated to my art and gaming posts – I usually use my Instagram for my music endeavors. But, I directed two small ensembles: a concert choir and a vocal jazz group make up of students 6-12th grade. I also led a frisbee golf session each afternoon. And we held two faculty concerts Monday and Tuesday so I performed on both of those. And I accompanied a couple students during a talent show Thursday night. It was an awesome week but I am beat!

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      • Oh wow! It sounds more eventful than my entire week, lol!! But it also sounds very fulfilling and like you did a lot of amazing stuff. Iā€™m not on IG very much at all anymore or else I would check it out, donā€™t think I even have it installed on this phone šŸ˜†
        But yeah, it definitely shows how passionate you are about your work. I would be beat, too! Get some much needed recharge and rejuvenation time! šŸ˜Š

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      • One of my favorite weeks of the year! Sorry your week wasnā€™t as eventful. When will your next adventure be?

        Iā€™m planning to devote a good chunk of my weekend to rest and games šŸ˜Š

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      • Me too! (Rest, definitely! Games also sound nice!)
        And anytime Iā€™m sure, haha! I just gotta make it happen.
        Sleep comes first, though! lol šŸ˜†

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      • My dad moved to Japan last year maybe Iā€™ll post a blog about his travels and some pictures! Iā€™d love to travel the world and cover musicians on the beat. We all got to have dreams. Love your content btw.

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    • Oh, I can only image how rough that was, and definitely not the journey for the faint of heart, but still an important one for you – and thank you again for your service, always so very much appreciated, as are you šŸ™ šŸ˜Š

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  7. Game on !!!! Thrilling post and invigorating, Laura ā¤ !!! I LOVE the images and your humor !!! Didn’t the WP prompt yesterday say we’re all retired and rich now (lol) … Let’s go !!! šŸ˜‰

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    • Yes!!! Weā€™re all retired with a butt load of money, so we can make this fantastical journey happen! Letā€™s do it, girl! ā¤ļø (seriously though, if I can even go to a fraction of these places in my lifetime, Iā€™d be so happy) I need to go worship my Greek gods and goddesses, after all! šŸ¤£

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    • You are too right!! Haha, I wish I could live them all out vicariously in this lifetime! Iā€™m exhausted thinking about it, but it sounds like fun šŸ˜Š ā¤ļø

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  13. Hi! I read this on Tuesday but didn’t have time to comment, so I am back!

    I think your answer is awesome. I’m sorry you had to cancel those plans.

    I’ve been to some of the places you mentioned, too. I’ve been to all the states except Hawaii and Alaska, so I would like to go to those someday.

    Happy Thursday! šŸŒŗšŸ©·

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    • Nice! Thanks so much for sharing, Kymber! And thanks for coming back! šŸ˜ƒ
      My aspiration is to be like you – visiting all the states! Haha. šŸ˜†
      Alaska is beautiful, Iā€™m sure you would enjoy it. Itā€™s almost like an entire country on its own, lol. Iā€™d love to venture to Hawaii too someday.

      Happy Thursday to you, as well! šŸ’œ šŸ˜Š

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      • Thank you! šŸŒŗšŸ©· We had plans for Alaska, but Covid hit and we rescheduled three times before giving up. lol The top thing in my life I want to do is see Orcas in the wild. That was our main reason for booking our trip. Perhaps, though, the opportunity is yet to come. šŸ™‚ šŸŒŗšŸ©·

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      • Awwww šŸ’œ Iā€™m sure youā€™ll make it out there one day! Alaska is certainly magical, and seeing Orcas is absolutely majestic. Itā€™s a whole other world which Iā€™m sure youā€™ll love. I feel you on the pain of canceling, but Iā€™m sure itā€™ll come back around for you! Hereā€™s to manifesting it! šŸ¤ž haha. And thank you so much again! šŸ˜ŠšŸ©·

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  14. Your words have been traveling far beyond your imagination, but their impact resonates wherever they landā€¦
    You missed India in your list, the land of gods and goddessesā€¦
    May you always be happy, blessed, and may your dreams come truešŸ™šŸ»šŸ™šŸ»šŸ™šŸ»

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    • I thought of adding, but India is a place I will have to spend over a month inā€¦you are so right! One day, I would love to. Indeed, I did not add every destination I would love to visit šŸ˜Š
      And thank you for that, incredibly kind of you to say. šŸ™

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      • Rest assured, as you relax, nature will harmoniously align your dreams or plans at the perfect momentā€¦ Your enthusiasm for India is truly wonderful to hearā€¦
        Thank you deeply for your consistent kindness and generosity; I wholeheartedly appreciate itā€¦ May happiness and blessings always surround you, wherever you may bešŸ™šŸ»šŸ™šŸ»šŸ™šŸ»

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    • Thatā€™s certainly a place Iā€™d love to go to, as well! ā€œAll of themā€ hahah..and yet somehow I couldnā€™t list all of them! But definitely it seems like such a nice and dreamy place!

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  16. “What countries do you want to visit?”

    Definitely Italy, since that’s where my ancestry is from. Other countries of interest would be France, Spain, Argentina, Canada, Greece, Portugal, Ireland, and maybe Egypt. Japan would be interesting, given the contents of my blog. Lol.

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  20. Iā€™m with you! All aboard. I had one of my patented no planning adventures yesterday. It all unraveled disastrously! Shall I try again, or adult it and do the over planning one next time?? Drat, but I miss the ā€˜stickingā€™ my thumb out and just hitching experiences of another time.

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    • Awesome! Thanks for your comment! I agree thereā€™s something special about the spontaneity of just ā€œletā€™s get up and go!ā€ But I feel more and more it becomes more complicated (maybe our world is more complicated in general nowadays!) what did you end up doing that went the wrong way, if you donā€™t mind me asking?

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      • A standby flight, one day there and back. Disastrous results. No parking at airport, missed flight. I did an audible to do some local photography instead. That was fine, though it was an incredibly hot day. (My standby flight would have been the Monterey Peninsula for photos and adventure). While out with camera my car battery died, so I spent rest of day taking care of that. My self-care day away from job/family/responsibility a dud.

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      • Ohhh so sorry! šŸ˜ž unfortunate it didnā€™t work out, maybe next time? Iā€™ve tried to do a quick thing in a hurry too only to have it blow up in my face, truly sucks! Hereā€™s to hoping your next adventure is much better! šŸ˜Š

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      • You are so kind! I already made mental plans for a second attempt, next time with a bit more planning. I wonā€™t let fate hold me back, though planning needs to improve. But this post is about you, and your craft. Not me! By reaching outward my trials seem insignificant like tiny pebbles in a running stream.

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      • Haha, itā€™s all good! Whether my post is about me or not, I love to hear othersā€™ feedback and about their own journey as well. We bounce ideas off each other and thatā€™s how we connect!

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  25. Not a lame prompt at all. How many of us have bucket list places to go but never do it? It’s a great way to spark a conversation. For me, I would love to visit Ireland, as my father’s ancestors hail from there. So many places in the U.S. to visit still – would love to take a drive from the midwest, up through the northwestern states, Idaho, head down to Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico. And of course the New England States. Maybe some day I will buy an RV or camper and hit the road. Thanks for letting me dream a little.

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  28. If given the chance, I wouldn’t know what I would choose as well. There are just too many places worth exploring. I am fascinated by ancient civilizations though, so may be I might choose Europe or Egypt or Lebanon.

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  33. I’ve never really thought about this topic. I’ve grown very accustomed to my hometown that I never want to leave it.
    I suppose somewhere in nature with hills, flowers, countryside, and mountains, close to water, and with beautiful skies would be nice. Perhaps ireland, new zealand, or switzerland. I don’t know, I’m not that good with geography.

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    • Iā€™m sure all the places you mentioned would be absolutely lovely if you ever decided to venture out! šŸ˜Š and thereā€™s nothing wrong with never wanting to leave your hometown either

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  35. Our eldest daughter dreams of going to China one day. Something about living over there inspires her to go. Of course, I have always wanted to go to Maine and visit the light houses and France when it’s cold just right and stare out at the sea while sitting on the beach.

    I don’t know why, but it feels that pieces of me is somewhere out there in other parts throughout the world. I love the graphics you’ve used too! It’s super consistent and looks like you in your regular picture, too!

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    • Thanks so much! šŸ˜Š very complimentary of you! I would love to visit all the places youā€™ve mentioned as well, and I feel you on the bits and pieces of your essence in other parts of the world- felt that very profoundly when I went to Ireland! And it seems many different places can resonate with us and we can make a connection to. šŸ˜Š thanks for your lovely comment

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