In no particular order, these are the places in the world I would most like to travel.
1. Scotland
I would love to go to Scotland. So much. Ever since I started watching Outlander when it was added to Netflix, I have been obsessed. I didn't google anything while watching the show initially because I knew there were more seasons, and I didn't want to be spoiled for future episodes or seasons. I am notorious for googling location, actors, and backstory, while watching a show or movie. When I started rewatching with my husband, I let myself start to google--historical references especially. As a historical fiction obsessed viewer, I find it interesting how accurate a show is able to be, so I wanted to look up all the events and people in Outlander.
While looking up filming locations, I was also finding that Harry Potter had many Scottish filming locations. It should have been obvious because Hogwarts is presumed to be in Scotland, but it hadn't had any obviously similar locations to Outlander. However: the Hogwarts Express! When I was looking at what actually traveling in Scotland would be like, I was looking at taking a train. The train that was used as the Hogwarts Express is the Jacobite!
My Outlander and Harry Potter obsessed brain exploded, so a trip to Scotland must be in my future.
2. England, including London
Yes, Great Britain seems to be a common theme. In general, I would love to go anywhere in England. As a kid that grew up on public television with a mother obsessed with Masterpiece (Masterpiece Theatre and Masterpiece Mystery; I think they were separate entities at the time), I grew up watching a lot of BBC shows. Redwall, I watched myself or with my brother. I had watched all the Jane Austen movies aired on public television long before the books were at my reading level. I'd watched Vicar of Dibley, As Time Goes By, and The Lawrence Welk Show with my parents. When I was little, I knew that if I wasn't in bed before the Masterpiece Mystery song and animation with the fainting lady and the scarf, I would be in trouble. I may have been four, but I knew what the entire theme looked and sounded like because I have always been a night owl who liked to sneak downstairs. When I was older, I would watch the mysteries with them including Miss Marple and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.
When I was in finishing high school, Downton Abby was getting started and it was a family affair. Don't get my brother going on Mary because he does NOT like her attitude. In college, my husband (then boyfriend) and I would watch Downton Abby on Sunday nights at his apartment, so our optimistic goal would be to have homework done before it started. His mom also watched, so it was kind of like bonding from afar when we were EXTREMELY stressed college students.
While student teaching, I lived with people with public television, which I hadn't realized in some places has more than one channel! One night, I watched a random episode of Father Brown, and became obsessed! If you're paying attention, you'll notice some similar locations to Harry Potter, as well as some familiar actors of course. Father Brown has a lot happening in the countryside as well, so the Cotswolds area would be worth visiting.
Growing up with a historical fiction obsession, I read a lot of historical fiction involving 1500s-1800s Great Britain with castles and Queens. Any book with a map of a castle or town or country was very likely to be read by me. I don't think anywhere in Great Britain would be off my list of potential trips.
3. New Zealand
New Zealand hadn't really been somewhere I had thought about, but after hearing about them in the news so much, I have begun to consider it. Initially, I was googling New Zealand because of how well they were handling the pandemic. Then, I was noticing a lot of people were suggesting it as a honeymoon spot. Later, I saw a Youtuber I follow, Mama Doctor Jones, talking about her honeymoon there leading her and her husband looking to move there! It doesn't hurt that Graham McTavish lives there. (I had to bring it back to Outlander some how!)
4. Hawaii/a resort
After going on a Royal Caribbean cruise for our honeymoon to the Bahamas, I would love to go to a resort that is all inclusive. I'm sure it could be cheaper to not do something all inclusive, but it sure is nice to not have to think about it. I already have a hard time not worrying and relaxing, so going on the cruise and knowing it was all paid for already was surprisingly relaxing. We had picked the cheapest plan before we went, but my husband had forgotten. When we got to the first meal and he remembered it was 'free,' he was giddy.
I have never been to Hawaii, but I would love to go to the beaches and explore the islands. I have been to every state except for Hawaii and Alaska. Traveling feels more stressful now post pandemic and with a child, so I think something all inclusive would take a little of the stress out of it.
5. Japan
In college, I spent a summer living in Okinawa. I LOVED the feel of Okinawa. When I wasn't at work or with other Americans, it just felt like I could be myself. I'm just not as...loud as most of the Americans I was around. However, the only time I spent in Japan was in the airport. I remember during my layover, looking at the train in one direction and the TSA in the other direction, and going to TSA because I was just so tired. I had a very long layover and could have taken on Tokyo after checking my bags and before getting ready to board, but I just chickened out. If I could manage a trip to Japan in the next year, it would be great to visit my brother will be living there for another year! Free lodging doesn't hurt.
6. Universal Studios - Orlando
My husband and I LOVE Universal Studios. Unlike most of the others, I have already been here. If you haven't noticed, we are definitely entertainment buffs. TV, Movies, Podcasts, you name it. In high school, we went to Universal Studios on a band trip. Some of those rides just take my breath away. The people that design them are incredible geniuses. A few years later, we were bitter to find out that they were adding Harry Potter World after we'd already been to Universal Studios! I remember it opening and literally crying when I watched a commercial about it. I had gotten the tingly feeling I had always gotten when watching the new movie trailers or when reading the back of the newest book. However, it felt very unattainable as a broke college student.
When we were planning our honeymoon, we decided to add Universal Studios to the agenda. We would already be in Orlando, so why not? It was fantastic! We had already been to the rest of the park on the high school trip, so we spent all our time going everywhere in Harry Potter World.
I'm glad we went to the last Harry Potter movie on that date night years before.
7. Europe - the continent
When I was younger, I had a bit of time when I was really into genealogy. My great aunt had just done a lot of work putting together a lot of information using sources like ancestery.com. It was also in the middle of my obsession with reading a lot of historical fiction books in middle school, so how our lives and ancestors line up with history was on my mind. Later when I was pregnant with my son, I got interested again as we started looking for names. We had a lot of names that had been eliminated, due to both of us being teachers.
As you can probably guess, I am super European. From what I have been told, mostly German and Scandinavian. Even if I don't find my roots over on the European continent, I am still that historical fiction obsessed person who loves to see where that fiction and reality align. I just feel like going to the continent, history comes alive!
8. NYC
I have been to New York City twice, and I love it. I love the hustle and bustle. I love the camaraderie of running in Central Park. I love the fact that I don't have to talk to someone if I don't want to. (Not a luxury I have had as a teacher in a small town.) I love sometimes talking to random strangers after a Yankees game win or as we leave a great show on Broadway. I will never see them again, but we shared a moment. If I actually could afford living there or wanted to work there, I would be there in a heartbeat. It's always my goal to feel like a local when I am there and not be an obvious tourist. Partly, because I am a female that doesn't want to get mugged, and partly because I enjoy not feeling like I have to smile when I don't feel like it. It makes me feel powerful to be a city girl for a moment.
9. Venice, Italy
Many romantic comedies tend to be set here, but I mostly find the water canals and architecture beautiful. I just find anything with water beautiful. Beaches, waterfalls. I have an odd fascination with the power and beauty of water. I grew up an avid swimmer and lifeguard. I have always felt that while water is beautiful and fun, it's also powerful and dangerous, and it's power should be respected. To me, it was partly why I loved teaching swimming lessons so much.
10. Greece
Mostly, I would like to go to Greece because of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books and movies. I have also had stints of being really into Greek vs Roman mythology, so through that, gotten into where the mythology meets up with the actual places involved with who was writing the stories. I also find the bonding of the olympics interesting, so its history is also appealing.
Bonus: Barcelona & Africa
My husband has always wanted to go to Spain, and Barcelona specifically. This one is mostly for him. I don't know much about Spain, but it looks beautiful! I have also been to Tanzania, which I would love to share with my husband. Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park were part of the trip, and I think my husband would especially love Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Conservation and climate are very important to us, and I just felt like anything we could do to support the park rangers there is important. Park rangers have a bigger job than I had ever expected.
Where to?
All of these locations would be pandemic and safety permitting, as we know the pandemic is truly ongoing and the world at large ebbs and flows with safety concerns. We won't be going anytime soon, since saving up for them takes time. As I look into actually taking any of these trips, I'll come up with more specific places to go, but I like to keep it fairly general, so I can more easily find something reasonable and not be let down if doing everything I want just isn't possible.
I love traveling, and I think it's an important part of life. Traveling can be relaxing, informative, and impactful on your life. When I am gone, it is nice to notice or find what I could incorporate into daily life or find a place that really feels like home. When I get home, it can be nice to then have the feeling of being glad to be home, instead of just sick of the same four walls.
I hope to explore these places with my husband and son someday. I am not sure if he knew it when he married me, but he'll forever have to deal with my wanderlust.
-WAH
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