Top Ten Cities I Would Love To Visit

I don’t have many regrets in life, but one of the few that I have is not traveling abroad more before I had my son. The handful of times that I did leave the country, I had a profound experience, and I developed an appreciation for the various cultures that I got to witness. When my son is older, we plan to travel with him as much as possible. I think it is important to have an understanding and appreciation for all cultures, and the best way to develop that (other than living in NYC) is to travel overseas and get immersed in it. So, the top ten cities that I would love to visit include:10) Siem Reap, Cambodia – I love that this city has completely reinvented itself from the city I learned about in history class 20+ years ago. I have had friends visit and say amazing things about the food and culture, and I would love to see for myself.9) Istanbul, Turkey – I can’t think of this city without thinking of the song by They Might Be Giants. Despite the song, though, I have a few friends from Turkey, and their amazing stories of their homeland from the cuisine to the terrain have made me want to add it to my “must-visit” destination list.8) Cape Town, South Africa – I have been a fan of South African wines for many years, and the wine tours alone would make this city an interesting one for me. However, I have a friend who lived here with her husband for four years and gave me many more reasons to enjoy this great city.7) Sydney, Australia – I don’t love the idea of spending the greater part of a day on a plane to try to get anywhere; however, after watching Oprah’s trip to Sydney during her last season, I realized that some flights are worth the effort.6) Hong Kong, China – My son has a friend from China who takes Mandarin classes regularly and tries to educate my son on Chinese culture. I love this friend because he has inspired a sense of adventure in my son who counts China high on his list of places to visit. And I happen to have family living in Hong Kong, so maybe we can crash with them?5) San Jose, Costa Rica – When I first started dating my husband, I went on a family vacation to Italy and he went on a singles cruise to Costa Rica (It was booked before we met). I LOVED Italy, but seeing his pictures from Costa Rica made me want to spend time there as well.4) Paris, France – One of my family’s favorite movies is Ratatouille. Every time we watch it, my husband makes Ratatouille “Remy style” and we plan our trip to Paris including where we plan to eat and visit.3) Cuzco, Peru – This is typically the starting point for hikes up to Macchu Picchu and filled with a great history of the Incan Empire. Hiking Macchu Picchu is an absolute bucket list item for me.2) Vancouver, Canada – I love the mountains and a cool environment. Ever since this city hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, it has made my list of places to visit.1) Dublin, Ireland – I am Irish, and I am told by my mom, named after the Shannon River in Ireland. I am proud of my heritage; however, I have never been to Ireland. I look forward to this trip the most!